The Peninsula Bangkok, the Thai outpost of Hong Kong’s Grande Dame, celebrated its 25th anniversary in autumn 2023. It is home to 370 rooms and suites with breathtaking views of the Chao Phraya River and the city beyond, especially from the higher floors. Each room is a celebration of the country, with Thai teak floors, silk furnishings and Asian artworks, as well, of course, as the modern, thoughtful amenities essential to a relaxing stay. Of the hotel’s numerous room types, the highlight is the mansion-like duplex suite that takes up the 36th and 37th floors, with private landscaped terraces on each floor, a dining room, two bed chambers and a sizable marble bathroom with signature La Bottega amenities.

The hotel has two main restaurants. Thiptara Restaurant serves authentic Thai dishes in a traditional Thai house by the river, surrounded by banyan trees; while the famous Mei Jiang, an authentic Cantonese spot, serves dim sum lunch every Saturday and Sunday, with tea pairing options. The lobby, which is surrounded by soothing green gardens, serves daily afternoon tea, which includes a plant-based option. Even the breakfast experience, with its range of gourmet and gourmand selections, as well as “healthy” and gluten-free options, is divine: tuck into your first meal of the day seated by the water, watching the changing rhythms of the river as you eat. 

If you are planning to focus on your physical and mental well-being, you’re in for a treat. The Peninsula Bangkok offers extensive pampering and wellness programmes. The Spa, located in a three-storey Thai colonial-style building, offers an array of treatments and journeys that fuse European, Oriental and Ayurvedic philosophies. There are also treatments for the mind that include meditation, Tibetan vibrational thinking bowl treatment, breathing techniques programmes, and many other activities that promote mindfulness and better sleep.

If your fitness needs lean more towards the physical, choose from a variety of activities including sunrise yoga, Pilates, aerobics, aquatics, HIIT, stretching and Muay Thai—all conducted by certified trainers and all complimentary for guests.

Culture also takes centre stage here, with a range of cultural activities to choose from, from spice and herb appreciation class followed by Thai herb salad tasting, daily morning alms-offering to monks, the signature artist-in-residence programme with local artists, temple tours, cycling along the original course of the Chao Phraya River on the Bikes, Boats and Beer tour, a sak yant, or traditional Thai tattoo tour, and traditional celebrations that happen all year long—with a particularly Peninsula twist, of course.