A Hip Urban Escape: The Standard Bangkok Mahanakhon – Hotel Review
By
10 months ago
Lauren Ho checks into Bangkok's hottest new hotel
While Bangkok is certainly not short of a great hotel, the launch of The Standard Bangkok Mahanakhon – the brand’s flagship in Asia – brings a new level of energy to the city’s hospitality scene.
Read the C&TH Guide to Responsible Tourism
Hotel Review: The Standard Bangkok Mahanakhon
STAY
The arrival of The Standard in Bangkok is certainly turning heads. Not just for its home in the striking, 78-storey King Power Mahanakhon building, with its pixelated cuboid façade, but for injecting a colourful vibrancy into the city’s otherwise conventional hotel scene. Unfolding seamlessly over a riot of colour, the hotel has 155 rooms and suites, six restaurants and bars, and a host of meeting rooms, while the design is the work of Jaime Hayon, who took his cues from the city’s lively art scene and traditional Thai arts and crafts. The result is a flamboyant, whimsical and eclectic aesthetic that perfectly encapsulates the brand’s ‘anything but standard’ ethos.
DO
Expect the brand’s signature programme of cultural and food events from ongoing installations by artists like Lucy Sparrow to weekly live music sessions held in The Parlour, the social hub where various lectures are also held.
If you can tear yourself away, the hotel’s location, in downtown Bangkok means you’re steps from the city’s old town, the Chong Nongsi sky train station, and Silom Road, the Thai capital’s commercial district, which is popular for its restaurants, bars and nightlife. After a night of indulgence, brush off any cobwebs at the hotel’s sprawling gym, or head to the outdoor pool for a dip or a cocktail against Bangkok’s iconic skyline.
EAT
With six bars and restaurants, you’re certainly not going to go hungry. From award-winning Cantonese fare at Mott 32, to classics like freshly shucked oysters or beef wagyu burgers at The Standard Grill, the food offering here is immense.
The star of the show is Ojo, Thailand’s highest restaurant with 360-degree city views, where celebrity chef Francisco Paco Ruano sends out elevated modern Mexican dishes like roasted baby pork with burnt habanero and cochinita sauce, alongside an extensive drinks menu featuring a curated list of mezcals and tequilas.
Follow this with a nightcap at Sky Beach, the highest cocktail bar in Bangkok – and the third highest in the world – where you can dance the night away against sprawling city views and a soundtrack from a roster of world-famous DJs.
Sky Beach
FINAL WORD
In a city known for its great hotels, The Standard has certainly set a new bar with its new Asian flagship. From its vibrant design and fun attention to detail, such as the Polaroid cameras in each room, to the impeccable service and food & beverage offering, the hotel is a refreshing addition to the Thai capital’s hotel scene.
BOOK IT
Rates from £134 per night, including breakfast.
114 Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500
