Four Seasons Bangkok
- Room Type: Premier River-View Room
- Typical Rate: 14,000 THB per night
- Price Paid: Hosted stay
- Loyalty Program: FSPP
Intro
Bangkok is quite possibly the greatest city in the world for luxury hotels. Almost every single top hotel brand is represented here and pricing is extremely competitive when compared to room rates in Europe and North America. Having closely followed the hotel scene here for a number of years, I was very excited to hear that a new riverside hotel complex was being developed to offer a resort-like experience within one of the world’s busiest cities. As we discovered when staying at Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra, it is an incredible feeling stepping into a tranquil sanctum, when all around you there is chaos. This is true luxury. The complex consists of two hotels: Capella and Four Seasons, with restaurants, bars and spa easily accessible between both. We ended up staying at both properties but started our trip to Thailand with a stay at the Jean Michel Gathy designed Four Seasons. JMG is the visionary architect behind my all time favourite hotel: Amanoi as well as Aman Sveti Stefan and One & Only Reethi Rah and Cheval Blanc Randheli in the Maldives. The idea of staying in a resort designed by him, whilst spending time in one of my favourite cities on earth was enough to make me feel like a child anticipating the arrival of Christmas!
Booking
Our clients are able to enjoy Four Seasons Preferred Partner (FSPP) benefits when booking any Four Seasons hotel through us.
An example of FSPP benefits, which may be available on your stay:
- Upgrade of one room category, based on availability at time of check-in.
- Full breakfast, for up to two in-room guests. Either at the restaurant or via in-room dining.
- $100 Hotel Credit.
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability.
There are numerous additional offers available throughout the year too, including:
- Free nights (most commonly every 3rd night free).
- Guaranteed upgrades.
Your booking will be direct with Four Seasons. However, since we are managing the booking on your behalf, we are able to negotiate all the above extras for you.
NOTE: If you are able to find a cheaper rate elsewhere, we can help to get the price matched AND STILL add the FSPP benefits to your booking!
Arrival
Everything that I had seen online looked fantastic in terms of room hardware and landscaping, but I was concerned that a hotel that had opened during the pandemic may not be up to true Four Seasons standards, so soon after opening. As such, there was a mix of anticipation and trepidation as we were greeted by the Four Seasons representative at the eerily quiet Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Check-in
Upon arrival at the property we were greeted by a variety of smartly uniformed staff members, offering to assist with our bags and giving us a brief introduction to the property. The entrance to the hotel made one hell of a first impression, with oversized plant pots and dramatic, waved walls, opening out onto an interior courtyard pond. The combination of lighting and textures was very impressive indeed. Of course, this wouldn’t be a Four Seasons hotel without a variety of extravagant floral arrangements to greet guests.Premier River View Room
Entrance
The room opened onto a small reception area, with an enormous full length mirror perfectly positioned next to the wardrobe. This kind of architectural demarcation between the door and the rest of the room is a clever design trick which made the whole space feel a lot more residential. The first thing we saw upon entering the room was a vase sitting inside an illuminate lacquered insert. Similar pieces were dotted throughout the room.Bedroom
The bedroom was very spacious and featured various sitting areas, in addition to the supremely comfortable Four Seasons bed that we all know and love. My one complaint with Four Seasons bedding is that the feather pillows are far too soft. You need three of them stacked together to achieve the same result as just one of the incredible Ploh pillows used at hotels such as Naladhu. The technology and design around the bed was amazing though. The intricate bedside lamps hung above the tables meant that all the table space was free to use. Additional reading lights were built into the extended headboard and universal power and multiple USB ports featured on both sides – together with a series of well labelled light switches. One side of the bed featured a Bose speaker and the other had an iPad, pre-loaded with the Four Seasons app (which I much prefer to just use on my phone).Bathroom
A bathroom can truly make or break a luxury hotel room… and is often the tell tale sign of a half done refurbishment in older properties. Thankfully there were no half measures here. The bathroom felt sleek, modern and inviting. The dark tones contrasted beautifully with the brightness of the bedroom, imbuing the space with a deep sense of tranquility. There was an abundance of counter space either side of the two sinks and the various bathroom amenities were very tastefully presented. So many bathrooms feel sterile due to a lack of greenery; the small wheel-like piece here was the perfect antidote to this dilemma.Service
Housekeeping was fantastic, with truly top tier service provided. We never once bumped into them and never had to call to have them service the room. Presumably they coordinated with our breakfast visits and performed turndown when we were at the pool in the afternoon. Small gifts have become increasingly common during turndown, even in city hotels. Something we first experienced at Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra. Here, every pair of glasses left anywhere in the room would be neatly arranged atop a Four Seasons Bangkok lens cloth. Meanwhile, cables were tidied by way of leather Four Seasons clasps.Studio Family Suite
Part of my job as the owner of a travel agency involves touring various different room types. I was particularly interested to view the Studio Family Suite as this appeared to present excellent value for a room that can comfortably accommodate 2 adults and 2 children. (One of my clients was so happy with the videos I sent him from this suite that he booked the very same day!)
Bedroom
The Studio Family Suites have proper reception areas in which people can sit to put on their shoes – something very useful when travelling with children! There is also plenty of space here for jackets and umbrellas. Entering the bedroom itself, the first thing you come across is the minibar. The bar surface extended all the way through to the entrance hall. Meaning that there was a handy space on which to store, keys, hats, sunscreen etc. near the door.Bathroom
The bathroom was more or less identical to that of the Premier Room. The key difference being that the bathroom door led into a walk-in wardrobe, which then connected back to the front door.Four Seasons Executive Suite
A true suite with an extensive living and dining space, separate from the bedroom.
Living Room
The door opened onto the minibar area and featured a guest bathroom immediately adjacent to this.Bedroom
Despite being in the building further from the river, the bedroom still enjoyed great views.Bathroom
Different suite – same bathroom.Riverside Terrace Suite
This is one of the most prestigious room categories at the Four Seasons Bangkok. One thing to note is that one of the terrace suites is located on the rear block of rooms, with the other being located much closer to the river, in the same block as our Premier Room. Despite this major difference the two terrace suites are priced equally. This is where booking with a good FSPP agent (like me!) will help. I would always work to ensure that my guests only ever receive the Terrace Suite nearest the river and not the one further away (which we toured).
Living Room
Immediately upon entering the suite there was a large guest bathroom and a door leading into the walk in wardrobe.Outdoor Terrace
We were unlucky with the weather on the day that we toured the suite but I can imagine that this would be a fantastic entertaining space, when the sun is shining. The design of the furniture and the overall landscaping was fantastic but there was no proper shade provided. I also struggle to see the appeal in this terrace when there is no plunge pool. Why would you sit out here getting hot when you could enjoy a terrace suite with proper shade and a cleaner line of sight to the river, for a cheaper price, at Capella next door? Where this space would excel would be for hosting a private cocktail reception, where the lack of a pool means that there is more space for guests to mingle. This seems like quite a niche demographic to target a suite to though.Bedroom
The bedroom featured a partial river view but suffered somewhat from being overlooked by the building across the courtyard.Bathroom
The bathroom was once again more or less identical to that of all the other rooms. It is a testament to how great these bathrooms are, that they don’t look out of place in one of the hotel’s top suites.Facilities
It is no exaggeration to call this an urban resort rather than a city hotel. The beautifully landscaped grounds are only part of the appeal here though.
Courtyard Pool
The hotel’s courtyard pool was located well away from the main hustle and bustle of the riverfront area and we never once saw anybody using it. The clean lines and wide spacing between the impossibly comfortable loungers felt very Aman-like (no great surprise, given the hotel’s architect).Gym
The gym was located directly behind the pool and was an incredibly large and impressive facility. Not only was there a huge variety of Technogym stations, there was also a smith machine, preacher bench and a variety of different bars. A full selection of kettlebells, medicine balls and dumbbells was also on offer… …dumbbells topped out at a very impressive 42kg. It’s not often you see dumbbells over 20kg in hotels, let alone this!Art Gallery
The hotel features an art gallery connecting the main lobby area with the riverside pool and restaurants. This was actually a very impressive space and felt like a legitimate gallery, rather than just some random afterthought / gift shop.Riverside Pool
The crowning glory of Four Seasons Bangkok is without question the stunning riverside pool complex. Even before catching sight of the pools themselves, as you exit the art gallery, the various ponds and waterfall walls let you know that something magnificent awaits. The landscaping at this property is truly off the charts. It’s incredible what they’ve done here. Our usual path to the pool was from above, walking a few steps down from the entrance of our room block. At the base of the stairs there was a station set up with towels, water, sunscreen and reading material. Attendants were on hand all day long and would immediately come over to greet us as soon as we approached. The pool area encompassed two main lap pools, together with a very shallow kids pool. Padded loungers were available around the edges of the pool, with mesh loungers located within the shallow waters of the lagoon like expanse. Thai style daybeds were also offered at the very back of the pool area. This pool was arguably better for swimming laps. Whereas the other one had a closer view of the river and featured a fantastically relaxing jacuzzi section. There was even an additional set of ‘hidden’ sun loungers just in front of this pool. Service at the pool was great for the most part. Staff were super proactive in moving us around and preparing different sun loungers when they saw that we wanted to avoid the direct sunlight. I love the way that Four Seasons does pool service, with two towels per guest: one over the lounger and another to be used as a pillow. I first encountered this at the Four Seasons Tunis and always try to grab extra towels to replicate this at other hotels, with lower pool service standards. Pool staff were very proactive in providing both water and complimentary fruit drinks too.Boat Service
Being a riverside property, the Four Seasons Bangkok offers a complimentary shuttle boat service to guests. This departs from the pier that sits directly in between Four Seasons and Capella, with boats shared between the two properties.Food and Drink
In addition to the wonderful landscaping and extensive leisure facilities, I found Four Seasons Bangkok to have an absolutely incredible range of bars and restaurants. I love it when a hotel’s restaurants feel like proper dining destinations, somewhere that you’d go out of your way to visit, even if you weren’t staying at the hotel. Every single F&B establishment at Four Seasons Bangkok ticked this box for me.
Breakfast at Riva del Fiume
Breakfast Menu Riva del Fiume’s location was supremely convenient to our Premier River-View Room. The entrance was located about 20 paces from the entrance to our tower. We were politely greeted at the reception counter each morning before being escorted to our choice of seating location. There was the option to either sit on the poolside terrace, inside the bustling brasserie style areas or on the rear garden patio, facing the river. The decor had a playful art deco feel to it, executed with a great deal of polish and with clear regard to the quality of materials used. Upon first walking into the main brasserie room I couldn’t help but feel that I wanted to try every seat and inspect every fixture up close. The private dining rooms looked excellent too, with an abundance of natural light and lots of comfortable sofa seating for people wishing to relax with a post dinner cocktail. My personal preference was to sit on the riverside terrace though. Surrounded by foliage and with the gentle hum of boat motors, there was a relaxing energy here which made it the perfect spot to enjoy the first meal of the day. Service from the wait staff was very prompt and friendly. Staff remembered our preferences on day two, asking if we’d like the same coffee, noodles etc. as we’d had the previous day.Room Service Lunch
All day dining menu On our first day at the hotel we were obligated to stay in our room as we awaited PCR test results. This gave us the opportunity to try room service. I love the Four Seasons app for ordering food, it removes any language barrier and allows you to fully customise every dish with specific instructions. The only minor drawback is that there aren’t pictures to show you the size of the dishes that you’re ordering. As such, our presumptive light lunch ended up looking like something that Henry VIII would have had trouble finishing! Every single dish was absolutely incredible and delivery was extremely prompt and efficient.Brasserie Palmier
Lunch and Dinner Menu We never actually made it to lunch at Palmier Brasserie. The place was full every day, mostly with locals enjoying leisurely lunches. The menu has a focus on seafood and classic brasserie style dishes like steak tartare. Much like all of the F&B outlets here, the decor is eminently Instagrammable.Cafe Madeleine
The delicious French pastries at this property are not limited to breakfast. Cafe Madeleine has fast become one of the most popular bakeries in Bangkok, with tables hard to come by for non hotel residents! We stopped by to enjoy a couple of coffees, which we won at the crane game in the lobby. We moved on quickly though as we felt bad taking up a table when so many people were waiting!BKK Social Bar
Food Menu Wine List Signature Cocktail Menu Unquestionably one of the trendiest bars in Bangkok right now. The setting on the edge of the hotel’s lake is spectacular, you can see why the ambiance alone would draw in locals in search of an escape from the city. The jungle style art deco theme has been wonderfully executed. During the day, guests tended to gather in the lake facing terrace rooms. As darkness fell the main bar area quickly filled up and was constantly abuzz with chatting guests.Yu Ting Yuan
Lunch and Dinner Menu It was impossible for us to get a table at this extremely popular Michelin starred Chinese restaurant. Hopefully I’ll be able to come and try the food here another time! This is as close as I got on this occasion:Dinner at Riva del Fiume
Lunch and Dinner Menu Riva del Fiume is a wonderful restaurant to visit for dinner, we found the poolside setting at night to be particularly inviting and peaceful. Service was excellent, with staff showing a deep knowledge of all the dishes on offer. Despite being seated outdoors, staff passed by regularly to ensure that we never had more than a moment’s wait for anything. Our dinner began with a selection of breads served alongside a delicious olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Modena. After this we ordered one of the (very) small cicchetti, alongside a spectacular crudo of sea bream, sea urchin, bitter orange and dill. This was then followed by two wonderful, freshly cooked pasta dishes: sea urchin, nduja and aubergine tagliolini together with the stracinati of blue belly shrimp, langoustine and bottarga. The quality of ingredients and technique on display were beyond reproach. Truly incredible.Conclusion
Book Four Seasons Bangkok with FSPP Benefits
Our clients are able to enjoy Four Seasons Preferred Partner (FSPP) benefits when booking any Four Seasons hotel through us.
An example of FSPP benefits, which may be available on your stay:
- Upgrade of one room category, based on availability at time of check-in.
- Full breakfast, for up to two in-room guests. Either at the restaurant or via in-room dining.
- $100 Hotel Credit.
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability.
There are numerous additional offers available throughout the year too, including:
- Free nights (most commonly every 3rd night free).
- Guaranteed upgrades.
Your booking will be direct with Four Seasons. However, since we are managing the booking on your behalf, we are able to negotiate all the above extras for you.
NOTE: If you are able to find a cheaper rate elsewhere, we can help to get the price matched AND STILL add the FSPP benefits to your booking!
2 Comments
Great review!
Thanks so much!