Talk about making a riverside splash — the Four Seasons, which returned to Bangkok in late 2020, this time along a 200m stretch of the Chao Phraya, is bound to keep you riveted with nearly every leisure holiday fantasy: from rooms with a view of the river, to sun-drenched and palm-shaded alfresco dining areas, to a spread of wading and swimming pools ready for your next Slim Aarons-inspired vacation snaps.
Jean-Michel Gathy — whose work is synonymous with ultra-luxe escapes from China to Florida, Venice to the Maldives — designed the property, but it’s the location that provides a solid starting point to an endless string of charms: located within the billion-dollar Chao Phraya Estate luxury development along Charoen Krung Road, the resort plugs straight into what’s known as Bangkok’s creative district, or parts of the city where waves of migration have left their mark on everything from architecture to the local culinary delights. In the past several years, new tenants have moved into the storied old neighborhoods and their networks of tight alleys and local markets, sparking renewed interest and a kind of renaissance in one of Bangkok’s most exciting areas.
The arrival
The flurry of lobby activity plays out against the backdrop of a large Zen pond peppered with large, polished black stones. It’s this element of water, no doubt inspired by the Chao Phraya and running throughout the property, that proves to be a pleasantly calming foil to the resort’s otherwise dramatic strokes — soaring ceiling, hallway pillars lit from below — that make up the grand arrival experience. By the time you’ve walked past galleries of wall-mounted, river-inspired art pieces, past a waterside spread of terraced pools, and finally settled into your room with a stunning panoramic view of the river, you’ll be good and ready to leave regular programming behind.
Dream escape
It’s easy to lose all sense of time here, with hours at the pool interrupted only by reminders of restaurant reservations. Four Seasons houses acclaimed dining outlets serving international cuisine, a contemporary art space, large banquet halls, a state-of-the-art gym and fitness center, and soon, a luxury spa and wellness retreat.
