During our visit to Bangkok to witness the opening of the 5th edition of the annual pop-up Cabinet de Curiosités of Thomas Erber in the luxury shopping mall Central Embassy, we stayed at its partner hotel The Okura Prestige Bangkok, situated in the heart of Bangkok’s Central Business District adjacent to the Central Embassy and the BTS Skytrain.
The Japanese five-star hotel, part of the Park Ventures Ecoplex with US Green Building Council LEED platinum certification, provides luxury while keeping the environmental impact low by embracing a number of energy-saving features, including the panoramic vacuum-filled triple-glazed windows with e-coating, which help to reduce sound, light, heat and electricity consumption. With calming Japanese interior design, stunning views over the city and great, very friendly service it doesn’t take long for you to feel at home. If you’re arriving after a long-haul flight, there are a few things I can recommend: refresh in the cantilevered infinity pool with a view over the urban jungle, enjoy a massage to relieve any muscular pain in the in-house spa and treat yourself to a feast at the Up & Above Restaurant.
Located on the 25th floor of the hotel, the Okura Spa offers a wide range of massages. Upon your arrival you enter a calm and warm atmosphere with a backdrop of dark woods and flower arrangements in which you receive a butterfly tea served on ice, while in a short consultation a therapist will help you choose the right treatment for your needs. Their philosophy is to balance the five senses integral to our well-being: sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.
I took the fancy for ‘Ta-Ke’, which uses traditional Thai massage, warm Japanese bamboo and essential oils to deeply penetrate the body. After having slept in an awkward position on the plane, this will most certainly hurt every here and there, but your complaints will only make the masseur giggle, who continues the deep-tissue knotting without hesitation. Don’t get offended, they know what they are doing and without pain there’s no gain: No more sores to be felt afterwards.
If you like it the softer way, try their signature treatment Okura Gateway – a suitable name indeed – using hot lavender and jasmine oil as well as a semi-precious amethyst stone worn by the ancient Greeks to prevent intoxication. Placed on the third eye or crown chakra it is said to balance physical, mental and emotional energy, helping to drive away anger, fear and anxiety and promoting self-stability. In any case it feels soothing and calming, I can tell you that much; peace and relaxation guaranteed.
Afterwards a hot tea complemented with delicious pieces of sweet dried fruits, invigorating those senses, is served in the soothingly tranquil and serene place.
Feeling peckish after all the pampering, the Up & Above Restaurant restaurant, only one floor lower, offers a fantastic lunch buffet with too many delights to choose from. There are tempting lounges outside on a balcony, but the heat, city noise and pollution might make your meal there less pleasurable than in the quiet and cooled-down inside area. Your choice.
From a range of salads, seafood and cheeses to signature Thai dishes, sushi and an extensive dessert corner with a mixture of European and local sweets, the buffet leaves nothing more to wish for. For a high-end hotel with certainly a great number of international guests they serve surprisingly authentic, meaning very spicy dishes, a fact I noticed with a nod, as I am bored of Europeanised ‘local’ meals lacking the kick of trying something new. Another stand-out are the different juices and teas on offer, amongst others the butterfly tea served also in the Okura Spa and a sharp ginger water. Absolute musts are the noodle soup station at the start, the make your own ice cream cone station at the end and enjoying the view. Welcome to the Okura Prestige Bangkok.
NoéMie Schwaller
