Anantara Siam Bangkok

BACKGROUND This venerable hotel started life as the Bangkok Peninsula in 1982, became the Regent, then a Four Seasons – under owner-management by the Minor Hotel Group – until March 2015, when it was rebranded again as the Anantara Siam.

WHERE IS IT? A very central location on Ratchadamri Road facing the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. The Siam and Sukhumvit shopping and dining districts are ten minutes’ walk to the north, and Ratchadamri Skytrain station is right on the hotel’s doorstep.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? This hotel has a lot of history, as is clear when you walk through the entrance into the huge colonnaded lobby area, lavishly furnished with teak easy chairs and sofas upholstered in royal purple and other tropical hues. The famous fresco ceiling panels are beautiful, as is the mural on the grand staircase. The eight-storey main building is book-ended by two wings built around open courtyards: Parichart Court houses the main function rooms as well as two restaurants, Biscotti and Shintaro, while Montathip Court boasts an open garden with carp-filled pond, around which are various restaurants, shops and the alfresco Aqua bar.

ROOM FACILITIES There are 354 rooms and suites ranging from deluxe, premier and Kasara rooms to garden terrace rooms and six suite types. I was in a Premier Kasara room (42 sqm) above Montathip Court on the seventh floor – this wing has recently been renovated and rooms are reached via an open-air circular balcony.

On arrival in my room I tried to connect to the free wifi without success. This is not unusual in Thailand, so I went to the Kasara Lounge – I had access to this executive area – and asked the staff to fix the problem. This they did in an efficient if unorthodox fashion, Bluetooth piggy-backing my computer and iPhone to the room’s complimentary Handy smartphone. The wifi speed was excellent, and I was able to use my own phone wherever I went in the city – a big plus.

The room renovations are quite a change from the more traditional previous incarnations; the décor is in either silver-grey or gold, with huge padded headboards and a couple of small paintings on the walls. The understated effect is balanced by a purple sofa and cushions providing the requisite Anantara accents.

The old teak work desk and dark-wood wardrobe fittings remain from the hotel’s older days – no bad thing – but the bathroom has been brightened up and is a good size, with a roomy walk-in shower and separate bath. L’Occitane shower products using pleasing Thai-style scents are available, but unfortunately, each evening I could detect a faint smell of drains in the bathroom.

BARS AND RESTAURANTS Ten F&B offerings include the excellent Italian Biscotti and Japanese Shintaro restaurants, the Lobby Lounge for classic afternoon tea sets, The Terrace bar by the pool, and Kasara Lounge on the seventh floor. In Montathip Court is the Aqua alfresco bar and dining area, where you can order food from the surrounding Madison steakhouse, Spice Market (Thai cuisine) and Pop-Up Wine & Charcuterie. It’s a popular nighttime haunt for young Thais, and puts on one of the city’s best Sunday brunches. (Also in this courtyard is the Mocha and Muffins café.)

MEETING FACILITIES Kasara Lounge guests benefit from the usual range of executive perks, while the business centre is located on the second floor. The hotel’s function spaces are numerous and expansive, including a ballroom with a five-metre ceiling that caters to 1,000 people, and a separate outdoor garden area.

LEISURE FACILITIES The outdoor pool is accessed from the second floor – it has a resort feel and is surrounded by greenery. Also on the same floor is the Anantara Spa – well known for the authenticity of its spa treatments – and descending some stairs brings you to a large 24-hour gym, yoga studio and squash court. Also in this area is a traditional barbershop. Jeremy Tredinnick

VERDICT One of Bangkok’s finest, this attractive hotel maintains the considerable appeal of its historic legacy whilst offering a contemporary product for the modern traveller. Overall – and despite a couple of minor, typically Thai quirks – it does this with aplomb.

You enter a huge colonnaded lobby area, lavishly furnished with teak easy chairs and sofas upholstered in royal purple