CAPELLA BANGKOK
In a city where almost every luxury hotel amenity has already been introduced, it takes a special set of perks to make an impression. Yet Capella’s first foray into Thailand did just that by bringing in something Bangkok hadn’t seen before: handsome villas with pools and gardens right on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, plus, in the blocky main building, 10 suites equipped with balcony lounges and travertine plunge pools. The standard hotel features are equally impressive: there’s a Mediterranean signature restaurant spearheaded by Mauro Colagreco (of chart-topping Mirazur in France); a bijou cocktail bar that doubles as a dessert omakase; and a lush spa where treatments draw on Asian healing traditions and medicinal herbs found at the age-old apothecaries just outside the gates. Wrapping it all is a pared-back design of straight lines, muted hues, and lots of marble, making this one of the city’s swankiest yet most discreet hideouts. capellahotels .com; doubles from US$550