FOUR SEASONS HOTEL BANGKOK AT CHAO PHRAYA RIVER

Taking over one wing of the flashy Chao Phraya Estate along Charoen Krung Road, Four Seasons’ return to the Thai capital gives a stamp of approval to this burgeoning creative district. Designed by Belgian starchitect JeanMichel Gathy, the hotel puts Thai contemporary art front and center, from wall-spanning pieces commissioned by Gathy himself to a private gallery with works curated by Bangkok’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Sculptures dot the hotel’s bamboo-walled courtyards and expansive riverfront area, where a two-tiered pool and promenade lend the hotel a resortlike feel. The art-studded lobby borders signature restaurant Yu Ting Yuan, for which Michelin-starred chef Qiu Xiaogui flew in his team from Guangzhou to serve real-deal (and real fancy) Cantonese dishes such as lobster dumplings and baked abalone tarts. Closer to the river, Brasserie Palmier presents French classics with a tropical touch, while guests at Riva Del Fiume’s waterfront terrace can order house-made pasta, tangy crudo, and steaks from chocolatefed Mayura beef. fourseasons.com/ bangkok; doubles from US$335