Keeping our finger on the pulse – The Siam Hotel

By: April Cole

Recently at my visit to TTM I had the rush of the thrill of “discovering” a new hotel before it becomes THE new HOT hotel – and in my expert opinion, The Siam hotel will be the next big thing. I emailed Andrea as soon as I left the conference and said, this hotel is amazing and it will be on all the hot lists soon – just wait and see. Well, this issue of Travel and Leisure came out and they’re already mentioning it! I’m sure this is just the beginning of the accolades this hotel will receive.

 
The Siam is the epitome of small luxury hotels. The Siam is located on the Chao Phraya River, giving you the feeling of being in a luxury retreat, yet close to all the highlights Bangkok has to offer. It has only 39 rooms, four of which are actually a recovered house  that used to belong to Connie Mangskau, a close friend of Jim Thomson. I was whisked away to the past, hearing stories of how in her home Connie hosted American icons such as Jackie Kennedy, John Rockefeller and Henry Ford. To offer such an exclusive opportunity to stay in a home with such history is truly an incredible experience.  In addition to the history the cottage room offers, the spacious hotel suites manage to create the perfect mix of modern comfort and luxury while still maintaining the essence of the Thai feel. Not an easy combination!

 
The other appeal of the property is that it’s owned and operated by one family, and more than that, a family of Thai celebrities. As we sat down to meet Melanie Giles-Clapp, the hotel PR Director, Jeab our Bangkok Director actually blushed when she realized she was married to her favorite celebrity, Krissada Sukosol Clapp. Melanie explained how her husband’s family has been in the hotel business for years, his mother being the owner of Siam Hotels and Resorts. The family came together to create The Siam as a special family project. All their passion, creativity and dreams were put together along with the direction of acclaimed architect Bill Bensley to create this one of a kind luxury property.

 
I’m really excited about the opportunity to offer a luxury property in Bangkok other than the tried and true Oriental and Peninsula. This hotel is fresh, but with a quality that feels that it has deep roots.
The Siam opens this November and I’m sure you’ll be reading about it on your Hot List soon!
Check out pictures and learn more about The Siam at http://thesiamhotel.com/