"In a city where almost every high-end hotel brand has already made a mark, it takes something extra special to turn heads. Yet when Capella Bangkok finally opened after a seven-year tease, the city’s hi-so set swooped in like magpies. Why? Capella’s first foray in Thailand is the only city hotel with villas right on the Chao Phraya River, multi-roomed retreats with private gardens and swimming pools lined with travertine marble. Suites in the main building—a blocky, low-slung affair with 101 rooms—come with plunge pools on their balconies, and the hotel has tapped hot-shot chef Mauro Colagreco (of Mirazur in France) to head its signature coastal Mediterranean restaurant, Côte. Crystalline coupes of private-label Champagne accompany check-in, brunches, and turn-down service, but that’s as flashy as it gets. The rest feels decidedly subdued: pared-back interiors of blonde woods, taupes, and creams, with subtle hints of Thai motifs in the latticework and a scattering of local antiques in the lobby. Service is hushed but switched-on, and the spa eschews new-age treatments for humble, age-old healing practices (tok sen hammer massages, luk pra kob herbal compresses) inspired by the historic Thai-Chinese community just outside its gates. Bangkok’s hotel scene gets grander every year, but for now, Capella might just have the last word. —Chris Schalkx" - Jenny Adams
