"The plans for Four Seasons’s return to Bangkok (a prior location closed in 2015) predate the body blow that travel took during the pandemic, but the Jean-Michel Gathy–designed reincarnation on the banks of the Chao Phraya feels tailored to Bangkok residents anyway. For visitors who have already ticked off the city’s sightseeing hits, it offers serious staying-put appeal: a multitiered swimming pool with thick-cushioned loungers for all-day lingering; vast suites and bedrooms with deep soaking bathtubs; and floor-to-ceiling windows that frame knockout river views. The four restaurants are set for lazy lunches, while the bossa nova–humming BKK Social Club is helmed by Philip Bischoff, formerly of the glitzy bar Manhattan at the Regent Singapore. The contemporary art collection has an urban edge: Towering works depicting the curves of the Chao Phraya or the folds of a monk’s robe hang from the lobby’s marble walls, while a rotating exhibition puts the spotlight on local talent. Over the years, indie galleries and artsy boutiques have turned this corner of Bangkok into the city’s de facto design district, a transformation that is complete now that the Four Seasons is back." - Jenny Adams