Bangkok Luxury - 1
Somehow, you smile more, you breathe more easily, you move more fluidly whenever you get to Thailand. It's just delightful. Girlahead had only had four nights in this beautiful capital, but nonetheless, it was time enough to see some key people and, yes, to have a good time. Nick Downing, who was at The Siam for eight years, couldn’t wait to give Hard Hat Tour showed off Bangkok's 78-key Langham, Custom House, which opens 20 December.
The original 1888 building was soft peach with soft apple green doors and white highlights that has been recreated. That building is now all the entertainment with original features left, added by some superb modern marquetry that looks old. This whole building has been raised 3m by 412 jacks, slowly, slowly raising the building a millimeter at a time so that the ground floor of the building, which has sunk over the years, now looks out over the water. This also gives space underneath for a new floor with a second ballroom that actually is underneath a new lawn. But clever windows allow daylight down into it. The main ballroom upstairs is on the second floor, has an original wooden art ceiling. Added is a glass-walled Juliet balcony.
Bedrooms are in a completely new block. They rely on the view over the river for the main decoration. The bathrooms are noteworthy in that the shower more or less extends round to the bathtub. The whole bathtub area is wrapped in a copper-look curved wall: the same copper-look provides the doors to the toilets. This is only a brief look at what owners Rabbit Holdings are doing but a lightening visit was enough to convince Girlahead that this will be a marvellous hotel.
Factored into this Bangkok stay was a trip to Jim Thompson House to buy some cushion covers. First she went to Jim Thompson House, part of his museum. This is where tourists go, and not only was the shop there crowded with high spending tourists, but it also didn't allow for the more relaxed interaction with the superb staff, taking the advice of friends. She therefore went on to the main Jim Thompson store 9 Surawong Road. This is multi-storey, above ample car parking, and not only was it more spacious, with the goods exquisitely displayed to maximum retail effect, but the ladies working there could not have been more charming. Girlahead did leave with the cushion covers she wanted. It was really tempting, though, just to buy every color silk they have there. Do not miss a trip to this store. Keep the receipt for whatever you buy, because there's a very simple process: tax refund, airside after passport control at the airport.
