MEETING…BILL BENSLEY
LEFT: The Deco Bar & Bistro continues the Art Deco styling of the urban resort. Design features will include a 1902 menu from The Lotos Club in New York City, signed by the then Crown Prince of Siam
At the heart of the urban resort is the main residence, a majestic conservatory space of living palms lining a seamless water feature made of polished black granite. Guests access their suites from here, as well as the extensive range of facilities provided for the 39-room boutique hotel. These include a period library with hardwood cabinetry and antique leather and rosewood seating, a screening room, a retro gym with a custom-made Thai boxing ring surrounded by photos of Thai boxers from the 1900s, and the Opium Spa, which salutes the Orient with its black laser-cut screens, draped fabric and flowing water wall. Clapp has sourced antique Burmese teak doors for each of the five treatment rooms while colonial barber chairs are positioned in the salon.
The spacious suites are a study in serene sophistication, boasting mirror-panelled foyers, integrated hardwood showcase units and freestanding, custom-made beds. Dove grey furniture and suspended silk- strung lamps of frosted glass and steel adorn the Siam Suites while the Mae Nam Suites are enlivened with purple day beds,
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inset panelling and Art Deco wall sconces. Bathrooms decked out in ceramic tiling, grey- veined marble and black glass mosaics remain constant to the monochromatic palette. Each of the suites has an exclusive antique theme; one is home to military history, another focuses on family, a third depicts river life and a fourth displays contemporary art in the form of 1960s charcoals and inks by esteemed Thai artist Wasan Harimao. The Siam also features 10 pool villas each with beautiful inner courtyards – and all following one of three themes: China, Colonial or Deco. One of the Chinese villas, for example, is distinguished by soft furnishings finished with a delicate bow detail, embroidered wall panels, intricate lanterns, bedside tables made from an old Chinese paving stone and a drinks mixing table bought in Beijing. An oversized terrazzo bath has been installed onsite with iridescent marble and white tiling reflecting the high ceilings of the bathroom. As a final accommodation option, Connie’s Cottage comprises a traditional Thai teakwood house on stilts taken from a series built by silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson
MAY / JUNE 2012
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around 1960 for his friend Connie Mangskau, a socialite who entertained the likes of Jackie Kennedy in the charming structures. The Sukosol family has acquired four of these teak houses so the other three have been integrated to form the onsite Thai restaurant and cooking school. International comfort food, meanwhile, is the order of the day at the jazz- style Deco Bar & Bistro, which will display a 1902 menu from The Lotos Club in New York signed by the then Crown Prince of Siam. For Clapp, this Art Nouveau menu acquired from a dealer in Texas signifies both the romance of travel and the outward-looking nature of the Thai Royal family. Located at the rear of the resort, a riverside infinity pool and private pier complete the facilities.
“The Siam is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity, a chance for us to preserve some of our heritage,” explains Clapp in summing up the project. In response, Bensley Design Studios has delivered a bespoke boutique that conjures up nostalgic qualities of travel while artistically exhibiting an array of historic treasures.
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