HOTEL REVIEW


LEFT: The ‘Chocolab’ boutique features a show kitchen and fibreglass painted ceiling of melting chocolate drops ABOVE: The Park Society offers a chef’s table concept with alfresco dining areas


table tops. For those who want to maximise the unrestricted views, the rooftop HI-So cabanas deliver fine fare via a butler. Wellbeing is catered for at So Spa, a


surprisingly atmospheric facility designed to evoke an ancient mythical forest. “Drawn from the Ramayana text of Hindu mythology, which is regularly studied in Thailand, our Himmapan Forest story is captured by local artists on the entrance walls using a technique of paint-enhanced layered lines and shapes,” Wanglee explains. Wood carved as tree trunks and laser-cut screens in the treatment rooms continue the theme, with light filtering through perforations as though in a shaded wood. It is across four room categories of metal,


earth, wood and water that other local design firms showcase their work, with each room type benefiting from an individually designed lobby. Somchai Jongsaeng of Deca Atelier invites guests to pause and reflect on Bangkok’s addictive momentum in his bright white rooms imagined as “metaphorical filters”. Contemporary wrap-around fixtures and translucent screens maintain clean lines, enhanced by sleek metal detailing including a sculptural cloud floating above leather headboards. For the wood rooms, Nithi Sthapitanonda of IA49 looks to heritage homes of northern Thailand, reinterpreting teak shutters for an interplay of light and


shadow and displaying his renowned artistic skills in detailed handsketched murals printed onto fabric. Cobalt blue with white and black accents underpin the earth theme that has been developed by Vitoon Kunalungkarn of I A W. Here the designer turned to primeval cave paintings found in northeast Thailand, recreating some of the indigenous images onto screens, walls and curtains, an enriching addition that lends character. Water, finally, is reserved for the highest accommodation with Pongthep Sagulku of August Design portraying the movement of ripples subtly and with variety on cooling dark tiling and flooring as well as semi-transparent screens. Guests can connect to the park and cityscape in customised jacuzzi tubs and rain showers positioned next to floor-to-ceiling windows. Glowing light punctuates the flowing open-plan layouts. For the hotel’s General Manager Gilles


Cretallaz, the ‘five elements’ theme provides a key point of difference. “Relating back to feng shui, a daily part of Asian culture, we believe the way the elements have been incorporated into varying touch points will create interest for both regional and international visitors,” he comments. “The surprising but warm and tactile design should help us achieve our goal of becoming a destination in our own right.”


058 MAY / JUNE 2012 WWW.SLEEPERMAGAZINE.COM


EXPRESS CHECKOUT


Sofitel So Bangkok 2 North Sathorn Road Bangrak Bangkok 10500, Thailand Tel: +66 2624 0000 www.sofitel.com


„ 238 rooms and suites ‰ Park Society, Red Oven, Chocolab  Mixo, The Water Club [ So Spa + Club Signature, Ballroom, Social Club, Social Rooms, The Box


Owner: Verawat Ongvasith Operator: Accor Architecture: The Office of Bangkok Architects Interior Design (public spaces): PIA Interior Interior Design (rooms): August Design, Deca Atelier, IA49, I A W Company F&B Consultants: Gorgeous Group


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204