At Home At 137 Pillars

A few weeks before my wife and I marked our 22nd wedding anniversary, I wanted to find somewhere we could celebrate in style, that was in Bangkok and close to both world-class shopping centres and the city’s famed dining and entertainment areas. I found the perfect choice and a hotel that felt like being at home at 137 Pillars Suites & Residences Bangkok. You see, we’d experienced the wonderful 137 Pillars hospitality before when we celebrated our 15th anniversary in Chiang Mai.

 

Unlike the stunning single-storey teak house that sits at the centre of 137 Pillars House Chiang Mai, 137 Pillars Suites & Residences is housed in a modern 32-storey building and offers everything from short-stay city vacations to long-term residencies. To keep guests entertained, there is a wide choice of restaurants and bars, a soothing environment at Nitra Serenity Centre, a fantastic rooftop infinity-edge pool, peaceful sky gardens where you can relax, a golf putting green and driving range, a fully-equipped gymnasium and the playfully name Louie, a London cab that ferries guests to and from the nearby EmQuartier shopping mall.

 

 

It takes a lot of effort to keep a secret from my wife, so I had to plan our weekday stay carefully. The hotel management and staff went to great lengths to help me keep things under wraps until we pulled into the hotel’s forecourt. Then, out of the blue, they also decorated our Sukhothai suite with balloons and treated us to a brilliant welcome cake saying ‘Happy Anniversary’ and a heartfelt handwritten note from the hotel’s manager, Khun Lily Kittivorapod.

 

The building is divided into two zones that house four types of suites and four residence styles. We were assigned a 70-square-metre Sukhothai suite which is available in twin or king configuration and includes an indulgent marble bathroom with the 137 Pillars signature bathtub, in which you can watch the built-in television or you can enjoy the views out of the window. The suite also includes a large make-up table and twin wash basins, a large rain shower and a separate Japanese toilet. The comfy living space is fitted with a Maxi Bar (not a mini bar) & Wine Cellar and an expansive al fresco balcony complete with an oversized daybed, rocking chair and table.

 

 

The other guest rooms include the elegantly appointed, Ayutthaya one-bedroom suite, the spacious 116-sqm, one-bedroom Thonburi suite and the ultimate two-bedroom Rattanakosin suite, which at 127-sqm comfortably sleeps up to five people. All suites provide guests with Egyptian cotton bed linen, plush robes and slippers, extensive pillow menus, premium brand luxury mattresses, Bose Sound System and mood lighting.

 

If you were looking for a longer stay in Bangkok, then 137 Pillars has a range of Executive Studio, One-bedroom, Executive one-bedroom and Executive two-bedroom residences that range in size from 40-sqm to 91-sqm. Each of these apartments in the city centre are furnished with premium kitchen appliances and a dining table for those who wish to cook their own meals, washing machine and dryer for all laundry needs as well as comfortable sofas and chairs where families can sit and watch television or busy executives can keep up to date with the latest news from international sources.

 

 

Upon arrival, we were greeted by our private butler, a cheerful young lady called Vikki who helped us check-in and made sure our bags went straight to our 30th floor suite. She then gave us a brief talk in perfect English about the stunning works of art that adorn the cavernous lobby and continued her welcome speech as the elevator whisked us up to our floor. Once through the door, she completed her pleasurable task by highlighting the features of the suite, including the Maxi bar and the mood lighting settings.

 

As we were here to celebrate another anniversary in our married life the plan was to simply relax and enjoy all the benefits of staying in a luxury hotel in the heart of the city. Changing into our swimwear, we took the elevator to the 27th floor and the 25-metre infinity swimming pool. Located adjacent to the trendy Nimitr Terrace, the pool is open to both guests and residents but it was obviously a quiet day as we had the pool and jacuzzi to ourselves. We ordered some cold drinks from the bar and enjoyed them while sitting in the jacuzzi staring out over the city we call home.

 

 

After an hour we decided to check out the 18-metre rooftop pool, which being located on the Rooftop floor gives it the honour of the highest infinity pool in Bangkok. From our viewpoint, we had 360-degree panoramic views of the city. No wonder this place is a favourite with Instagrammers from around the world! Again, we had the entire rooftop to ourselves and after a few lengths of the pool, we opted to sit on one of the two gorgeous salas that are surrounded by trees and a manicured lawn.

 

With the sun gradually reaching the horizon, we made our way back to our suite and got ready to explore the area around the hotel. Sukhumvit Soi 39 is a busy road most times of the day, so it is best to explore on foot or take Louie the London cab up to EmQuartier. We wanted to try The Manor courtyard as it has a great selection of Japanese restaurants and is only a short walk from the hotel. For our evening meal, we had a few fantastic Japanese dishes washed down by a glass or two of sake. There are many great restaurants in the soi that cover Thai, Japanese, Korean and Western cuisines, so getting something to eat is not a problem.

 

 

Arriving back to our suite about 9pm, we grabbed a couple of drinks and sat out on the balcony and absorbed the peaceful atmosphere. To say we were residing in the centre of the city, it was surprisingly quiet from our perch on the 30th floor. We decided to leave the comfort of the balcony and head to bed; and what a bed it is. 137 Pillars Suites & Residences take pride in giving their guests the best and most comfortable beds in the world and we slept like babies. With the curtains blocking out all external light and the king-size bed offering a night akin to sleeping on fluffy clouds, we did not wake until almost 9am.

 

 

Breakfast at 137 Pillars Suites & Residences is served in the ground floor Bangkok Trading Post, a bright and airy dining bistro that also serves lunch and dinner. A pet-friendly place with a lovely garden patio, Bangkok Trading Post offers a decent range of breakfast treats from Western-style bacon and eggs to Asian specialties. This was our first real glance of the hotel and looking around at the guests gathered for their morning meal, it was a mix of Asians and Europeans with many more locals outside with their dogs in the garden. A table of Japanese ladies sat at the table next to our while an American couple sat right behind us. There were also a group of golfers who popped in to grab a takeaway coffee before setting out on their day at the golf course.

 

 

After a leisurely breakfast, we decided to explore the hotel starting with the lovely gardens that bring a little nature to the city. The huge trees provide ample shade for us humans and a nesting site for many of the birds in the area. We then made our way to the lobby and admired the outstanding works of art that include a massive three-piece painting by Thai national artist Panya Vijinthanasarn and a bronze statue of a mother cuddling her baby. There’s more to explore throughout the hotel from man-made wonders to natural creations.

 

Knowing my wife loves nothing more than a relaxing spa treatment, I’d asked Khun Lily to help me book an afternoon joint treatment at the Nitra Serenity Centre. The spa features a full range of modern facial and body treatments as well as traditional holistic therapies that deliver the ultimate in relaxation. Guests can either select a treatment at the spa or have a massage in the comfort of their suite. We enjoyed a 60-minute aromatherapy massage that was the perfect tonic to set us up for a night out in Bangkok.

 

 

Over the years, we’ve celebrated our wedding anniversary at some of the best-known five-star hotels in Bangkok, but we have to admit that our stay at 137 Pillars Suites & Residences was by far the best. If you are looking for a romantic place to celebrate your wedding anniversary, birthday party or would just like to try something extra special for a night or two, we highly recommend a stay in Sukhumvit Soi 39 at the exceptional 137 Pillars Suites & Residences.

 

For more information or to make a reservation, contact 137 Pillars Suites & Residences Bangkok at +66 (0) 2079 – 7000 or email: stay@137pillarshotels.com.

 

 

Source: Punch Media Digital.