Growing up, we used to say that you know a friend has become family when your phone automatically connects to their home WiFi. Turning on my laptop on the morning of my second day at the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, I was pleased to see it was already connected to the hotel’s WiFi after having stayed at the Four Seasons Sydney last year.
A hotel ten years in the making, the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River opened its airy lobby to guests in December 2020 and in the almost five years hence has gone from slick newcomer to veritable stalwart, pairing awe-inspiring contemporary design, world class facilities, and a host of viable dining options with impeccable service to create a luxury urban hotel that doesn’t overlook the little things.
After having stayed at several beautifully designed luxury hotels—across both major names and boutique outposts—that make you feel like you’re putting on a facade, I’ve come to realise that the ultimate luxury is being able to feel like you can truly be yourself. Make no mistake; the Jean-Michel Gathy-designed hotel can’t be described as anything other than breathtakingly beautiful, but it’s the warm service that uplifts each guest and makes you feel taller as you walk through the positively vertiginous pillars into the entry lobby.
Stepping into the lobby of the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River with my mother and grandmother for the first leg of our multigenerational girls’ trip fresh off a 10-hour flight and transfer (fresh is probably the wrong word here; “dehydrated and pruny” would be more accurate), we were swiftly ushered into the seating area at reception for check in. A warm welcome, a cold towel, and a colder drink later and we were on our way up to our Studio Riverview Suite on the 8th floor.
As I was examining the tea and coffee situation in the room (my first port of call when checking into any hotel), I heard an exclamation from the bathroom and rushed in to find my grandmother pouring over the three vanity linens on the marble double vanity, each monogrammed with our initials. “I can’t believe they think of little things like this,” she said (in fairness, it was her first Four Seasons experience).
Among certain circles, there’s occasionally some concern about city hotels not matching the service of their resort counterparts. Fortunately, Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River puts those worries to bed (on a plush Four Seasons Signature mattress, we might add), with the service consistent across the board. We were always greeted by staff in every part of the hotel, with those we’d previously spoken to also remembering our names.
The waitstaff at the breakfast buffet were attentive and remembered our preferred table and individual preferences (my grandmother’s desire to only drink tea after a meal, my mother’s penchant for almond lattes, and mine to simultaneously tag team both a coffee and a green tea) after our first morning dining with them. In the Cantonese restaurant Yu Ting Yuan, our hostess was thoughtful and patient with getting my grandmother comfortably situated, while our servers Bon and Tony struck the perfect balance between being attentive, informative, and friendly. Both of them explained each dish well and gauged our preferences while engaging in an appropriate amount of chat, with Bon also teaching us our first—and only—Thai words, the eminently helpful ‘sawasdee ka’ (hello) and ‘khop khun ka’ (thank you) when asked.
Our cocktails at BKK Social Club were similarly elevated by the excellent service from our vibrant and engaging server Bang, who continually joked with my grandmother and went the extra mile to ensure she had an enjoyable time.
Inside the room, the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River housekeeping staff complete their twice-daily room refresh and turndown service with the tactical efficiency of the tooth fairy. Felt but never seen, service is unobtrusive yet perceptive, with housekeeping staff making me feel like a better version of myself — a person who would neatly encircle my cables and fold my clothing rather than leave them haphazardly strewn about. Unfortunately for said housekeeping staff, this resulted in me playing a very one-sided game wherein I fling my items about the room to see how they’ll arrange them. Fortunately for me, they never fail to impress, with the aforementioned attention to detail always present here — cables are neatly circled and wrapped in Four Seasons branded leather wraps and sunglasses and spectacles left outside are placed atop branded cleaning cloths.
Any in-room requests, dining reservations, and other concierge services are also easily accessed via WhatsApp. I’ve been a luddite in the past and have been reticent to embrace using an app over the good ole fashioned telephone (“back in my day!”), but there’s no denying the ease of quickly asking for an ironing board to be brought up to the room or making dinner reservations on the fly without having to actually use one’s voice.
Put simply, everything at the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is just easy. The last time I was in Bangkok was over a decade ago and while I enjoyed the pace of the city, it was probably the last place I’d consider an effortless destination. However, the all-encompassing nature of the generous residential style rooms, multitude of dining options, and beautiful public spaces coupled with the service have worked their magic in making us feel right at home in the Thai capital.
Read on for our full review of the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River.
The lowdown: Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
The hook; why stay at Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River?
Oftentimes, the best luxury city hotels are those that either place you in the thick of the action or ensconce you within a tranquil enclave. On a select few occasions, a hotel will manage to do both, through a deft combination of a prime location, thoughtful design, multifaceted on-site amenities, and of course, impeccable service.
Holding court on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River stands as a paragon of this esoteric trait. A property simultaneously rooted in and offering a respite from the urban environment in which it’s located, Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River redefines the concept of a luxury city hotel, with its considered design and warm service making each and every guest feel right at home — regardless of where your passport was issued.
How to get there
Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is located in the Charoenkrung district of Bangkok, right opposite the ICONSIAM shopping mall. It’s a 40 minute to an hour’s drive from either Suvarnabhumi Airport (35km) or Don Mueang International Airport (28km), with drive time dependent on traffic.
Design and architecture
While many luxury city hotels create a sense of respite from their frenetic surroundings by cocooning guests in a wholly new world, Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River takes a novel approach. Eschewing staid archetypes of luxury, architectural firm Denniston, helmed by renowned Belgian architect Jean-Michel Gathy, embraces a contemporary design language that pulls elements from the surrounding city and Thai culture as a whole while creating a soothing oasis replete with green and blue spaces.
Guests are welcomed into the expansive nine-metre-high lobby which looks out onto a reflection pond, making for a serene journey into the hotel. A duo of wall art pieces by Thai sculptor Pongsatat Uaiklank are inspired by the flow of Thai fabric and are adorned with white elephants (a national symbol of good fortune) in bas relief. The curvilinear lines of the sculpted fabric reflect the way the hotel ‘unfolds’, with each turn flanked by reflecting pools which emphasise the height and grandeur of the lobby. The ground-floor public areas open up as one weaves their way to the riverfront, with vertically oriented louvres that draw the gaze upwards and filter in light transitioning into pillars that surround lush green courtyards before you’re greeted by the Chao Phraya River itself.
The design of the public spaces within the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River echo the continual flow of the Chao Phraya River—albeit in a more soothing contrast to the energetic pace outside—offering a visual and sensorial link between the hotel and the landscape around it.
Public spaces of the hotel double as a platform for showcasing local artwork, including a striking piece located outside the hotel’s Cantonese restaurant, Yu Ting Yuan, which interprets the curves of the Chao Phraya River in abstract gold leaf across a textured blue background and makes for a veritable talking point for all who pass it. Equally striking is the dramatic The Contour of Chao Phraya River, which sits above the indoor-outdoor central courtyard and traces the eponymous river’s winding journey through Bangkok to the Gulf of Thailand in bronze, with its multifaceted bends and contours catching the light as golden hour hits.
Meanwhile, each of the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River’s dining venues offer an idiosyncratic experience. At BKK Social Club, local interior design firm AvroKO has suffused the unique energy of Bangkok with the glamour of the Belle Époque era of Buenos Aires, with Spanish colonial architecture executed in elevated materials such as bronze and marble, opulent chandeliers, statement flooring, and leather banquette seating brought to life by an abundance of botanical life.
Also designed by AvroKO is the Italian restaurant RIVA del Fiume, which also serves as the venue for the breakfast buffet every morning (a culinary experience not to be missed!). Here, the prime riverfront position is used to full effect, with the design taking cues from the villas of Lake Como, with a light and airy colour palette of white marble complemented by pink tones and a mix of informal seating styles creating an elevated yet easygoing ambience.
Inside, the Jean-Michel Gathy-designed Cantonese restaurant Yu Ting Yuan is oriented around the reflection pond, using it as a backdrop for its opulent setting by way of floor-to-ceiling windows. Inside, the interior design sees traditional Chinese architecture interpreted through a modern lens. Equal parts moody and rich, the colour palette is expressed through dark woods, greys, and golds.
Rooms and suites
Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is home to 299 rooms and suites, with 261 guest rooms and 38 suites. Rooms and suites are generously proportioned, with rooms sized from 50m² to 64m² while suites range from 77m² to the positively palatial 450m² Riverfront Penthouse, the latter housing three bedrooms with space for up to nine adults.
We were hosted within the Studio Riverview Suite, which clocks in at 77m² and felt amply sized for three adults. The residential style open floor plan takes on an almost circular format, with the bathroom accessible from both the bedroom space and the petite walk-in wardrobe, making it easy to move around the room without getting in each other’s way. The walk-in wardrobe was well laid out and had a generous amount of space for hanging up clothing so you don’t feel like you’re living out of a suitcase (a personal pet peeve).
Room and suite interiors take on a contemporary cosmopolitan tone, pairing warm neutral tones with modern Thai touches. Soft furnishings by Jim Thompson, Thai ceramics, and hyperlocal coffee table books bestow rooms and suites with a sense of place while ensuring they remain cohesive within the overarching urban Four Seasons design aesthetic. Furniture is sleek, with mid-century modern style tapered legs, clean lines, and a use of negative space minimising obstruction of the floor-to-ceiling windows and maximising views over the hotel courtyard and Chao Phraya River.
Speaking of views — when it comes to the best view of the river from the room itself (as opposed to merely from common areas like the breakfast terrace), a riverview room or suite at Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is pretty much the best you’ll get. The view here makes the room hard to leave; fortunately, said view is visible from pretty much every aspect of our Studio Riverview Suite—including a sliver from the deep soaking tub in the bathroom—with a chaise lounge by the window acting as the perfect place to soak in the views. One of the best parts about the riverview rooms and suites at the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is how they let the city in and make you feel like you’re part of the action rather than completely holed away from it — whether you’re getting dressed for a night out or gearing up for a cosy one in, the dynamism of the commuter boats, cargo ships, and cruises gliding across the Chao Phraya River make you feel like you’re experiencing the city from the best vantage point.
The spa-like bathroom is also a highlight here, with double vanities in natural marble and a deep soaking tub taking centre stage, with a spacious rain shower (complete with a shower bench) and toilet and sink sitting behind lightly frosted glass.
Tea and coffee
The Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River has in-room tea and coffee facilities in the form of a kettle and a Nespresso coffee pod machine. Tea bags are by Voyage, a Thai tea brand which sources its tea and herbs from Chiang Mai, with Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Chamomile, and Aromatic Lemongrass on offer, as well as loose leaf jasmine tea (exemplary, by the way). Coffee pods are by Nespresso, with both caffeinated and decaffeinated options available.
Bathroom products
Bathroom products are by Swedish fragrance house Byredo, with the brand’s Gypsy Water scent found across the full suite of products on offer. Expect to find full-size shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower, as well as hand wash and body lotion by the bathroom sink, and a soap bar in the additional sink in the toilet. There’s also bath salts by the bathtub.
Comfort factor
Sublime. Four Seasons has its own custom-designed mattresses, with its signature mattress offering the perfect amount of firmness while still being plush — i.e. you get that feeling of sinking into a cloud while retaining good back support. I was the ‘third person’ during this stay and opted for the teepee and mattress setup traditionally reserved for the under 10s rather than a rollaway bed. While this was largely for aesthetic purposes—and to fulfil a childhood desire—the mattress itself was rather comfortable (though likely not a recommended setup for anyone over around 5’2”, unless you favour the fetal position while slumbering).
As someone who finds most hotel lobbies in Asia to be positively glacial, temperature control is an important factor for me. Fortunately, the air conditioning was easy to use and worked quickly and efficiently, keeping the room at a more palatable 25-27°C throughout our stay.
Food and drink
Laden with distinct dining experiences, Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is home to four restaurants, a cafe, and a bar.
Helmed by executive chef Tommy Cheng, Yu Ting Yuan is a Cantonese restaurant that punches well above its single Michelin star rating (fun fact: Yu Ting Yuan is the first Michelin starred Cantonese restaurant in Thailand) and was our choice for dinner during our stay. As vegetarians, we were mildly apprehensive about the potential lack of dining options given the sheer volume of seafood and meat items on the menu online. However, any worry was for naught, with the restaurant offering us a dedicated vegetarian dinner menu, replete with vegan- and vegetarian-friendly takes on Yu Ting Yuan’s signature dishes. Here, the soups and wok-fried dishes shine, with the double-boiled matsutake mushroom soup with bamboo piths delivering a rich, nuanced broth that belied its clear colour, while the wok-fried seasonal vegetables with ginger and wok-fried spicy kong bao tofu were cooked to perfection.
For a trip to a different culinary continent, the hotel is also home to two riverside eateries that bring a taste of Europe to the Thai capital; Italian eatery Riva del Fume by executive chef Andrea Accordi, and French brasserie Palmier by Guillaume Galliot. The former crafts contemporary Italian dishes with a seasonal bent (highlights include the Zucchine Scapece e Pecorino and Risotto in Riva al Mare) in a relaxed, sun-drenched setting, while the latter serves up brasserie classics with eponymous Michelin-starred chef Guillaume Galliot’s signature spin (think a seafood tower with saffron sauce, bouillabaisse, and stuffed courgette blossom).
For more casual fare, the Lobby Lounge overlooking the courtyard offers all-day dining, with both western and Thai options. There’s set and continental breakfast options, as well as lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea on offer. Meanwhile, caffeine and pastries are on offer at the riverside Cafe Madeleine, with artisanal pastries like madeleines (naturally), croissants, and a Chiang Mai chocolate grand cru by executive pastry chef Andrea Bonaffini acting as sweet draw cards.
BKK Social Club has been named among the best bars in Asia and the world, and for good reason. Even if you’re not staying at the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, it’s worth making the journey downtown to Charoenkrung for a cocktail or two. While the interior decor at BKK Social Club draws from the Belle Époque era of Buenos Aires, the bar’s signature tipples draw from Mexican culture, with cocktails dedicated to the land’s Places, People, and Parties. I’d highly recommend the Lucha Libre and La Capilla; made with vodka, Mexican light beer, tomato water, soy, pickles, and chilli, the former is like a very off-beat take on a Bloody Mary, while the latter is a crowd pleasing blend of strawberry tequila, peach mezcal, and sparkling grapefruit. There’s also a comprehensive list of classic and house-bottled cocktails (including a party ready 3L size) on offer, as well as an Old Fashioned tasting journey. When it comes to bar snacks, don’t go past the BKK Signature Guacamole which is made tableside and the spicy mini burritos.
The vibe at BKK Social Club is immaculate; particularly from Thursday to Saturday where it becomes the place to be. The vibrant atmosphere and attentive (and fun!) service make the experience here special.
Tell us about the breakfast
With pleasure. The breakfast buffet is served in the aforementioned Lake Como-inspired Riva del Fiume, with both indoor and outdoor seating options available. The breakfast buffet is spread across two hallways and a room, starting with western options, a cooked-to-order egg and noodle station, a brief selection of Asian dishes (predominantly Chinese dim sums and Japanese soups — oddly no Thai dishes on offer here), and a room with a comprehensive continental spread, pastries, a made-to-order pizza bar, fruits and vegetables, and milks and yogurts (with a solid amount of non-dairy options such as almond milk and coconut yogurt).
Complementing the breakfast buffet is a small selection of complimentary à la carte menu items, including avocado on toast and a healthy menu item that changes daily.
Spa and facilities
Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is home to a world class Urban Wellness Centre, which comprises a fitness centre replete with Technogym equipment, an outdoor lap pool, and a yoga studio. There’s also a barbershop, hair and nail salon, and the Bangkok Spa which has nine treatment rooms and offers an array of massages, body treatments, and wellness experiences.
Full disclosure: I did not actually use the gym (due to my own laziness and who I am as a person), so this account comes courtesy of my mother. She appreciated the vastness of the gym and the wide range of equipment on offer, as well as the fact that the cardio machine faced out to the lap pool and outdoor landscaping, providing a serene view while exercising. While using the equipment, she was assisted by personal trainer and former Muay Thai fighter Boy who provided her with a few exercises tailored to assist with recovery for a particular injury she had at the time and gave her a great post-flight stretch (Thai stretching is a specialty of Boy’s), which is something she still talks about weeks after our stay.
The service
Almost faultless. As mentioned before, the warm and welcoming service is what makes staying here feel special. Aside from a slight hiccup at breakfast on the first morning wherein one of the menu items we ordered simply never showed up, service was consistent with what one has come to expect across the Four Seasons brand and exceeded expectations across the board.
Family affair
Little ones are well catered to at the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, with children’s toiletries and bathrobes in rooms, an in-room teepee experience available on request, a complimentary Kids for All Seasons program which offers children’s activities from 9am to 5pm, a dedicated kids’ splash pool, and children’s menus at all restaurants (with special kids’ pricing and kids under four dining for free). On the wellness side of things, kids aged six to 12 can partake in a specially designed Muay Thai fitness class.
Babysitting is also available and can be arranged through the concierge.
Sustainability initiatives
The Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River has eliminated single-use plastics from guest rooms, with this extending to water bottles and bathroom amenities. The Byredo products in the bathroom are full-sized and refillable. Guest rooms use smart technology, with automatic shades resulting in energy-efficient thermal control.
Landscaping around the hotel employs water-efficient practices, including the use of recycled greywater.
AR Verdict
While the design by Jean-Michel Gathy, its prime location on the Chao Phraya River, and its world class amenities allow the Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River to effortlessly tick the boxes when it comes to the attributes of the best luxury hotels in the world, it’s the service that brings it to life and keeps people wanting to come back. We’d call her a grand dame in the making, but she’s way too slick for that.
Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is open for bookings, with rooms and suites priced from around $660AUD/night.
Address: 300/1 ถ. เจริญกรุง Yan Nawa, Sathon, Bangkok, Thailand
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Words by T. Angel
