The Athenee Bangkok reopened recently after joining the Luxury Collection, a sub-brand of independent hotels under SPG. Previously, the hotel was known as Plaza Athenee, a Royal Le Meridien hotel that was also under SPG. The chain has a strong presence in Bangkok with two Luxury Collection hotels, the other one being Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit.
Luxury Collection hotels tend to have a unique story in order to qualify for the sub-brand. That was the case with The Andaman Langkawi where I stayed some months back and its strong focus on coral preservation. The Athenee Bangkok on the other hand, prides itself as the site of a princess’ palace. This royal heritage explains the look of the property. It’s akin to the late 19th century/early 20th century Thai interpretation of western sensibilities (other buildings carrying the same architecture can be seen in places like Phetchaburi or the old Parliament Building in downtown Bangkok).
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