Nestled in the sleek steel-and-glass tower of your new Bangkok Plaza Athénée Hôtel, the Ruern Suite exudes old-fashioned Thai tradition at its most opulent. Use the key card to open of your home, then close those the whirl of modern Bangkok 27 stories below. Despite the in-room technological accoutrements requisite to a luxury business hotel, the Ruern Suite transports you back $100 years in a space worthy of the Thai ruling class.
Each of the four large rooms (an entire of twin,000 square feet) is paneled in teak, which provides a fruitful backdrop for your suite's variety of art and artifacts: gilded elephant sculptures and carved stone Buddhas painted with lotus flowers. Shimmering handwoven silks in shades of brown, gold, and crimson cover the pillows and adorn tables and beds, while a living room, dining room, and kitchen encourage dreamers to remain a while. The best place for play-acting times of old, however, would be the bathrooms (that's two full one half). In one, a pond-sized tub as well as an aquamarine mosaic invites anyone to soak amid fragrant orchids (happily provided when you ask the floor butler to draw your bath). In the other, a teak-and-slate stall is outfitted that has a copper-lined ceramic urn and dipper, should the traditional Thai drench shower be more fitting into the fantasy in comparison to the alternative standard brass fixture.
Without a doubt, for tourist or business traveler, the Plaza Athénée offers more conventional junior suites and deluxe chambers too. Not to mention a magnificent landscaped rooftop infinity pool lined with blue tiles, accompanied by a full-service spa. But even in among the many "regular" rooms, a floor butler will fill your tub-and orchids will almost magically appear. Ruern Suite, $1,100; other rooms, $200-$1,800. Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; 662-650-8800; visit Bangkok Hotel for more information.