TRAVEL is an indulgence, so are food (most especially desserts!), spas and fab hotels.
Bangkok is one city that’s teeming with these: good food from the streets to fancy restaurants, pampering services from day spas to hotel spas, and hotels with a single star to five. The choices are wide for whatever the pocket can shell out.
Twice a year for almost two decades, a visit to Bangkok allows me to immerse myself in these indulgences. After the borders opened and travel restrictions were eased, I was back in the Big Mango. My nest? The chic Le Meridien Bangkok nestled in the most happening and colorful sphere in the capital city — Silom.
Le Meridien Bangkok is an award-winning, art-inspired, 5-star hotel that captures the essence of its address. Indulgent? Why not, we all need it after being cooped up indoors for more than two years. Its room key unlocks a most-comfortable and well-appointed room with a panoramic view of the city skyline that’s most captivating at sunset. Fabulous hotel-check. Moreover, it also accesses two of my indulgences - food and spa, within the hotel.
The SPA at Le Meridien Bangkok
Tucked in the Lifestyle Floor on Level Six of Le Meridien Bangkok is the SPA by Le Meridien. The wellness center has won the hearts (and bodies) of spa devotees that it lands on lists of best spas in Bangkok, including Trip Advisor’s.
That’s no surprise. Here’s why.
The luxurious SPA offers a multi-sensory experience that embraces fluidity, a seamless
connection of perceptions and events from start to finish.
Calmness envelopes you as you enter through a pearly pathway with walls blanketed in white river rocks from floor to ceiling. The fluid path leads to the therapy rooms with light-colored wooden doors that open up to a circular therapy area that seems to float on air. The couples room, larger in size, is appointed with its own steam room, shower area, and bathtub.
For therapies, Le Méridien Bangkok’s SPA goes beyond traditional Thai massage. Their’s fuse deep healing and relaxation treatments. Think: personalized wellness experience, this is what the expert therapists will carry out. The effect? A new, rejuvenated you emerges from a cocoon.
Rolling Ribs Brew bar & BBQ
Le Meridien Bangkok’s restaurant, Latest Recipe, serves an amazing array of cuisine from across the globe, but I am marking Rolling Ribs Brew Bar & BBQ as a must-eat resto.
It’s casual dining at this joint with a semi-outdoor setting that looks over Surawong Road.
“Rolling Ribs Brew Bar & BBQ serves Memphis barbecue, famous for its pork variations,” shared Nuttinee Payungwong, the hotel’s marketing communications manager, adding, “We use a special kind of charcoal which gives the meats a distinct aroma.”
If you want to dig into the mains and skip the starters and salads, go ahead. The menu lists
several grilled meat choices including Thai-style barbecue. Which comes recommended? All.
The Combo Platter, All Star Plate is the best bet to sample the variety of meat dishes including a half rack of smoked pork spare rib, slow smoked pulled pork shoulder, cured pork brisket, organic BBQ chicken, smoked sausages, plus five side dishes. It’s good for four, lesser if famished (like I was).
To get that good old backyard BBQ feels, pair the fall-off-the-bones tender and tasty meats with the craft beers.
Leave room for dessert. Not to be missed is the peanut butter cheesecake. It can be a delightful surprise and the treat is mildly sweetened.
Frenzied and fun. It’s a never-ending exploration when visiting Bangkok. Whether it’s the tuk-tuk or back riding on a motorbike, or taking the cooler and speedy option of the BTS Skyway Train or the MRT, or risk getting stuck in the notorious traffic on a cab or a private car, ticking the entries on street food, sites and shopping, must be checked.
No matter how many times I visit the place, I can’t cover all the bases. Why? Because the list gets longer with the passing months. The dynamic city develops fast and there’s always something new cropping up. Like the two I mentioned above.
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