The Standard Bangkok, Mahanakhon, is a stylish, design-led, socially vibrant, colour-infused lifestyle experience in downtown Bangkok, Thailand’s go-to capital, and as I discovered on a recent trip its the hottest name in town, and rightly so. My visit to Bangkok like most of my traveling is impulsive. Usually I’ve mentally stored hotels I’d like to experience, and if the opportunity arises to visit a certain place I have a black book of must-stays to refer to. Its not organised as well as that sadly, but somewhere I have noted it, and I jog my memory to rediscover it. One of the joys of ADHD.
So why Bangkok? An opportunity presented itself with a side trip to Bangkok, why not, we first went 40 years ago. we’ve been many times since it being so near to home, Hong Kong, but its quite a few years since we’ve been. Why The Standard Bangkok? The colour that attracted me, plus I’m a fan of the designer Jamie Hayon, and our connection to the Standard Hotel Group goes a long way back.
We stayed in the original Andre Balaz Standard on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip in 1999, in a three-story building with zig-zag exterior walls erected in 1962 as the Thunderbird Motel. And — we were married in a Standard Hotel — well, I confess, it was the Camden Registry Office at the time. A fabulous old Brutalist structure overlooking London’s Kings Cross. No wonder the Standard chose this building. I love it! I also love the building the Standard Bangkok have chosen to base itself. ‘Hotels should be more than just a place to sleep but also a destination and experience in and of itself.’
Location of The Standard Bangkok
The Standard Bangkok could not have a better location than the iconic Ole Scheeren-designed King Power Mahanakhon skyscraper known as the ‘Pixel Tower’ or ‘Tetris Building’ due to the pixelated ribbon that swirls around its exterior. “The impressive building visible from anywhere in the city was a huge draw”, Verena Haller, Chief Design Officer of Standard International tells me. “The location is always our main inspiration. We study it deeply and in detail to understand what is needed, what is disruptive, what will draw people in and keep them captivated.”
To achieve this, The Standard’s award winning design team worked hand-in-hand with the Spanish visionary artist, designer Jamie Hayon, who says, “I have spent many years immersing myself in the country’s culture, cuisine, and vibrant energy over the years, and I have a deep connection to Thailand and its people. My focus was to establish a unified harmonious design that reflects local culture and craftsmanship.”
Anything But Standard
The interiors are an exciting whimsical, dynamic, boldly saturated modern take on a 70’s vibe. It feels like you’ve popped down the rabbit hole with Alice. It’s new its fun, it dazzles, from the moment you arrive at the ground floor lobby, where Hayon explains, “We brought green to the building to create an ‘Urban Sanctuary,” and it is.
The saturated yellow art centric lobby, leads to the he day to night, leafy inside/outside Parlor, the beating heart of the hotel. Combine this with the Standard’s cultural programming, pop-up parties, tastemaker talks, and studio sessions the Standard Bangkok, is ‘anything but standard’ and unquestionably merits the hashtag, #AnythingButStandard.
To the back, Tease, an enticing intimate bijou tea room wows with its Joseph Hoffman-inspired geometric patterned black and white takeover, a nod to traditional Kranok patterns, is easily the most photographed spot in the house. On the menu, “Not Your Traditional Afternoon Tea” has expertly curated boozy teas. Double Standard a fresh take on a classic British pub, and The Standard Grill a classic American steakhouse classics join the Bangkok edition of the cult Chinese restaurant Mott 32.
Pool & Amenities
The pool terrace up high in the sky is a joyful beach retreat with all the goodies for siping, nibbling, sunning, and swimming, complete with sunny yellow parasols, orange cabanas, verdant palm trees, a theatrical curtained bar, and a curvaceous pool.
At the pinnacle, on the 76th floor, Ojo is Bangkok’s highest restaurant, with the city’s best 360-degree views. Designed by Ou Baholyodhin, Ojo shimmers with sumptuous opulence and unabashedly retro-glam, with soaring ceilings, a striking golden wall, fantastical sculptural lighting in the form of yucca trees sprouting from golden dining booths, and fabulously flamboyant luminous crystalline-pink bar. And Sky Beach the highest alfresco rooftop bar in Bangkok.
*Diners have complimentary access to Thailand’s highest observatory deck, the not-for-the-faint-hearted Mahanakhon observation deck and the nerve-defying glass floor Skywalk—a transparent glass floor 78 floors above the ground.
The Standard Bangkok is so much more that a “not-so-standard” experience. It’s laid back, user friendly, it’s easy, hassle free, with fabulous, friendly service. I loved it. Would I return – in a heartbeat. Has Bangkok changed? It was a steamy, sprawling, chaotic, exciting, intoxicating, unique, and fascinating city. And now; It’s a steamy, sprawling, chaotic, exciting, intoxicating, unique, and fascinating city —and addictive.
An internationally recognised interior architect and landscape designer, she has worked on numerous projects around the world. An eye for detail and love of all things art, architecture, travel and design have led to a nomadic lifestyle resulting in a greater focus on travel and lifestyle feature writing. She is a contributor for a range of international print publications. Living between Hong Kong, Cape Town, and London, traveling anywhere.
