For lack of kinder word, the guestlist at Sofitel Sukhumvit’s L’Appart Grand opening party was “sophisticated.” While we do enjoy schmoozing with dignified, older people at these types of events the fact is Friday nights are meant for some hard-core partying and that wasn’t happening at L’Appart – at least not for the younger crowd. At one point in the night we witnessed a live impromptu local version of “So You Think You Can Dance”. Although the talent and energy displayed on that dancefloor was commendable, it still made us feel like our moms and dads should have been at that party instead of us.
Aside from the fact that a massive majority of the guests fall under my parent’s age group, it was a well-organized event with creative touches all around. From the moment we entered the event at the lobby of Sofitel Sukhumvit, we were given a ribbon wristband with a tiny circular pendant labeled with “L’Appart”. This nice little trinket fit the concept of of the luxury venue and made for a far better wristband than those plastic clip-ons we’re so used to receiving at parties. The silky ribbon was also much more pleasant to remove at the end of night – no need to struggle with scissors and risk scratching our delicate skin.
Another surprise of the night was caricature drawings created in a matter of minutes by a talented artist who not only drew your face, but also added props in the picture that represented your character. He did this just based on your face alone, no words were exchanged between the artist and party guest. For instance, one particularly good-looking male guest had gotten his picture drawn and he ended up looking like a heartthrob with three screaming girl fans in the background. Funny thing is, that picture isn’t far from the truth when you know the guy!
Before being allowed up to L’Appart, we made our rounds to meet and greet everyone we knew in the hotel lobby while tasting some lovely wines and bite-sized appetizers. The food was delicious without a doubt, but we suddenly became very conscious of speaking to people after gobbling anything made with cheese or onions. Luckily someone had brought emergency gum so we rectified that problem, but the mintiness made the wine taste funny. We decided it was safer to stop eating altogether. Soon it would be time to move up to the real party at L’Appart anyway.
Having already been to a French Tuesdays party held at L’Appart after its soft opening, the venue looked the same except for the abundance of free-flowing bubbly and delicacies. Designed to look like a real Parisian apartment, L’Appart is filled with furniture and shelves of things that you would likely find in a French person’s home. It’s holds such a close resemblance to an actual home that some guests confused it for being a living space of a real person. We thought it was a nice surprise to hear hotel staff direct us to the restrooms in French. Whether it was something they do at all times, or just a smart gimmick for the opening night we quite enjoyed the thought that a handsome stranger was speaking to us in the language of love.
One of the coolest features of L’Appart is the balcony that offers guests a sparkling skyline and a wonderful breeze. It’s a gorgeous space that wraps around more than one side of the building with plenty of seating. If it were not for all the smokers puffing away on that balcony, we might have been able to enjoy a breath of fresh air. Back inside the party a live instrumental band was playing well-known pop classics alongside the DJ. It was well-suited for the mature group of guests, but as soon as the party started to dissolve we headed out for some real dance music at Qbar.
