The hotel space inside King Power Mahanakhon has been somewhat of a mystery since the retail brand joined the project in 2018 and rebranded or flipped much of the assets inside, including a previous hotel scheduled to occupy the bottom third of the tower.
Now, the brand has announced what will take its place: The Standard. The American hospitality brand already owns a successful property in Hua Hin — a 199-room airy low-rise building near the beach — but has said the new Mahanakhon property will be its flagship product in Asia. It certainly looks like one.
If the pictures are anything to go by, the hotel’s surreal art deco interior looks like it was pulled from the set of a Hollywood movie, replete with all the bold, colorful outlines, curved shapes and zig-zaggy forms that defined the design movement in the 1920s and 30s.
Crafted in part by Spanish artist and designer Jaime Hayon, who was listed by Wallpaper magazine as one of the top 100 most influential creators of the past decade, and the in-house design team at The Standard, which itself has won several interior design awards, the hotel’s bold color pallet, rounded accents, art installations and lush greenery combine to create an unquestionably unique-looking hotel among a domestic market that is saturated with them.
If you want an example of what we mean, take a look at the hotel’s premier restaurant, Ojo Bangkok. The Mexican-leaning fine dining venue sits on the 76th floor (at the knife’s edge of the top) and feels like a Michelin-star restaurant in a Star Trek space ship — angular golden chairs, booming egg-shaped chandeliers, immense wall tapestries and shiny gold accents that look about as retro-glam as it can get. The venue will be helmed by Francisco “Paco” Ruano, the culinary brains behind Mexico’s Restaurante Alcalde and winner of the “One to Watch” award from Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.
These cool decor touches continue throughout every single room in the hotel, from 40-sqm “Standard King” rooms all the way up to the massive 144-sqm “Bigger Penthouse” suites that take up an entire corner of the building. All of them are stocked with curved, colorful decor and accents that feel like they are from a 1930s interpretation of the future — and we love that. Each one comes equipped with Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speakers, Nespresso machines, minibars (stocked) and free Wi-Fi. The floor-to-ceiling windows, a hallmark of King Power Mahanakhon at this point, allow plenty of natural light to beam in during the daytime and provide sparkling views of the city center at night.
The Standard hotel portfolio has come to be known for its swanky poolside venues, and The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon is no slouch in that category either. Here, the pool sits on the west side of the building (nicely tucked inside one of those Lego-style depressions in the hotel’s facade) and faces Silom Road towards the river. It’s enclosed in plenty of green, too, so guests have the option of soaking up the shade or keeping out of the burning sun depending on the day. There is room for about 57 people between the poolside lounge and the bar, ready to serve up tasty small bites, craft cocktails and plant-based refreshments to nibble and sip while swimming, sunbathing or indulging in city scenery.
The hotel’s dining and drinking options follow the space-age-slash-retro design theme in various flavors. The Standard Grill is the property’s all-day dining spot, blending American steakhouse classics with a tinge of Thai flavors to whet your fusion whistle. At Mott 32, twisted Cantonese cuisine takes center stage with the likes of dim sum, apple-wood-roasted Peking duck and barbecue honey glazed Iberico pork.
A modern luxury hotel these days wouldn’t be complete without a tea lounge. At The Standard, this comes by way of Tease, arguably the easiest venue to identify visually thanks to wall-to-wall black-and-white patterns that zip and zag from the decor to the ceiling like an optical illusion. Here, expect American-style snacks along with a curated selection of teas from across the globe.
For more casual drinking and socializing, the aptly named Parlor boasts a muted green vibe (similar to the foyer of the hotel itself) that screams chilled-out 70s living room. Meant to be a sanctuary for people to relax, read a book or grab a friendly drink, the space transforms during the evening into a live music venue.
Lastly, it wouldn’t be a sky-high hotel in downtown Bangkok without an uber-luxurious rooftop bar perched at the very top of the building. Here, Sky Beach is that spot, and as you might have guessed, it is officially the highest alfresco rooftop bar in Bangkok thanks to its real estate on the city’s highest building — don’t forget your phone.
The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon is now open for reservations, and has a pre-opening offer of 25-percent off discount, including breakfast for up to two people. The offer is available until July 31 for stays between May 11 and Feb 28, 2023. Bookings can only be made at standardhotels.com.
114 Narathiwas Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok. 02-085-8888
Reader Interactions