Centara Watergate Pavillion Hotel Bangkok ★★★★

You arrive at the Centara Watergate Pavillion ever so slightly broken. Worn out after twelve hours in a plane and worn down by the heat which pushes 30 degrees all year round. Overwhelmed by the symphony of blaring horns and overawed by the thick forest of dizzyingly high skyscrapers. Fortunately, you put your trust in VeryChic to find the perfect sanctuary and escape from the frenetic city, and you have come to just the right place…

The experience begins as soon as you cross the threshold. You are greeted with a warm welcome, reminding you that you are in the ‘city of smiles’, regardless of how inhospitable Bangkok’s initial attack on every one of your senses may seem. This is just a first taste of the legendary Thai hospitality which will more than make up for the sometimes abrasive city. You are directed towards the lift, and told to make your way up to the 9th floor lobby - even the lower floors of the Centara Watergate Pavillion are suspended high above street level, beyond the reach of the smells and sounds below. Even the simple colour scheme of clean white with black detail, aside from being aesthetically pleasing with its sleek contemporary finish, is a welcome relief from the psychedelic spectrum of colours which lend the city its character by day and illuminate it by night.

Keys acquired, you ascend even further up into the heavens to find your room. The décor is suitably celestial, a continuation of that pure, dazzling white interspersed only by the occasional touch of black or splash of colour. The enormous ribbon printed above your bed seems to be fluttering in a gentle breeze, a breeze which you can almost feel as the efficient air conditioning kicks in. It is not just the décor which is aimed at providing you with the ultimate relaxation – you have a minibar for refreshment, incredible city views and satellite television to keep you entertained while you lounge on your bed, and a superbly appointed bathroom with luxurious complimentary toiletries to pamper yourself.

Of course, you do not have to do the pampering yourself – the ‘Cense by SPA Cenvaree’ is more than willing of doing it for you. A softly lit, soothing environment, it blends modern facilities and technology with ancient Thai and Ayurvedic therapeutic traditions. Treat yourself to a legendary Thai massage and feel the life creeping back into every inch of your body. Still eager for some more relaxation after your spa treatment? Just outside you will find the al fresco Moom Sabai space, where soft beds and sun loungers protrude across the surface of a pool. You can fall into a blissful snooze under the shady canopy of your floating bed, listening to the softly trickling water.

Before you know it, time has slipped through your fingers like the soft sand of Thailand’s famous beaches. You head back inside, where the happy hour at the Infuze bar is just getting started. Tempting as it is to stay here for a second drink, you finish off your cocktail and head up to your room to quickly freshen up, before continuing all the way up to the roof. Right at the top of the hotel, the rooftop Walk bar is a trendy and glamorous spot to enjoy a drink and views over the city at sunset. With the upbeat but soothing tunes played by the resident DJ, the enormous interactive video wall, and the chic, sophisticated atmosphere created by the soft, colourful lighting and minimalist white furnishings, it is sure to quickly establish itself as one of the number one bars to be seen and to see Bangkok by night.

So there you have it, the full-on relaxing experience of a night at the Centara Watergate Pavillion. Fuelled by an exquisite breakfast spread, you feel refreshed and ready for a foray into the fiery cauldron of central Bangkok the next morning. A day here can be whatever you want it to, be it taking a tuk-tuk to an ancient Buddhist temple or taking the futuristic Skytrain to one of the luxurious shopping centres (one of which is actually attached to the hotel!). There is absolutely no end of things to see and do, and your location in the trendy Pratunam neighbourhood puts you in easy reach of everything.

Full up of extraordinary street food and wearied by animated haggling with market vendors, you make you way back to the hotel with your energy almost completely sapped. Never mind though, this merely means it’s time to restart the whole process of rest and recuperation at which the Centara Watergate Pavillion excels. That is, as long as you can resist the many outstanding restaurants and the famously buzzing nightlife around the hotel…