Hotels are there to let travellers rest. And of course you can do that at So Sofitel Bangkok – the beds are big, the sheets silky smooth, you will get a good night’s sleep. But at checkout, you will feel more than rested, you will feel inspired.
The moment you arrive at Sofitel So Bangkok gates and from the sunlit street, you enter the dimly lit lower lobby, a journey of senses begins. I say lower lobby, because the main one is located much higher, on the 9th floor of the high-rise the hotel occupies. But before you head for the elevator, spare a moment to admire the multi-coloured uniforms of the staff, who welcome you at the entrance. Their outfits have been designed by no other than Christian Lacroix’s, whose imagination emanates throughout the hotel, including the visionary installation in the lobby and his unmistakable design stamp at the enchanting Club Signature lounge.
Ready to head up? As you walk towards the lift, take a deep breath through your nose. Yes, that’s right, chocolate! The air in the lower lobby tastes deliciously sweet, thanks to the Chocolate, located on the back side of the ground floor. There, behind a glass vitrine, masterful chocolatiers create divine chocolate treats right in front of your eyes.
As the chocolaty scent goes up to your head, releasing the dormant endorphins into your bloodstream, the elevator quickly lifts you up to the main lobby, where you will encounter what is the predominant element of Sofitel So Bangkok design – the view. The northern wall of the spacious main lobby is made of glass, to offer a magnificent vista of Bangkok’s lush green Lumphini park on the backdrop the “City of Angels’” skyline. As you admire this glorious patch of green set in a concrete jungle, a waiter will show up with your welcome drink, a traditional treat which at Sofitel So becomes elevated to a whole new level and turned into a joyful experience. By the time you finish looking at the liquid in our glass – magically changing colour from crystal clear, through sparkling cobalt to just the right shade of magenta – the check-in process will be complete and you will be sent to the room of your choice.
Much depends on that choice, as the rooms at Sofitel So Bangkok are themed after nature’s elements and each style is completely different from the other. And so the “Metal” rooms have a clean, minimalistic feel, interrupted only by the swirls of metal sculptures on the walls; “Earth” rooms, with their gentle curves and prehistoric-style graffiti on the walls, are reminiscent of northern-Thailand caves, “Wood” rooms are bright white, with just enough warm wood not to be sterile; and finally the “Water” rooms will allow you to submerge yourself in relaxation, through their mixture of reflective surfaces and gently patterned walls. Diverse? Even more so that each type of room is located on a different floor and comes with a custom designed corridor, reflecting the theme. Which mean that you could visit the hotel four times and each one will fill like a brand new experience.
And there are reasons to keep coming back: for the superb breakfast, served in a spacious, red-hued hall (symbolizing the element of fire) combining an open-air market experience with a contemporary twist; for the forest-themed spa, all 600 sqm of it; for the pool, offering the same spectacular view as the lobby and many of the rooms. It’s a multilevel sensory experience and more flavours, aromas, colours, sounds and sensations await. Yes , Sofitel So Bangkok is a hotel, but it’s also a theme park for the senses.
