Capella Bangkok has 101 suites, including villas by the riverfront, ad a ballroom that can accommodate up to 250 pax under the new social distancing rules.
Opened only last week (1 October) following successive delays,
Capella Bangkok’s prime waterfront location along Chao Phraya River is
touted to be a strong drawcard.
After all, this storied river is Bangkok’s heritage commercial heart
and where some of the city’s most iconic luxury hospitality brands the
likes of Mandarin Oriental and Peninsula have their flags planted—until
the more recent development of the BTS skytrain system drew property
investment, and traveller interest towards the downtown areas of
Sukhumvit and Sathorn in the past two decades.
But Capella Bangkok’s director of sales and marketing Josephine Png
believes that the rejuvenation of the Chao Phraya River in recent years,
including the launch of IconSiam luxury mall as a major riverside
landmark and the emergence of creative communities and revitalisation of
heritage districts, will once again bring attention back to an old part
of the Thai capital again.
Sharing the US$1 billion mixed-use Chao Phraya Estate with the
300-room Four Seasons Hotel and 366-key Four Seasons Private
Residences—the trio of properties are owned by Country Development
Group—will only serve to elevate the property’s location even more, says
Png.
Not only does the “boutique size” of Capella Bangkok give it a
“private club feeling”, it also makes it easier for the 101-room hotel
to focus and deliver on personalised guest experience, she adds.
Working in its favour, Png notes, is also the novelty of
Singapore-based Capella Hotels and Resorts’ first property in Thailand.
“We have received positive response so far, as people are curious about
Capella and to see how this property is different from city hotels in
Bangkok.”
On the dining front, Charoenkrung-born Wichian Trirattanavatin—also
known as chef Lek—has been appointed to helm the Thai restaurant Phra
Nakhon, while Côte will bring a taste of the French and Italian Rivieras
to Bangkok’s riverside by way of Argentinean chef Mauro Colagreco,
whose three Michelin-starred Mirazur in France took up the top spot in
The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards 2019.
Meetings by the waterfront
The getaway feel of the resort-like property has also garnered
positive response from the local meetings market, says Png, as Thai
corporates no longer need to drive three hours away to seaside towns
like Hua Hin in order to enjoy meetings in a relaxed environment.
The hotel has a 740sqm ballroom that can accommodate up to 250 pax
under the new social distancing norm, while private courtyards and its
riverfront villas can double as event spaces for private functions.
“We’re getting enquiries for our daylight meeting rooms, from small groups of 20-30 pax to 200 pax in the ballroom,” Png tells M&C Asia. Luxury consumer groups like fashion and automobiles are currently key sectors driving domestic MICE recovery, she adds.
John Blanco, general manager at Capella Bangkok, affirms that the
regional market will remain high on the radar as he anticipates
travellers from Asia Pacific to return to Thailand from Q2 2021 onwards.
“The relationship with [the regional market] is long-term… Currently
we are teasing the regional markets by promoting the hotel through our
corporate office in Singapore and regional sales offices, and by being
part of the Leading Hotels of the World network,” says Blanco.
Besides being actively involved in Tourism Authority of Thailand webinars, Png tells M&C Asia
that Capella Bangkok has organised its own engagement meetings to keep
travel agents and meeting planners in overseas markets updated while
working with more local DMCs to represent the property.
Capella currently boasts a footprint in Singapore, Ubud, Shanghai,
Sanya and Dusseldorf. Capella Hanoi is set to open later this year while
upcoming properties are planned for the Maldives, Sydney and Chiang
Mai.