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Travel + Leisure just came out with their World’s Best Awards and the other City of Angels ranked the number one as the best city! Its amazing culture and food, paired with its incredible value, have pushed Bangkok back to number one, where it was in 2008. Fly over and take advantage of Bangkok Bouncing Back offer at the Metropolitan Bangkok, or stay in a furnished apartment at Anantara Raan Rajprasong Serviced Suites and enjoy all the comforts of home in the bustling, exotic city.
Check out the rankings on The Today Show!
After a 20+ hour flight, everyone can use a little pampering. Get a luxurious welcome to Thailand with the Metropolitan Bangkok’s Tantalizing Thai offer. Upon arrival, sip an exotic welcome drink before sitting down to a dinner for two at the new nahm – Michelin-starred Chef David Thompson’s outpost of his London restaurant – accompanied by a signed copy of Thompson’s acclaimed book on Thai cuisine. After a good night’s sleep, enjoy a healthy breakfast, sure to energize any weary traveler, before heading off to the islands or staying to explore the busy city.
Rates start at $205 for single occupancy for an overnight stay and include a welcome drink, dinner at nahm, Thompson’s signed book, one night’s stay, and breakfast.
With the official declaration that order has been restored to Bangkok, and the US State Department cancelling travel warnings, the country and its people are welcoming travelers more than ever. As part of this effort, COMO’s Metropolitan Bangkok’s “Bangkok – Bouncing Back” offer will be enticing adventurers back to the city. From now through September, rates start at just $80 per night (2,600 Baht) for a City Room. (Rack rates normally start at $260, so this is a whopping 69% off and a savings of $180.) Usually prices this low mean reservations must be made at least a week in advance; these rates are available up until the day of arrival. While there, get pampered at the COMO Shambhala Urban Escape or, from mid-July, eat in the new nahm restaurant, which will be in its soft opening.
The Met Bar (left) and a Metropolitan Room.
Terms:
Rooms must be purchased in advance. Rates are exclusive of tax, service charges, and breakfast.
Cancellation less than 72 hours and no-show will incur one-night room charge.
The offer is bookable directly with the hotel, on the website, and on GDS.
This summer, David Thompson, following the success of nahm at The Halkin in London, will be opening a second edition of the restaurant at the Metropolitan hotel in Bangkok – a return to the city that inspired his culinary path. Following a soft opening in mid July, the restaurant will officially open by the end of the month. Launched in 2001, nahm was the first Thai restaurant in Europe to be awarded a Michelin star. With the move, Thompson and nahm up the ante for diners, using local ingredients and letting the infamous Thai markets guide the menus. Key dishes will include a jungle curry with snake-headed local fish known as pla chorn indigenous to the clear waters of rice paddies. The restaurant will also be open for lunch and, for a fun take on a popular Bangkok tradition, will feature “street food” dishes. (Speaking of which, don’t miss the September release of Thompson’s second cookbook, Thai Street Food.)
Ma hor Crushed prawn curry with turmeric and coconut
The restaurant will occupy the former Cy’an and will be designed by Japanese interior architect Koichiro Ikebuchi, who also designed Uma Ubud in Bali and Aoki, a heralded Japanese restaurant in Singapore. It will feature natural wood, including screens for privacy, and warm oranges and browns with shimmering bronze plates on tables. The space will be steeped in natural daylight and, in the evening, enriched by the soft lighting of the nearby outdoor pool. Other features include a private dining room and terrace dining.
David Thompson is universally acknowledged as a leading authority on Thai food. Originally from Australia, he first travelled to Thailand in 1986 and moved to Bangkok a year later. When he returned to Sydney in 1991, he opened his iconic Darley Street Thai restaurant, and, in 1995, he followed with Sailor’s Thai, which continues today.
The Thai New Year, or “Songkran Festival,” is upon us. Northern Thailand is considered to be one of the best places to watch the festival. From April 12th-18th, there will be lots of activities, including a three-county boat race, a “Miss Songkran” beauty pageant, and, the most anticipated, water washing! (It’s a tradition at Songkran that everyone gets soaked to wash away any negativity and bad luck from the past year.)
To bring good luck for a prosperous New Year, Anantara Golden Triangle is hosting a series of Northern Thai Khantoke dinners throughout the festival. At $100 per person, these traditional lanna (Northern Thai) dinners showcase the customs of the region in a breathtaking alfresco setting perched above the rolling hills of Thailand, Burma, and Laos.
If you want to ring in the New Year in Bangkok, The Metropolitan Bangkok is offering a Songkran Package. Stay three nights for the price of two in an oversized room and enjoy a special Songkran meal for two at Glow restaurant. Refresh after celebrating with a 20% discount on spa treatments and a 10% discount on retail products at COMO Shambhala Urban Escape.
Can’t make it to Thailand on such short notice? Head down to Kittichai in SoHo for a five-course feast in honor of Songkran. Learn the rituals of the holiday from executive chef Lulzim Rexhepi before your meal of traditional dishes from various regions of Thailand, like massaman curry and cod cooked in broth. It is $75 for five courses, including a welcome cocktail and wine pairings, and a portion of all the proceeds will be donated to Action Against Hunger. To reserve call 212 219 2000 and mention “Zagat Presents.”
Didn’t have time for a summer vacation? Book a getaway for the fall or winter and take advantage of last-minute booking deals for the remainder of 2009. With the air getting chillier and the heat not yet turned on in New York City buildings, we think it’s a great time to explore Nantucket, Beaver Creek, or London (where the heat is on!), head south to the Riviera Maya and Turks & Caicos, or even east to Thailand. (more…)
Maybe it’s Enya…or maybe it’s the comfortable robes. Whatever the reason, power lunchers are trading reservations for spa appointments and meetings groups are ditching corporate culture for a more Zen-like experience. As one might guess, the top dogs in the spa and hotel industries are catering to this newfangled trend. For example, ESPA at Acqualina in Sunny Isles, FL is a top spot for South Florida real estate moguls to bring clients for an hour of R&R before signing a deal. ESPA at Acqualina offers this particular clientele a discount on the treatments, and since most of the appointments are scheduled mid-day during the week (when spa bookings aren’t as frequent), it’s a win-win situation. (more…)
Thailand has always been a great value for travelers, and now more so than ever as luxury hotels and resorts are offering free nights and advanced booking discounts on accommodations, from the beaches of Phuket, to the mountains of the Golden Triangle, to the heart of Bangkok. So what are you waiting for?! Beat the rush and book ahead to take advantage of these incredible savings in the Land of Smiles…
The gist:Book 40 days in advance and receive a 40% discount; 30 days in advance for a 30% discount; 20 days for a 20% discount, and 10 days for a 10% discount.
Fine print: Receive complimentary daily buffet breakfast for two for reservations made more than 10 days in advance.
Nightly rates: Rates begin at $199 for a Deluxe Sea View room. Offer valid until:December 20, 2009.
The gist:Book five nights and receive two additional nights complimentary and daily breakfast for two.
Fine print: Take advantage of the Early Bird special and book more than thirty days in advance to receive one complimentary aromatherapy massage per person.
Nightly rates: Rates begin at $466 for a private Pool Villa.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Mosquitoes are not in the air (yet), but there is a “buzz” among hoteliers to promote the perfect night’s sleep for guests. For example, Park Hyatt hotels teamed up with renowned Brazilian nutritionist, Patricia Teixeira, to combat problems plaguing the weary business travelers with specialty nutritional smoothies and juices. The program debuted last year in Paris, Dubai, and Moscow and is now being launched all over. With a background in Physiology and Sports Biochemistry, Teixeira has counseled and prescribed personalized diets for well-know international sports figures. For Park Hyatt, she tailored the ingredients to target specific ailments such as jet lag. Anti Jet Lag Juice guarantees the first step to a productive day – a good night’s sleep. This drink combines kale’s phytonutrients with pumpkin seeds to trigger tryptophan, the body’s sleep hormone, as well as carrots and apples to balance sugar levels. Consuming 30 minutes before bedtime is the optimum time to help avoid insomnia. (more…)
While it may be the dead of winter, things are always hot in Bangkok – especially the deals. Like its counterpart in London, theMetropolitan Bangkok is cutting travelers a break. A City Room (normally $260 per night) can be had for just $99 per night – 62% off! Similar savings are on hand for a Studio Room, now $119 down from $300 (60% off), and a Metropolitan Room, now $150 down from $320 (53% off).
