The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok

From the outside, the Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok is sleek sky-scraping tower. It has a royal history, occupying the site of the former Kandhavas Royal Palace. Refurbished in 2016 to embrace its heritage, upon entering the lobby -- complete with dark wood, marble floors, and sweeping double staircase -- the hotel's sharp Thai-colonial design begins to become clear. The hotel also takes inspiration from nearby Lumpini Park -- a leafy place of escape in this hectic city. The grounds include landscaped gardens housing a lagoon-style pool that's surrounded by four-poster day beds for indulgent relaxation under the shade of umbrellas and blossom trees. With its Club Rooms, corporate spaces, and proximity to the embassies, the hotel attracts high-end business travelers, but its premium leisure facilities draw plenty of couples too. Faults are few here, and previous guests only raise minor issues, including longer than average check-in times.

The hotel sits on a leafy boulevard in the Lumpini neighborhood -- an area of high-end hotels and embassies. There’s plenty to do within walking distance. Lumpini Park is down the street in one direction, while the Central Embassy Shopping Mall is in the other direction, and there are lots of great restaurants and street food stalls nearby, too. It’s a five-minute walk from the hotel to the Phloen Chit Skytrain station. To reach Bangkok’s tourist attractions like The Grand Palace and Wat Pho, it’s a 20-minute taxi or tuk-tuk ride (you'll need to factor in traffic, though, which there’s bound to be in Bangkok). Alternatively, take the skytrain to the Chao Phraya River (Saphan Taksin Station) for a scenic boat journey to the city’s historic attractions. Suvarnabhumi International Airport can be reached in a 45-minute drive, while Don Mueang International Airport is a 30-minute drive away -- at non-peak times of day. Again, though, traffic is a beast in Bangkok and it's smarter to budget at least an hour to reach either.

Rooms are large and light, done up in subtle Thai decor with dark wood and plush fabrics -- think: padded headboards, thick carpets, and modern Thai sofas. Comfy king-size beds have crisp white linens and desks feature ergonomic chairs. All rooms have air-conditioning, 48-inch flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi, plus coffee- and tea-making facilities, free bottled water, and minibars. Hallway closets provide storage space. Marble-accented bathrooms have separate bathtubs and walk-in showers in all categories, and toiletries and hairdryers are provided. The entry-level Athenee Rooms have silver and beige color schemes, are 410 square feet (38 square meters), and are located on floors seven through 23. All other rooms can sleep three guests. Athenee Prestige Rooms are 500 square-foot (46-meter-square) corner rooms with city views. As with many hotels in Bangkok, higher floors mean better views. The top floors here (24 through 28) are reserved for Royal Club Rooms, which have a more decadent silver and royal blue palette and access to the 26th-floor Club Lounge. A range of grand suites are individually designed, inspired by famous temples and summer palaces.

The hotel has an impressive choice of restaurants and bars, all decorated to reflect their offerings. A generous buffet breakfast is served for a fee at The Rain Tree Cafe -- a large buffet-style restaurant with live-cooking stations that gets top reviews from previous guests. Other highlights include Smooth Curry, serving up authentic Thai curries from the country’s four regions, and Reflexions, featuring modern French cuisine. For drinks, there’s a poolside bar with a terrace overlooking the city skyline, and an opulent lobby bar where sparkling cocktails are the order of the day. There’s also 24-hour room service. On the fourth floor, a lagoon-style pool -- with a separate children’s section -- sits in landscaped gardens with plenty of shaded spots for relaxing. A 24-hour fitness center looks out of the gardens and goes beyond the standard hotel gym. It's packed with modern equipment and free classes for guests include core power and Muay Thai. Spa Athenee has treatment rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and offers innovative therapies, including treatments personalized to your blood type and Anne Semonin lymphatic massages. Le Royal Club Lounge, on level 26, is a smart space where Club benefits include free breakfast, two, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails. It's available for Royal Club guests and those in higher-category rooms. The business center is a light space with computer stations. There’s plenty of secure parking and free Wi-Fi throughout