PUBLISHED August 3rd, 2020 04:00 am | UPDATED August 22nd, 2020 12:36 pm
Imagine a hotel within walking distance to Bangkok’s acclaimed shopping malls, that still manages to serve as a sanctuary of tranquility from the buzzing streets outside. Boasting a 1.2 acre heritage garden with century-old trees and its own wellness clinic, Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok is the first of its kind. And at a time where wellness is the biggest buzzword in the hospitality industry – we had to check the property out for ourselves earlier this year.
Location & Space
The hotel is located in the ever-busy Ratchaprasong district, which is packed with designer boutiques and tall shopping centres. Which is why the five-storey building, low enough to be shaded by the canopy of the adjacent Nai Lert Park, is such an outlier. While the same building used to house the Swissôtel Nai Lert Park Hotel, the interior was heavily refurbished since taking up the Mövenpick brand in 2019.
Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok is near the serene Erawan Shrine — a place of pilgrimage for many worshippers — as well as attractions like the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World, and Siam Paragon. We also like the fact that it’s just 10 minutes away from clubs, bars, and restaurants on Sukhumvit Soi 11 and Soi 8.
Rooms
With a total of 293 keys, the property is fairly sizeable. Superior and Deluxe rooms extend 42 sqm of personalised comfort, but we recommend upgrading to the suites for a generous 74 sqm of therapeutic luxury. But whichever you choose, you’ll still enjoy things like a complimentary welcome minibar, 10 pillow options, and access to an in-house health & fitness TV channel across the board.
Our Wellness Sleep Suite is one of the hotel’s unique offerings — think a signature YouBed that lets use adjust the softness of various points on your bed (we didn’t know how much we needed this in our lives), a complete set of wellness amenities from the top-rated British skincare brand Elemis — who knew white lotus and lime smelled so good? In the bathroom, there’s even a capsule that deploys powdered Vitamin C into your shower stream to promote healthier hair and skin.
Our suite also had exercise equipment like a yoga mat, foam roller, and medicine ball, because there’s nothing like a morning workout next to the windows or balcony. We had a separate living room and bedroom, so space was no issue.
Facilities & Services
While the BDMS Wellness Clinic (which has seven specialised clinics running the gamut from Musculoskeletal to Fertility) is connected to the hotel, guests are unfortunately unable to access its state-of-the-art fitness centre. Instead, a small gym has been set up next door with medicine balls, a weight rack, bench, treadmills, and pull-up station. Still, the size leaves a lot to be desired. We hear they’re planning to build a dedicated gym for hotel guests, so that’s something to look forward to.
There is much else to look forward to, like the large free-form swimming pool in the Western-style garden, where we could participate in yoga, meditation, and martial arts sessions. Exercise buff? Pay a visit to the running and fitness concierge who can introduce you to a running map around the neighbourhood. Suite guests also have excess to the Cilantro Executive Lounge, which offer special privileges such as exclusive breakfast space, free-flow soft drinks and snacks all day, afternoon tea, and an open bar with canapés in the evenings.
F&B
Overlooking the hotel’s tropical garden, Khum Hom is an upscale but competitively-priced concept that centres around healthy Thai eating. It’s headed by celebrity chef Ian Kittichai, who’s also a cookbook author and television personality, so you know it’s going to be good. Serving up dishes like yellow curry simmered with local wagyu short ribs, it’s the fifth F&B outlet at Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort, alongside Sala Pool Bar, Cinnamon Lobby Bar (don’t miss the Mövenpick Chocolate Hour from 5pm!) and the idyllic canal-side bakery and coffee place, Rim Klong Café.
Then there’s the all-day dining restaurant Tamarind, where we enjoy what is probably the healthiest breakfast buffet in Bangkok with a lot of low-fat and low-sugar plates: butternut and goats cheese frittatas, spicy Mexican baked eggs, labneh, and enough assorted vegetables to stock a supermarket shelf. The naughty stuff, like bacon, bread, and pancakes are hidden on the other side. We want to say that we could resist, but where’s the harm in indulging a little?
Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok is located at 2 Wireless Rd, Lumpini, Pathumwan, 10330 Bangkok, Thailand, p. +66 2 666 3333. Rates start from US$118 per night.