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It will take a while for people to stop calling the Nai Lert Swissotel the "Hilton", but one thing that won’t change about it is how Conrad Hilton’s famous adage ‘location, location, location’ still fits it perfectly. Situated, a short distance from the Ploenchit BTS stop and just a few metres north of the British and Swiss Embassies, this Raffles International managed property, has one of the best property locations in Bangkok.

Te hotel received a complete makeover recently. This included all 338 guestrooms, the meeting and convention facilities, dining outlets, and the swimming pool and common areas.

How do you keep what made a hotel special, yet refurbish it to keep up with the times and modern trends? Somehow, American architect, Calvin Tsao, has been able to do just that with his Nai Lert renovations. And GM Blasie Montandon says the new nightclub, the Syn Bar, with its fibreoptic lit carpet is "magic at night" and Bangkok’s new home of indulgence. Its guaranteed to soon be one of the hottest and most dynamic nightspots in Bangkok.

You couldn’t ask for a better way to spend the day than by lounging around the hotel pool grabbing refreshment or a bite when needed at the Pool Bar. The free-form swimming pool is inlaid with shimmering hand-made ceramic tiles and incorporates bubble jets and an overflow feature at the water’s edge, creating natural ebb and flow rhythms. Grab a book or newspaper and let all your worldly troubles drift away as you commune with nature in the hotel’s garden.

Many of the trees in the garden predate all the buildings in the area. And one would have to be forgiven for momentarily thinking they were in the Ta Phrom section of Angkor Wat. The dropping palms with their massive root systems certainly make you forget the traffic and kinetic chaos that is Bangkok.

In the food and beverage department, not only does the hotel offer the ISO restaurant but Ma Maison (serving French cuisine), the Noble House (serving delicious Dim Sum lunches and Cantonese a la carte specialties), Genji (offering authentic Japanese cuisine) and Gourmandises (a pastry & bakery), so it can cater to almost any culinary taste or craving. And the ISO serves both Asian and western fare, but not a mix of both, "No fusion, no confusion," as GM Montandon says.

And then if you are yearning for a work-out the Amrita Fitness Center has the latest high-tech cardio-vascular and resistance machines, two outside tennis courts, one indoor squash court and separate sauna and steam facilities for men and women. There is also a broad range of massage services on offer with everything ranging from reflexology to aromatherapy to oil and traditional Thai massage.

GM Montandon points out that the garden setting is conducive to more productive business or planning meetings. "It’s just natural for people’s creative juices to flow more freely if they are looking out upon a garden instead of staring at a wall or a low-rise apartment block."

And if you are into shopping some of Bangkok’s finest malls are within short walking or taxi distance including: Gaysorn, Central Chitlom, the new "boutique" Erawan Bangkok Mall and the Central World Plaza. And in the Pratunam area, almost everything under the sun is available from the myriad of shops and vendors on offer.

But again, it’s the garden that makes it. Many in Thailand’s high society have held their weddings here and sometimes the hotel has had to juggle several different wedding parties at the same time. Since the Siam Intercontinental Hotel was demolished, no one can come close to matching the grandeur of the flora and fauna in the Nai Lert Bangkok. Even if you don’t check in, it’s a don’t miss for a munch or brunch, and bring the kids, you can really leave Bangkok without getting on the expressway. The Nai Lert is called Bangkok’s ultimate Eden for good reason.

Contact Info

Tel: 02-253-0123

Fax: 02-253-6509

www.nailertpark.swissotel.com

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