Hotel Review: Lebua at State Tower in Bangkok

In a city packed with luxury hotels, competition for business from high-end travelers is fierce. So I was curious to see how Lebua at State Tower in Bangkok compared to the plethora of luxury brands that exist in the metropolis.

I arrived in an unassuming, hardly ostentatious lobby, where I was escorted to my guestroom for an en-suite check-in. That’s when I discovered that my “room” was more of an apartment, complete with two bedrooms, balconies facing Thailand’s Chao Phraya River, a massive living room with a sparkling chandelier and a full-service kitchen.

Because the hotel is an all-suite property, even the entry-level room category is larger than the average hotel room. And, because Lebua is one of the city’s tallest buildings, a jungle of skyscrapers is visible from every vantage point. My accommodations also came with Tower Club access, which includes afternoon tea and cocktails plus breakfast in the Tower Club or in Cafe Mozu, the on-site restaurant at the hotel’s pool level.

 Given the choice, I always opt to dine at a hotel’s on-site eatery, where options tend to be more varied. That choice didn’t disappoint at Cafe Mozu. I started off with made-to-order omelets and smoothies, but a Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine station drew most of my attention. (There is also a delectable Thai section that has rotating local specialties each morning.)

But perhaps the property’s most well-known lure is The Dome at Lebua, which makes up the top floors of the building and encompasses several of the hotel’s restaurants and bars. A staple of Bangkok guidebooks these days, The Dome is always busy. In fact, after spending the afternoon indulging in a two-hour massage in a neighborhood day spa, I returned to find a line that wrapped around one set of elevators that led there. (Luckily for me, hotel guests always receive priority reservations and their own elevators.)

The Dome was a pioneer of Bangkok’s rooftop bar scene, and although many properties now feature rooftop dining options, none can match the offerings found here. A flutter of smiling staff ushered guests in groups — those who followed the space’s “smart casual” dress code, which excludes athletic wear, slippers, open-toed shoes and sleeveless clothing — to the space, where audible gasps of awe occurred like clockwork with each arrival.

I began my sipping odyssey with a hand-painted flute of vintage Perrier-Jouet champagne created especially for the hotel. One glass turned into two at Sirocco alfresco restaurant, as I pondered the familiar scene around me — “The Hangover Part II” was filmed here. In fact, movie buffs can book the three-bedroom Tower Club Hangover Suite, where many of the movie’s cast stayed during filming, or clients can order the “Hangovertini” cocktail, which was invented by one of the film’s producers.

A delicious dinner at the rotating Michelin-starred Mezzaluna was tiding me over, so I headed to Lebua No. 3, a new gin, caviar and vodka bar located on the 52nd floor. Like the hotel’s other high-level venues, everything is impressive — but most notable is the Russian sturgeon caviar. And as if that isn’t enough, the world’s first P4 digital retina-display dance floor adds to the fun here.

As the sun set, the almost otherworldly views morphed from a bright skyline to a twinkling sea of lights with clubby music and live band swooning tipplers.

But unlike the eager tourists who were just visiting, I had a rainfall shower, Shanghai Tang toiletries and a plush duvet downstairs that was calling my name.

Besides, I didn’t want to wake up feeling like I’d had a starring role in “The Hangover.”

The Details
Lebua Hotels & Resorts
www.lebua.com