AriyasomVilla Bangkok | A beautiful and relaxing 1940s Villa | Boutique Hotel Review
Whenever I’m shown my room at a hotel I classify as a “treat night”, I always try to act nonchalant. I arrange my face into one that says “oh, I stay in these places all the time” (I hope). “It has its own private plunge pool? Sure. Two sinks? Well that’s just to be expected really. There’s a minibar. Hmm, looks decent enough.”
Meanwhile the voice in my head goes something like this:
“OH MY GAWD THIS PLACE IS GORGEOUS. WHAT THE HELL AM I MEANT TO DO WITH A PLUNGE POOL? IT HAS A MINIBAR? SCREW THE BOOZE – THERE ARE MARS BARS! OH EM GEEEE.”
I wait for the attendant to leave then I run excitedly around the room, opening all the cupboards, smelling the free bottles of shampoo and shower gel (and get VERY excited if there is a pot of moisturiser), and snuggle up in the bathrobe, even if it means setting the air-con to Arctic.
But when I was shown my room at AriyasomVilla Bangkok, I really struggled to keep my nonchalant face on. I think I might even have let out a little squeal when I saw the bathroom. It was that good.
Overview:
A calm and relaxing sanctuary in the middle of bustling Bangkok, the perfect place to retire to when the city gets too hot and heavy. AriyasomVilla was built in 1942 by the current owner’s grandparents, and it still carries an air of this era. During the redesign (it opened as a hotel in 2008) only quality local and recycled materials were used, and it was beautifully done. I particularly loved the lush tropical gardens, and how it is so enchantingly Thai it felt. And if you can bring yourself to leave the beautiful hotel grounds, you’re only a short walk from the BTS, and in the middle of cool Sukhumvit with plenty of shops and restaurants. The hotel has 24 rooms, in four categories. I obviously stayed in one of the cheapest – a studio – which are mainly on the ground floor.
AriyasomVilla. Taken from near the pool.
Come on in:
You enter into a little courtyard, protected from the road by a screen of frangipani, and shaded by an old, gnarled tree, wrapped in layers of lime silk fabric (something Thai people do if they believe a spirit lives inside). There are two antique rattan chairs with brightly coloured cushions on a veranda in front of French doors. Pale yellow walls, heavy polished carved wood doors and big, oversized jungle ferns mark the doorway to the Reception area. The greeting was warm and friendly, and despite the early hour (about 11am), I was able to check-in to my room straight away. The pool sits in the L-shaped crux of the two houses, its angular lines softened by greenery. A little shrine is tucked away in a corner. You can’t help but breathe a sigh of relaxation just at looking at it all.
The entrance
This is your room:
As you have probably gathered from above, it was lovely. Oh so lovely! A little on the dark side as it was at the back, but this meant it was pin-drop quiet, so I’ll allow it. The focal point of the room was a massive, dark wood bed with a smooth, curved headboard, and beautiful, warm earthy-coloured cushions and a throw. There was also a personalised welcome letter, printed on thick cream paper, and a little frangipani flower! French doors opened out on to my own private slice of terrace, but as it had no view I didn’t spend much time there. There was also a wooden desk and entertainment unit, hiding a TV although I didn’t switch it on, and a wardrobe with plenty of hanging space.
My room at AriyasomVilla. Lovely.
I loved this tapestry cushion!
Bedtime:
Best sleep of the trip so far. Possibly even of my entire life. I woke up exceptionally refreshed. That was a good bed.
Getting clean:
A big deep bath. Shutters that open out to the bedroom (probably meant for naughtiness, I used it for listening to a wonderful episode of Strangers podcast (The Living Room – check it out) without getting my iPad wet). A pebbled floor. Fluffy towels. A little bowl of fresh purple frangipani floating in water. A powerful hot shower. A candle lit below a dish containing essential oils. Jasmine scented soap. Heaven.
My bathroom. I don’t I’ll ever be satisfied with a bathroom that doesn’t contain a bowl of fresh frangipani ever again.
Service:
Fantastic. A few of the staff even learnt my name which was a really lovely touch. There’s something so nice about someone saying ‘Of course, Fiona’. And when I asked for directions to a coffee shop the man behind the desk Googled it for me, and then called them to double check which BTS station I had to go to. Faultless (and I’m fussy).
The little shrine.
How do you like your eggs in the morning?
Breakfast was included and I had little doughnuts dipped in a lemon curd, and blueberry pancakes. Both were good, if not particularly memorable.
Dinnertime:
The hotel’s restaurant is Na Aroon which serves mostly organic vegetarian and fish dishes. I had the set menu (950bhat) which was delicious: deep-fried tuna balls and papaya salad, fresh seabass curry and mixed seafood, and fresh fruit in syrup. Although the highlight of the meal was eavesdropping on a particularly salacious conversation on the table next door! One of the joys of dinning alone.
Pampering:
There is an in-house spa which I obviously tried out for the sake of this blog. A hardship. I opted for the Thai massage followed by a hot compress (1200 bhat for 90 minutes). I was given fresh pyjama type things to wear, and was taken to an open deck overlooking the pool (the next day, while lounging, I kept hearing giggles and realise it was someone with ticklish feet having a massage!). The pleasure of a Thai massage is always in the afterwards rather than the during, but this one definitely hurt less than others I’ve had. The hot compress was rather like being given a sponge bath with hot tea, but very pleasant nonetheless! I had it at 5pm, and the early evening light was beautiful. I left feeling totally relaxed.
Anything else?
I woke up early to swim as the sun rose and had the pool all to myself. Recommended.
//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js
Loves:
The pool. The spa. My bed. The design. The tree in the courtyard. My bed. The shrine. The staff. The atmosphere. The bath. My bed. Can I just say everything?
Niggles:
There weren’t any bath salts! That’s it. Add bath salts and you’d be perfect.
Best for:
Anyone who wants to escape the sweaty streets of Bangkok for a while. Arriving here after a long international flight would also be a joy. My parents, if I can ever convince my mum to get on a plane. Anyone who likes really beautiful boutique hotels, because this is one of the best I’ve been to.
Final Verdict:
It’s Thailand straight out of the pages of Condé Nast Traveller. If I had the dosh, I would stay here always. Perfect.
The Damage:
6500 THB (about £130) for a studio for one night including breakfast. No single discount (*sad face*).
A bit out of your budget? How about this much more affordable, but just as stylish B&B? Not quite right? Don’t fret, I have more recommendations coming!
The Very Hungry Londoner 