Aman Nai Lert Bangkok
Since making Bangkok my home more than a decade ago, I’ve witnessed numerous big-brand hotels debut here: a ritzy Park Hyatt, a new Four Seasons, and Capella’s first Thai outpost all entered the city’s star-studded hotel scene with fitting fanfare. Few, however, came as highly anticipated as the new Aman Nai Lert Bangkok, which welcomed its first guests on April 2.
Aman’s arrival in the Thai capital was always going to be a landmark moment. After all, it’s a return to the country where the cult luxury brand first began, with the opening of Amanpuri on the island of Phuket in 1988, which is still one of my favorite Thai resorts. For years, whispers of an Aman property in Bangkok circulated among hospitality insiders, but it wasn’t until the announcement of Aman Nai Lert in the ritzy Phloen Chit district that those rumors finally solidified.
With such buzz and pedigree come sky-high expectations, and admittedly, I was a bit skeptical when I checked in on opening day: in a city teeming with luxury options, how would Aman manage to stand out? Would it be able to deliver its signature hush-hush hospitality in a city as loud and frenetic as Bangkok? And more to the point, how could it justify its eye-watering price tags—which, starting at $1,100, are the highest in town?
It didn’t take me long to find out. Stepping into the foyer felt like swapping Bangkok’s cacophony for a world of soothing interiors and whispery jazz. The hotel’s designer, Jean-Michel Gathy, took inspiration from the surrounding Nai Lert Park and Heritage Home, and infused the common areas and sprawling suites with nature-toned color palettes, lots of botanical references, and nods to the legacy of Nai Lert, the erstwhile Thai business tycoon whose great-granddaughter spearheaded the hotel’s development.
“We worked around the historical details of the park and Nai Lert’s heritage home, blending them with a modern setup,” said David Schoonbroodt, one of Gathy’s designers, while walking me through the project. “The stone floors have a timber look to mimic the heritage home’s floorboards, and louvered raised ceilings nod to the home’s roof structure.”
The setting, too, helped calm the city’s chaos. Nai Lert Park is a lush, seven-acre pocket of tropical landscaping in the heart of downtown, making the hotel feel like an urban sanctuary in the truest sense: the air smelled faintly of frangipani; the chirping of birds overpowered the traffic din. And because the park has remained in the hands of the same family for generations, it gives the hotel a sense of rootedness that few other new developments can claim.
Service, of course, is where Aman hotels tend to shine, and this Bangkok outpost is no exception. From the moment I arrived, staff offered that elusive blend of attentiveness and restraint: ever-present, but never intrusive. During afternoon tea in the airy lobby lounge, I watched a server quietly blot away the condensation left by my water glass before I even realized it was there. And whether at the ninth-floor pool or in the elevator corridor, staff members were unfailingly warm, conversational, and intuitive without coming off as saccharine.
The million-dollar question: Is it worth the money? It wholly depends: This isn’t your typical classic Thai hotel, but if you want to stay somewhere that exudes ‘quiet luxury’, then you may just find it’s worth every baht. Let us help you decide with our full review below.
The Rooms
Spread over floor 11 through 18, the hotel has just 52 rooms—less than half of that of its main competitors (Capella Bangkok, for example, has 101; the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok has 393). So even though the hotel was almost fully occupied when I stayed on the night of its grand opening, it never felt busy.
All rooms are sold as suites, and even the smallest one offers a lofty 1,000 square feet of floor space. Their interiors are best described as ‘very Aman’: lots of space and straight lines, plenty of warm wood and stone, and a soothing color palette of creams, grays, and earthy browns. Layouts vary depending on the suites’ positions: my ‘Premier Corner Suite’ had two walls covered in floor-to-ceiling windows, a separate pantry space and a roomy dressing area near the door. The bathroom could be closed off with sleek pivoting panels and came—like all suites—with a gigantic shower and round bath the size of a Jacuzzi tub. There was a window-facing desk with plenty of space to work and a TV that’d pop up from a cabinet at the touch of a button. Do note, though, that despite the ‘suite’ label, only the floor-spanning and ultra-expensive Aman Suite on the 18th floor has a separate living area; all others feel more like very spacious studios.
The minibars are complimentary (with rooms this pricey, that may be expected), and come stocked with hoppy lagers brewed exclusively for the hotel, and turmeric-infused seltzers flavored with yuzu and passion fruit. There are jars of dried mango and nuts to nibble on, but more substantial bites will have to be ordered from the in-room dining menu.
Food and Drink
Courtesy of Aman Group
The hotel offers plenty of options to eat and drink with four sit-down restaurants, a pool bar, and a cocktail lounge. My day started with breakfast at Arva, Aman’s signature Italian restaurant concept found in its hotels around the globe. After more than 10 years of living in Bangkok, I’ve sampled breakfasts at almost all of the city’s luxury hotels, but can confidently say that the one here ranks among the very best. There’s no buffet—I find those so un-chic—but instead, a well-curated menu of breakfast classics from around the globe: Thai noodles, perfectly flaky French pastries, green juices, and enough egg dishes to eat a different one every morning of a week-long stay. I still dream of the basil-flecked roasted tomatoes on toast with whipped stracciatella cheese.
For lunch and dinner, Arva doles out Italian staples such as pizzas, home-made pastas, and seafood platters brimming with poached langoustine, seasonal oysters, and slices of marinated tuna. If you’re after something lighter, the Pool Bar will hit the spot with falafel wraps and good-for-you bowls like the banana blossom salad with zingy chili dressing.
Courtesy of Aman Group
The 19th floor is reserved for the Aman Lounge, a members-only cigar room and jazzy cocktail spot (memberships come at a cool $60,000 initiation fee) that opens for hotel guests only after 5 PM. This is where you’ll also find Hiori, a 14-seat teppanyaki joint where Nagano-born chef Yoji Kitayama turns a mix of Thai and Japanese ingredients into multicourse tasting menus (think: grilled seasonal vegetables in a punchy miso-ginger sauce, or a wagyu sando with buttery-soft beef sourced from Kitayama’s hometown). Even more intimate is the eight-seat omakase counter at Sesui next door, with a daily-changing sushi menu served from behind a single slab of hinoki wood. Both restaurants draw on an extensive library of artisanal sakes from small-scale breweries around Japan, some of which you won’t find anywhere else in Thailand.
Activities and Experiences
While this is more of a spot to kick back and relax, the hotel’s clued-in concierge team is on hand if you feel like exploring the city. There are guided tours around the adjoining Nai Lert Park and Heritage Home, which include a visit to the boat museum and a handkerchief garland-making workshop. For a whopping THB 105,000 (around $3,000) per couple, you can also book a private cooking class and dinner at the Heritage Home museum, where your meal comes served on classic Benjarong tableware. There are spiritual journeys around the hidden shrines and temples of Bangkok’s downtown, or photography tours guided by Thailand’s Leica ambassador, Khun Chut. And if you’re more interested in hitting up Bangkok’s postcard sights—The Grand Palace, a floating market, the works—a tuk-tuk can be arranged.
The Spa
Calling the hotel’s wellness center a ‘spa’ would be an understatement: spanning more than 16,000 square feet over two entire floors, the Aman Spa & Wellness delivers everything from a quick jet lag-busting Thai massage to three-hour ‘spa journeys’ that include herbal baths, Royal Thai rub-downs, and a choice between a head or foot massage. I opted for a classic Thai massage, one of the spa’s signatures, which delivered 90 toe-curling minutes of glorious pain and left my muscles feeling like jelly.
If even that isn’t Zen enough, book yourself a (half-)day retreat in the signature Spa House, a multiroom private spa suite with a Vichy shower, steam room, hot and cold plunge pools, and a banya sauna where therapists massage, whip, and exfoliate your skin with fragrant bundles of birch leaves.
And if you’re in the market for a cheeky brow lift or hairline fix, Aman has partnered with Bangkok-based Hertitude Clinic and its team of certified medical aestheticians; the eighth-floor Medical Wellness facility specializes in botox injections, vitamin-rich IV-drips, and mood-boosting sessions in a cryotherapy booth.
Family-friendly Offerings
Courtesy of Aman Group
Aman’s hush-hush vibe makes it more suitable for grown-ups, but that doesn’t mean young guests aren’t catered to. I visited with my six-year-old son, and waiting in our suite was a thoughtfully arranged tent complete with a plush toy, sun hat, disposable camera, and iron-on patches—all themed around Chao Tam, Nai Lert’s beloved pet leopard. Other amenities included baby shampoo, kid-sized bathrobes and fluffy slippers. There were plenty of shallow areas to play in at the pool, and the staff had pool toys and water guns at the ready.
The verdict? My son declared it “one of his favorite hotels in Bangkok.” High praise from a kid as discerning (read: ridiculously spoiled) as he is.
Accessibility and Sustainability
Classifying the hotel as sustainable would be a stretch, but it does operate with an eco-conscious ethos wherever possible. Single-use plastics are largely banned: water is served in glass or aluminum bottles, and plastic straws are, of course, nowhere to be found. The building’s footprint was adapted to preserve the century-old greenery of Nai Lert Park, which is why you’ll find the upper branches of a 100-year-old chamchuri tree poking through a custom-designed opening in the swimming pool. The hotel also prioritizes energy-efficient systems and incorporates locally sourced materials in its design wherever feasible.
Accessibility is also considered. One of the suites is adapted for wheelchair users, with extra-wide walkways and support bars in the bathroom. All public areas are stair-free, and in every elevator bank, at least one lift is designed to be fully accessible.
Location
Depending on traffic, which can be ghastly, the drive from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) takes about 45 minutes. There’s no need to wait around for a taxi upon arrival, as all suite bookings include airport fast-track service and limousine pickup.
The hotel’s perch in the ritzy Phloen Chit district puts you within walking distance of some of Bangkok’s fanciest shopping malls, including Central Embassy and Central Chid Lom, while the mega-malls of Siam (Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery, CentralWorld) are just a short taxi-hop away. So is Lumphini Park, Bangkok’s answer to NYC’s Central Park, which is a lovely spot for an early-morning stroll. If you’re planning to hit up Bangkok’s postcard sights, such as Wat Pho and the Grand Palace, expect to spend at least 40 minutes in a taxi—the concierge can arrange a ride.
How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay
The Aman brand is infamous for its sky-high prices. There’s no loyalty program, and discounted room rates are practically unheard of—but there are a few savvy ways to get more bang for your baht. Booking directly on the Aman website gives you access to a handy calendar that displays nightly rates, making it easy to spot lower-price dates (even entry-level suites can fluctuate by more than $300 a night). Under the ‘Exclusive Offers’ tab, you’ll also often find package deals that include perks like airport transfers, resort credit, and afternoon tea.
