In keeping with its name, The Standard hotel group has become a flag-bearer for dependable service coupled with urbane modern design, but its behemoth skyscraper hotels aren’t for everyone – particularly if you’re not partial to heights.
That’s exactly why the US-based chain has launched its StandardX concept, for the worldly globetrotter who wants functional mod cons in a culturally rich locale, without showiness or corporate sterility. The StandardX Phra Arthit, in buzzy Bangkok, is the second addition to this new offering, which the brand calls The Standard’s “rebellious younger sibling”.
Like 180 House on The Strand in central London, it’s not immediately apparent what The StandardX Phra Arthit is from the street – look through the plate-glass windows that front the hotel and you’ll see neon-lit sculptures and larger-than-life paintings. And stepping into the concrete-walled lobby, dubbed the “10 10 Art Space”, reinforces the feeling that you’ve just walked into a gallery. But that’s the point.
The hotel’s concept revolves around supporting homegrown, new-gen artists, who can exhibit their work gratis and it is up for grabs if you fancy investing in a one-off souvenir. There’s also a coffee bar where visitors and residents can sip on artisanal blends sourced from growers in the Pua district of Thailand, or pick up local handicrafts and produce that underscores the hotel’s support of local communities.
The riverside location, smack-bang on the steps of the Phra Arthit water bus pier, is the hotel’s ace card, offering easy access to the city by river. It has its own private entrance to the pier and the shrill whistle of the boatswain sounding in sync with the movements of the long-tail boats and ferries on the river makes it feel like the Asian equivalent of a Venetian bolthole. Bangkok, after all, used to be known as the Venice of the east for its once-abundant canals.
Back in the day, Phra Arthit was a regal neighbourhood. The blue bloods have moved on, but remnants of its gilded past remain in the form of the Ban Chao Phraya Art Gallery – the former palace of Prince Sathittamrongsawas – and Phra Sumen Fort, built by King Rama I. The area now has a distinctly artsy vibe, fostered by the close proximity of Silpakorn University – the city’s leading arts institution – and a plethora of low-key eateries serving family-recipe roti and street food classics, alongside chi-chi bars, cafés and live music joints. It has its own gentle-yet-buzzy pace compared to the frenetic streets of Chinatown and Khao San Road, which are a stone’s throw away, as are the main sights like the glittering Grand Palace and the beehive-like Wat Pho temple.
Like the low-rise, bijou nature of the hotel, the clean-cut rooms are unpretentious but have personality and all the bells you’d expect from a leading international brand. Four types are offered: Cosy Twin and Cosy King rooms are the most compact at 30-35sqm, while King on the River rooms offer spacious balconies facing the animated scene of the Chao Phraya River. King of Kings, also river-facing, is as the name suggests, the largest – at 46sqm. Bathrooms are stocked with products from cult Italian brand Davines and there’s ample wardrobe space for a weeklong stay.
A breakfast buffet with all the trimmings is served at the hotel’s restaurant, Bang, including a plethora of cereal and fruit options, as well as à la carte dishes like char kway teow (stir-fried rice noodles with prawns and chicken) and eggs any way you want. The all-day venue serves lunch and dinner, too, dishing up a variety of Thai classics with a twist, and western favourites.
There are two on-site bars, one at Bang, with an expansive riverside terrace where you can watch the to-ing and fro-ing of the vessels that call at the pier. The second bar, The Roof, is found on the 6th floor, adjoining the open-air pool, where you can take refuge from the afternoon heat or lounge with a sundowner (the Coco Loco is a revelation for anyone whose guilty pleasure is a piña colada), or chow down on deconstructed Mexican dishes and take in the vista of the city.
In an age of no-frills airlines and quiet-luxury fashion, gen-Z-ers used to jumping on a 777 like it’s a bus will feel at home here. You’ve got all the fundamentals – a super-comfortable bed, fuss-free minimalist design and a considered dose of culture thrown in for good measure.
Shane C Kurup is a London-based editor and writer specialising in fashion, horology and lifestyle content
