Tower Club at lebua's Chief Concierge

Tower Club at lebua's Chief Concierge, Mr. Werapan Lakkham, was interviewed about his insider tips for Bangkok.

Chief Concierge at Tower Club at lebua

Why should travelers visit your destination and your hotel right now? What is new and exciting?

We provide four fantastic fine dining restaurants at the hotel. The most exciting is the latest re-launch of ourMezzaluna Restaurant with innovative cuisine on the 65th floor.


What unique experiences and special access can you provide to your guests outside the hotel to make their visit most memorable?

An example of a unique experience that we organized for a man who wanted to propose was a private helicopter tour to visit Tiger Temple in the upcountry of Kanchanaburi Province.


What are the top restaurants?

We recommend Sirocco restaurant and Sky Bar where you can see a panoramic view of Bangkok at night. Sirocco is the world's highest al fresco restaurant and one of Bangkok’s most coveted dining destinations. Or Breeze Restaurant on the 51st and 52nd floors where you can see a fantastic view above the Chao Praya River. And one more signature fine dining restaurant,Mezzaluna is the modern innovative restaurant located on 65th Floor. Guests can expect nothing but the best cuisine at Mezzaluna.

Tower Club at lebua's Chief Concierge

Which unique shops and boutiques do you recommend?

We recommend the Jim Thompson Shop where you can buy unique Thai products made of Thai Silks. The shop is beside a mall of boutiques called "Siam Paragon Complex".


What are some idiosyncrasies about your destination that visitors should know? Do you have any Do's and Don'ts for travelers?

In general, there is nothing to worry about in Bangkok. Antiques such as the Lord Buddha image are not allowed out of the country unless you have a special permit from the Fine Arts Department.


What are some of the best requests you have fulfilled?
We were able to obtain good seats to a sold-out Eagles concert in Bangkok for a hotel guest.


By: luxurytravelmarket.com 

The Hangover PartII, featuring scenes filmed at lebua Hotels

The Hangover Part II, featuring scenes filmed at lebua Hotels, Bangkok, being released worldwide from 26^th May

lebua Hotel brings the fans of The Hangover an opportunity to be able to live the life of the characters of the highly anticipated new movie

Bangkok, May 10th, 2011: The Hangover Part II, an American comedy and the follow-up to the blockbuster movie, The Hangover, which made US$450 million at the box office, has been filmed extensively at lebua, the all-suite Luxurious Hotel in Bangkok.  With its near 360-degree views of Bangkok, lebua was instrumental in setting the stage for the panoramic scenes seen throughout the much-anticipated movie being released worldwide from 26^th May, 2011.

One of the chosen sites for many of the scenes was the Tower Club at lebua, and in particular the entrance to Sirocco, the world’s highest open air rooftop restaurant on the 63^rd floor. The backdrop for many of the scenes is the dramatic and amazing view of Bangkok’s skyline which can be experienced from the renowned Sky Bar and Sirocco restaurant.  Additional scenes also include lebua’s famous golden Dome atop recently re launched Mezzaluna, lebua’s modern and innovative haute eatery, where a helicopter appears in an all-action packed scene. The hotel was turned into a live film set and had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of their staff to be included as extras!

Now, lebua brings the fans of The Hangover an opportunity to be able to live the life of the characters from the movie with a special two-night Hangover Part II package priced at USD$ 2,200. Fans can also stay in The Hangover Suite, a three-bedroom luxury suite at lebua Hotel, which can accommodate up to six people and offers a fully stocked mini bar and ample space to party like the guys from The Hangover! Fans can also sample the Hangovertini, a special, signature cocktail made with green tea liquor, Martini Rosso, green apple juice, rosemary infused honey and priced at THB 490++  (approximately USD$ 19++) devised to commemorate the movie and get the party started!

Tower Club at lebua is an all-suite, all-club hotel located on the 51^st – 59^th floors, where guests can enjoy such privileges as Bvlgari amenities (exclusive-to-lebua), free soft drinks in mini-bar, complimentary in-suite broadband Internet access, LCD television monitors with free video on demand, Nespresso coffee making machine and priority dining reservations at The Dome.  Guests also have access to the Tower Club Lounge on the 52^nd floor, where complimentary canapés and drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are served daily in addition to afternoon High Tea.

lebua offers an exquisite and eclectic selection of restaurants and bars, better known as The Dome at lebua, which is a culinary dream even for connoisseurs. Be it Mediterranean at Sirocco, Modern Innovative at Mezzaluna, or Asian cuisine at Breeze, the best restaurants and bars in Bangkok congregate at lebua and provide an unmatched experience with truly personalized service.

For reservations, please email resvn@lebua.com or call +66 (0) 2624 9555

For Further information, please contact:

Pamela Young                                                    Sipim Sugunnasil

     Vice President - Sales                                   Director of Public Relations

Email: Pamela@lebua.com                            Email: Sipim@lebua.com

Tel: +66 (0) 2624 9508                                      Tel: +66 (0) 2624 9552

My Four Point Checklist for Selecting 5-Star Hotels....

By: Magical Carpet

As a frequent flyer, by my own choice, be it for business or for leisure, I do consider a few factors before deciding which airline to take. The type of aircraft matters most to me. If I can fly on a wide-body, I will. The flight path, overall customer service experience by other flyers and familiarity with their hub all come into play besides the cost of the ticket.

And right next to the airline ticket, is my choice for hotels. I wanted a bit of luxury for this Bangkok trip so I shortlisted lebua's Tower Club riverbank suite. I had a checklist in mind and lebua met all my needs.

Here are my usual 4 steps or criteria:

1. Location. As most of my meetings will be held in Sathorn and at the hotel itself, lebua is okay as the BTS is not that far away though not right outside. I don't intend to dine outside anyway as I had no time with dawn-till-dusk meetings.

2. Comments by other travelers. As usual by default, I did a quick read on Tripadvisor. Sounded solid. 

3. My ten percent rule. Price offered should not be 10% more than the competition. So I compared the price with my usual 5-star favourite on Wireless Road and another riverside property. lebua made the cut

4. At least 3 compelling features of the room that others don’t have and one reason to eat at the hotel (International buffets do not count, it has to be compelling or exotic)

Bvlgari products. Wow, this was a good one. Cannot recall the last time I used their products in hotels

Video and music on demand. Apparently, their flat-screen TV comes with video & music-on-demand. So, I can watch movies and listen to music from their library. Sure reminds me of the solid entertainment system on board one of the great Middle-Eastern airlines.

A balcony! The sunset view will be something to cherish. Yes, I've seen many all over the world but a big balcony all to myself and a glass of Chardonnay does sound appealing. 

The renowned Mezzaluna restaurant and the Skybar.That's more than one reason to eat at Lebua. 

With that, I made the phone call and went with lebua. I'll post photos of my stay in the next entry.

Oh, what a fine night it was!

http://www.lebua.com/en/the-dome-dining/mezzaluna-bangkok/

By: Magical Carpet

Fine dining, gourmet dining, wine dinner – no matter what it's called, Bangkok offers many choices for us to savor and taste exquisite dinners on a grand scale. At Mezzaluna, the experience is just the perfect way to see off an industrious week and to welcome the weekend.

Located at the Lebua Hotel on the 65^th floor of the State Tower, the Mezzaluna transports its guests to new and exhilarating journeys of culinary excellence.

Beautifully executed creations are served on tectonic plate ware in an elegant ambience enhanced by a live classical quartet.

It was this classical quartet that caught my attention as I walked back to the tower from the skybar. The sound of a few stringed instruments playing Mozart so effortlessly slowed my pace and as I looked up to where they were playing, I knew that must be the Mezzaluna.

It did not take much convincing before my friend and I found ourselves directed to a table by the window overlooking the majestic Menam Chao Phraya.  Thus, our journey began.

We opted for the six course chef’s tasting menu, and as a prelude to the appetizer; we were offered a choice of sparkling or still water, mocktail, cocktail or a glass of wine. Of course, the hot towel was presented as well.

A pastiche of cucumber, yogurt, horseradish and ossetra caviar was the appetizer. With all of the ingredients seated comfortably on a spoon, the Arctic Shar kicked off the evening of epicurean delight.

The Atlantic Langoustine was next. Served with the tiniest, cutest carrot I’ve ever seen, the taste was hard to describe. It was great of course, something so beautifully presented and so unfamiliar to me.  Ginger, portabella mushroom, verbena and amaranth completed the medley that accompanied the great langoustine.

BANGKOK SKYSCRAPER

I didn’t know quite what to expect when I landed in Bangkok a few weeks ago, but I’m so glad my first stop was the Tower Club at Lebua. What a perfect way to see the entire layout of Bangkok from a bird’s eye view, 50+ stories above the tuk-tuks and the taxis!

After flying halfway across the world, the Tower Club at Lebua offered the quiet, comfortable accommodations I needed to recover from jetlag. I awoke refreshed the next morning to sun peeking through the curtains, and pulled them back to find a beautiful sunrise bathing the hazy city in warm light.

Later in the evening, I found it hard to choose from all the dining options at The Dome. Each has a unique menu and exceptional views of the city. You really feel like you’re floating above it all! I ended up at Distil, home of a huge selection of whiskeys and inventive cocktails, where I sipped a cucumber gin concoction from a martini glass.

Following cocktails, I had dinner at Breeze, an open air Asian restaurant on the 52nd floor. The suspended glass bridge you cross en route to your table is magnificent; the views of the Chao Praya River and the metropolitan area at night will astound you. Dinner itself was delicious, course after course. My favorite was the barbecue beef tenderloin… or maybe it was the green tea ice cream parfait. Either way, the experience of dining above the fray was one I won’t soon forget.

By: Angie Orth

A Night of Taste: An Epicurean Journey

A Night of Taste: An Epicurean Journey

By: Magical Carpet

As I rummaged through the letters received over the

Epicurean brochure

weekend, the invite to be a part of the Exclusive Experience in lebua stood out compellingly. Here is the chance to rub shoulders with the well-heeled and to savour gourmet extravaganza. With the real calendar marked and my Blackberry reminder set, I knew that evening will dawn soon enough and it will be a night to remember.

And so it was…

Held in Distil Bar and Mezzaluna in lebua, the lift ride up was a seamless one. Upon entering, I saw chairs for the classical ensemble, strings very likely. Hoping for more baroque and romantic with less jazz, the violins, violas, cellos and double bass sealed the evening: serenading us to familiar tunes and setting the mood for a classy, classy evening.

As like all gourmet meals, each dish is elaborately prepared and well-paired with the perfect wine. And on this great evening, there was a medley of six. The opening overture was the Soulard Duck. Interlaced with muscat grapes and foie gras among others, the taste was exclusivity in itself. Paired with champagne that can only be found in lebua (G.H. MUMM Grand Cru), the evening was off to a sparkling start.

Equally well-paired (with wine) are the langoustine and the pacific dory. Ah, the plates looking so ever beautiful, I glided into an epicurean journey somewhere in between these dishes. Or was it the wine, wasn’t too sure by then. All I knew was the main dish was not even here yet.

A prelude to the main dish was an explosive one. Termed the Parmesan ‘Explosion’, it was a synergy of cheese and caviar, hand in hand with a pinot noir (Brancott Estate Terrace ‘T’, Marlborough 2009). This is a Mezzaluna signature dish.

With the passage of time, the main dish of Wahyu beef was served. It felt divine to gaze at the highlight of the evening, food wise, and before I could completely say my grace, I gently penetrated the beef goodness with my fork. For the next 12 minutes or so, no BB message or email could interrupt me. No superlatives will do justice here, but I must say that everyone must try this dish once regardless of the price. It will be dollars well spent.

The final dish, the desert was a symphony of taste. It was great meeting you, Conference Pear. I hope to meet a selection of ‘Conference’ pear in an ‘Expo’ soon. Kidding aside, this was no normal pear alright. It had all the combination for a great and victorious ending to an epicurean journey in Bangkok. The best one I’ve attended this year.

lebua, when is the next one? I’ll block my schedule.

A Look Inside the Luxury Hotel From The Hangover Part II

The Hangover Part II, featuring scenes filmed at lebua Hotels, Bangkok, being released worldwide from 26^th May

Continuing the major success of The Hangover (which brought in $450 million to the box office) it’s much-anticipated sequel, The Hangover Part ll, is set for a worldwide release on May 26, 2011. This time, the wild bachelors wake up in the banging city of Bangkok. The movie was filmed extensively at the lebua at State Tower, a luxury hotel in Bangkok that features a 360-degree view of the city.

lebua at State Tower features 357 lavish suites that are know to be the most spacious in their category. The hotel also includes the Tower Club at lebua, (on the 51-59 floors), which was designed exclusively for the privileged: Bvlgari bath facilities, nespresso machines, and in-suite cooking option by its Conde Nast accredited Chefs all combined make lebua a truly delectable hotel.

 

This haute-spot is also home to renowned Sky Bar and Sirocco, the world’s highest rooftop eatery suspended on the 63 floor, both of which are incorporated into the film. Other scenes also take place at lebua’s relaunched Mezzaluna, the hip and innovative café serving up some divine Asian cuisine.

In honor of the film’s opening in theaters, lebua wants to give fans an opportunity to live the life of the characters from the movie with a special two-night Hangover Part ll package priced at $2,000. Guest will be welcomed to stay in The Hangover Suite, a three-bedroom luxury suite, which can accommodate up to six people and offers a jam-packed mini bar and ample space to live it up like the guys did! Be sure to try the Hangovertini, a special signature cocktail made with green tea liquor, Martini Rosso, green apple juice, and rosemary infused honey.

For reservations, please email resvn@lebua.com or call +66 (0) 2624 9555      

[Source: fivestaralliance.com]

See you at Distil

By Magical Carpet

See you at Distil

The dictionary defines ‘distil’ as: to separate or extract the essential elements of. Another definition is to increase the concentration of, separate, or purify by or as if by distillation.

And if one visits Distil at The Dome, lebua – you do get to experience some form of separation from the masses and labyrinth of the buzzing Bangkok life 60 stories below. From up here, everything seems smaller, and one can’t help but feel privileged to be able to afford the occasional drinks at such a refined place.

At lebua.com, the description of Distil is engaging and full of flair:

Every aspect of Distil reflects purity in its most elementary form. A choice of the most premium and authentic malt whiskies, vodkas and Cognacs are offered here. A unique feature of the restaurant is the Oyster Bar. Fine de Claire Oysters, Iranian Caviar and fresh sushi and sashimi present a delightful selection, along with the finest champagnes and wines from a walk-in wine cellar. Hand-rolled authentic Cuban Cigars are yours to enjoy together with drinks in the adjoining open-air Cigar Terrace.

• The largest selection of Single Malt Whiskies, and selected wines from around the world
• Outdoor Cigar Terrace
• Resident DJs spinning out snazzy tunes

My friend and I did not go for cigars though, just the view. For us, Distil was a transit point as they open daily at 5pm while the Skybar opens an hour later at 6pm.

The key difference between the Distil and Skybar (comparing outdoor areas only) is the comfy sofas here in Distil. And if we recall correctly, the sofas do not face the view but face inwards, or maybe we were too tipsy to notice correctly.

Romantic side, after dark

At night, when the sun is down and the stars have appeared, Distil lures you in with a touch of romanticism.  With a mighty view down below, and the stars and sky above, lovebirds can be ensconced in their own little world. Don’t forget the comfy sofas.

Too bad we left before sunset. We headed to Skybar for a second round of drinks and soaked in the view of the sunset from there.

The drinks at Distil are great though we wished there was a small table to place them. We sat at a far corner so balancing the glasses on the sofa was not easy but we managed.

*Do stay tuned, as the next entry takes you on an interesting journey with Alex, lebua’s very own in-house mixologist. The e-commerce and PR department sits down with him as he talks about the plethora of drinks he mixes, discerning differences across cultures when it comes to drinking and shares a tip or two on the perfect gin.