The Athenee Hotel
You can expect refined elegance and exemplary service when you stay at The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok. The coherent blend of European and Thai styles are ever present, paying homage to the royal heritage of this luxury property. The hotel was built within the grounds of Kandhavas, the royal palace and home of Princess Valaya Alongkorn who was the daughter of King Rama V. Many design elements throughout the property are directly drawn from the Princess and her palace, ensuring that the illustrious and imperial history lives on in both style and name.
The 374 rooms and suites are equally as sophisticated. Alongside the finest bedding, luxury amenities and modern tech solutions, you will find stylish local art and original antiques to complete the classic ambiance during your stay at this upscale hotel. We stayed in a spacious Athenee Prestige guest room with king bed and separate seating area which was supremely comfortable and well appointed. The marble bathroom with separate bathtub was very welcome indeed, as was the illy coffee machine for that often needed caffeine fix. We loved that our corner room at The Athenee presented contrasting city vistas, the modern Bangkok skyline and the verdant green spaces bordering Wittthayu Road.
When it comes to leisure time, the lagoon style pool offers the perfect retreat after a busy day at work or exploring Bangkok. Set within a tropical rooftop garden it provides a true oasis with a selection of seating and beds for relaxation, including plenty of shade for those that wish to escape the relentless midday sun. If you want something a little more high octane then the 24 hour gym complete with state of the art TechnoGym equipment is for you. If the gym isn’t ‘your thing’ then perhaps you can be enticed by the Athenee Spa which has an extensive menu of treatments that will provide peace and tranquilty for your mind and body.
The Vegan Food
Breakfast at Rain Tree Café was a veritable vegan feast during our stay. The Indian section on the buffet offered plenty of vegan options including lentil sambar, channa masala, organic white rice, chutney, pickles, paratha and idli. Protein packed foul medames and beetroot hummus with mini pitta breads took us on a middle eastern journey, whilst the vegan dim sum and steamed buns from the buffet were just perfect with freshly chopped chillies in soy sauce. Freshly squeezed juices were readily available, as was a choice of soy milk or almond milk for our coffee. It’s safe to say that anyone who wishes to start the day at Rain Tree Café with a plant based breakfast will be very well catered for.
The Athenee Hotel offers a culinary adventure that will take you to Japan, China, France or Thailand via the four fine dining restaurants on the third floor. Our lunchtime adventure was at The House of Smooth Curry where there is a vegetarian and vegan menu available upon request. Diners can expect authentic Royal Thai cuisine with dishes from the four regions of Thailand, using locally sourced and organic ingredients wherever possible. We enjoyed a spicy papaya salad served with deep fried mushrooms which was fresh and flavour packed, whilst our tofu laab was simply divine, quite possibly the best we’ve ever had. Our main dishes of pad kaprao and Thai green curry were all served with organic veggies, tofu and organic rice. They were perfectly executed and delicious, this is vegan Thai cuisine at its best and we savoured every mouthful.
Our evening culinary adventure on the third floor at The Athenee Hotel was at The Allium Bangkok where Chef Remi takes the helm, creating refined French cuisine which draws influence from his illustrious fine dining career at Michelin starred restaurants around the world. Starting with his signature dish simply called ‘Vegetable Garden’, which is in fact far from simple and oh so good. Spending five years working for Alain Ducasse he developed alternative methods for cooking vegetables, which are demonstrated in this dish. Presented as a garden, the dish features ever changing seasonal vegetables, some pickled, some barbecued, some glazed, some raw and some cooked, meaning each bite has a different texture and flavour profile. Finished with drops of Thai tea gel and dehydrated black olive powder representing the soil of the garden, the signature dish of Chef Remi is a true masterpiece which we never wanted to end. The freshly baked rosemary sour dough rolls were divine, whilst the velvety corn soup with crispy polenta cubes was full of flavour and a joy to eat. Next up was artisan penne pasta which is made in Koh Samui, using locally sourced durum wheat, served with mixed wild mushrooms and a creamy soy based sauce. This creamy sauce brought the ingredients together, and the wild morel with their earthy tones were everything you would expect from this fantastic fungi. Our culinary adventure ended with tropical fruits, berries and passion fruit sorbet, providing a refresing and light end to a memorable evening.
The Vegan Essentials
The ‘Le Chemin’ bathroom amenities were from European luxury brand, Byredo. They were in planet friendly refillable dispensers which was good to see, but sadly they are not suitable for vegans as their products contain some animal derived ingredients. Whilst the bathroom amenities were not vegan friendly, some of the snacks most certainly were, it was great to find a selection of snacks from Thai brand Chew Green who make ‘delightfully real and natural’ snacks from organic fruits and nuts.
As part of the sustainability programme at The Athenee, guests will find rice and many other food products sourced locally and organic. Marriott International global properties have stopped using plastic straws and bathroom amenities in single use plastic containers, it was also great to find glass water bottles in our room and in the restaurants at The Athenee. The installation of LED lighting and updated AC systems has dramatically reduced energy consumption, which alongside the food waste managements systems are all positive and planet friendly initiatives that we applaud.
The Vegan Food Quest Verdict
Check in to The Athenee Hotel and enjoy first rate service and unrivalled attention to detail, the staff team truly go above and beyond to make your stay memorable with their personal, professional and attentive service. Immerse yourself in the Bangkok of yesteryear, whilst at the same time indulge yourself with fine dining, modern amenities and rejuvenating spa treatments. We would highly recommend this vegan friendly luxury hotel in Bangkok for those who enjoy the finer things of life in the heart of this bustling and exciting city
We were guests of The Athenee Hotel but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.
The Athenee Hotel
61 Wireless Rd
Lumphini
Bangkok
Telephone: +66 2 650 8800
Email: bc.theathenee@luxurycollection.com
Cost From: £155 / $195 (May 2024)