English summertime has arrived, so what a better time for us to pack our bags and leave for Asia!! (HA!)
Not just any old reason though. This time has been long awaited after months of hard work and completing tick lists – sometimes a break is a great catalyst for productivity…that’s what we tell ourselves anyway.
So let me fill you in. We’ve just landed in Bangkok after a mammoth day of flying, eating and attempting to get some shut eye. I (Hannah) had the chance to fly on a new Dreamliner plane with Brunei airways, which I smugly thought had absolutely saved me from all signs of jet lag until I found myself wide eyed at 5am this morning; I guess not!
As I speak we are about to pack our bags and leave for Krabi, a city 2hrs by plane from Bangkok, but before we leave we thought we ought to fill you in about our first night in Asia – it was a good one too!
Night One: Amari Watergate Bangkok
Arriving after a long journey is never nice, however being greeted in the executive lounge with freshly squeezed juice by the lovely staff at Amari certainly made our journey that little bit more comfortable.
We were staying in one of their Triple Executive Club rooms with an added bed for Jon too. Despite the ‘squeeze’, the floor to ceiling windows, walk in shower and snazzy bath left us smitten. With all of the amenities to take your stay from average to excellent, you could say we were pretty pleased.
After a comfortable night sleep for Heather and Jon, (jet lag for me remember) breakfast was obviously on the top of our priorities. Luckily for us, we were invited to dine in the executive lounge. From what I could gather, this was just a more peaceful dining area, set apart from the ‘regular’ guests, in a room flooded with natural light and breathtaking views of the surrounding shopping district.
Breakfast catered for everyone. Whether you were after fresh fruit and something healthy, cooked to order eggs, pastry or even sushi, you were most certainly covered. It would have been rude not to try it all, so we did just that. Sushi was a weird concept at 8am, but for those dubious…TRY IT, you can thank me later.
After the meal we took a tour around the hotel which is currently undergoing renovations to improve attention to detail as in Bangkok terms, Amari is one of the old timers. We were pleased to hear about the hotel’s efforts to source sustainable resources from local areas and utilise maximum energy from the daylight to light the hotel rather than wasting unnecessary power. Their green ratings are impeccable and we really admire that from such a large organisation.
Our next point of call was the gym and pool area. Amongst the sounds of the city this little retreat was just perfect for our morning swim and sweat. Before you even walk into the wellness zone, you’ll be hit by the high standard bathroom that slightly had us distracted. As well as well lit mirrors, changing rooms and showers, you could find hot pools and a steam room to warm up those muscles. Step outside and you are greeted by an emerald blue swimming pool with inviting and spacious landscaping. If desired, their Breeze wellness zone comes equipped with a spa menu to take everyone’s fancy, and their fitness studio (with squash courts and a yoga studio) provided amenities for all fitness goers.
Unfortunately our time here was cut to an abrupt halt with pending flights awaiting us, however in our short stay we were treated impeccably and felt a large amount of comfort in knowing that all of our needs were catered for. We hope that by the next time we return we will be welcomed with the newly renovated lobby and have a chance to try out one of their restaurants.
Next stop: Koh Lanta – Layana Resort