Towering over Bangkok is the legendary 61-storey Banyan Tree Spa Bangkok
(www.banyantree.com). The award-winning hotel group can be credited with brilliantly blending
Thai spas and hospitality together when this pioneering space opened ten years ago.
All spa sessions include a complimentary 30-minute ‘calm time’ and a highlight is the
three-hour Royal Banyan treatment that features oil-free acupressure massage and Banyan herbal pouches filled with lemongrass, cloves and coriander.
The Banyan Tree Bangkok is the tallest all-suite luxury hotel in the city and features
15 meeting rooms, a ballroom capable of holding 400 delegates for cocktails and offers
a range of themed activities for planners. The 415-room Sheraton Grande Laguna
Phuket (www.lagunaphuket.com) offers 11 treatment rooms at its Angsana Spa to its
steady flow of meeting and conference clients. The resort offers six meeting rooms for up to
400 delegates and features an air-conditioned marquee that can be set up on at beach,
lagoon or garden locations for 1,000 delegates. Off-site catering is available.
The property also caters to exclusive bookings, for companies interested in taking
over the entire resort, and there’s golf and corporate teambuilding on-site in the Laguna
complex grounds at the Laguna Phuket Golf Club and Quest Laguna Phuket Adventure Centre respectively.
Recent groups to use the facilities include McAfee and Citrix from the US, and Denstply from Hong Kong.
Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa (www.hilton.com) takes centre stage for large events in Phuket in the absence of a dedicated convention centre. Located on Karon Beach, Hilton Phuket Arcadia sprawls over 30 hectares of land and five buildings, all with self-contained swimming areas, offering 685 guestrooms, a ballroom that can seat 600 for banquets and seven meeting rooms.
The spa features 15 treatment rooms, which were recently used by Hewlett-Packard and
Price Waterhouse Coopers. The Barai (huahin.regency.hyatt.com) opened in May to much fanfare at the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin. Thailand is home to many of the world’s most elegant spas but occasionally one comes along that is truly exceptional, and that, combined with a location in an up and coming business events destination makes the Barai really stand out.
Set on 18,500 sqm of land, it features eight spa suites and 18 private treatment rooms
as well as yoga and meditation sessions.
The Barai was designed by renowned Thai architect and interior designer, Lek Bunnag,
and has a distinctly Khmer cultural feel.
The 204-room Hyatt Regency can cater to business groups of up to 400.
Thailand quality shines through
Chi, the spa at Shangri-La Bangkok (www.shangri-la.com/bangkok) continues to be a leading attraction at the 799-room meeting and conference hotel set on the Chao Phraya River. The 1,000 sqm facility houses ten treatment rooms, with highlights including the giant 107 sqm Garden Suite with private outdoor garden and bathing areas, and the signature Himalayan Healing Stone Massage. The hotel has extensive meeting facilities including a 1,000-capacity grand ballroom. DHL and Toyota recently used the spa in incentive programmes.
