Standard International opens new Asia flagship hotel in Bangkok's 2nd-tallest skyscraper
Standard International is moving beyond its reputation as a brand perhaps best known for attracting the glitterati to its towering hotel in Manhattan's Meatpacking District.
The brand's newest hotel is a little more than 8,600 miles east. The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon officially opened this week in Thailand's largest city. The hotel includes 155 guest rooms and suites within King Power Mahanakhon — a 1,030-foot skyscraper that is one of Thailand's tallest.
The third time's the charm when it comes to hotel development: This property was previously going to fall under Marriott International's Edition brand, but then Accor claimed it would be home to the world's first Orient Express hotel. The smaller Standard brand ended up being the one to cross the finish line on opening day.
A major milestone
The Bangkok opening is important for Standard International, as it is a major achievement in the company's quest for international expansion. Plus, it's proof that a smaller, hip brand can win out over much bigger players like Marriott and Accor.
"This iconic flagship hotel of The Standard represents an extraordinary phenomenon in the hospitality industry not only in Asia, but globally as well," Srettha Thavisin, chairman of Standard International, said in a statement. "We are confident that The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon will have huge success in delivering the ultimate hotel experience — unlike any other in Thailand."
The company also has a hotel in the Thai resort destination of Hua Hin.
Spanish artist and designer Jaime Hayon worked with the Standard design team on art installations in the hotel's public spaces, which include a nod to Standard's first — and now shuttered — hotel in Los Angeles. A video installation in the lobby, "Heaven's Gate" from artist Marco Brambilla, references Hollywood dreams and excess; it builds on that first hotel's rotation of art installations. Hayon is also working on the company's upcoming hotel in Lisbon, Portugal.
Guest rooms range from 430 square feet to a sprawling, 1,550-square-foot penthouse. Standard bills the guest rooms as "beautifully understated" and "balanced by bold, glamorous touches such as the softly-lit bar area and retro-style furniture." The penthouse includes a full kitchen, a bathroom with a soaking tub and indoor plants. The opening announcement describes it as "a stately home where good times reside."
Amenities include a pool with city views and bar service. A 24-hour fitness facility includes workout equipment from Peloton and Clmbr, as well as group classes and personal training.
'See and be seen' at The Standard
The real draw at the Bangkok hotel, like others in the Standard network, is the food and beverage programming. It appears the Standard International team is looking to make lightning strike twice when it comes to being a hub for the "cool" crowd.
Thirteen years after its 2009 opening, The Standard, High Line in Manhattan is still the pinnacle of the "see and be seen" atmosphere. In the notoriously flash-in-pan restaurant industry, it's impressive that a rooftop bar like Le Bain manages to be just as difficult to get into today as it was back before Instagram officially launched.
Madonna and Cardi B have both performed atop the bar at the Boom Boom Room — another sky-high venue at the New York City hotel — following the Met Gala in recent years.
Can the Standard team achieve the same thing in Bangkok? They certainly seem to be trying.
The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon includes six bars, restaurants and nightlife venues. The Standard Grill, which has a location at the Manhattan hotel, will have a Bangkok outpost. Similar to the High Line hotel, this Standard's dining and drinking options dominate the hotel's higher levels. Ojo, a Mexican-inspired restaurant by chef Francisco "Paco" Ruano, is on the 76th floor of the hotel. The Standard team maintains Ojo will be in the same league as the Boom Boom Room as well as Decimo, a rooftop restaurant at The Standard, London.
Sky Beach, a rooftop cocktail bar, is on the 78th floor of the Bangkok hotel while Mott 32 — a Chinese restaurant featuring Cantonese, Beijing and Szechuan fare — will feature an open-air terrace when it opens next month.
"We love rooftops at The Standard, and we love to bring the party to the rooftop," Standard International CEO Amber Asher said with a laugh to TPG ahead of the hotel's opening. "It's going to have all the things that The Standard can offer — incredible programming and different artist installations and lush greenery in the middle of Bangkok — so we're very excited about it."
Standard International might not be the biggest hotel company out there, but it certainly punches above its weight when it comes to brand awareness. It also has a massive international expansion underway beyond its home market of the U.S. Future hotels are slated for Lisbon, Dublin and Brussels in Europe as well as Melbourne, Australia, and Singapore.
Clientele in each of these cities should be excited for what is in store, as the Bangkok strategy shows this brand isn't reserving its "cool"-factor resources in New York City.
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