Yahoo News The Peninsula Bangkok review: Inside a 5-star wellness festival in Thailand
It's not every day you get the opportunity to fly to Bangkok to stay in one of their most renowned 5-star hotels to experience a wellness festival, is it?
The Peninsula Bangkok's Wellness Festival was a whirlwind of health, fitness, food and fun, and I've got all the intel for you if you're thinking about experiencing it yourself.
What is a Wellness Festival?
The Peninsula Bangkok's Wellness festival is a jam-packed three day health and wellbeing extravaganza that makes the most of the hotel's urban retreat setting.
Guests of the festival can expect to see a plethora of holistic activities, classes and workshops that have been carefully curated to enhance the mind, body and spirit.
What's the hotel like?
Combining luxury Thai style with refreshing comfort, the Peninsula Bangkok is a world-class 5-star experience. The hotel has a palatial spa, tip-top fitness facilities, four lavish restaurants, and magnificent rooms and suites to choose from.
Located on the bank of Chao Phraya River with an unbeatable view of Bangkok's skyline, this hotel combines the relaxation of a resort with the exuberant energy of an urban city so you can enjoy the best of both worlds during your stay.
Are the fitness facilities any good?
The gym had everything I needed to keep up with my fitness routine while I was away, and the facilities were so nice that I was genuinely looking forward to my workouts. There was a weightlifting area, a cardio space, and enough space for multiple people to be using it at once with no issues.
Another luxurious touch was the ability to do a rejuvenating cold plunge and sauna session after my workout which I took full advantage of during my stay.
As I was there for the Wellness Week, I was able to take my pick from a range of health and fitness classes such as sunrise yoga, spin classes, pilates, aqua fit, Muay Thai, and Zumba which helped to keep things interesting.
Ok enough about the workouts, what about the spa?
I could go on all day about my experience in the spa at the Peninsula, it was truly other-worldly.
I had (and would highly, highly recommend) the Essential Mind Treatment. Taking place in a private room within the multi-level on-site spa, my private room had it's very own sauna and hot tub for me to enjoy after my treatment.
I'm one of those people who struggles to switch off during massages so when they're over I find I kick myself because I wasted the time stressed about not being relaxed enough. That was not a problem during this treatment.
The Essential Mind treatment combines massage, healing oil and vibrational sound therapy for a level of relaxation that is honestly quite hard to describe. The 90 minute treatment was made up of a 45-minute full body massage and 45-minute sound bath using seven singing bowls that target seven chakra points in the body.
After my treatment, I was given a fresh coconut water and told to enjoy the facilities for as long as I wanted. I spent half an hour going between the hot tub and the sauna, which helped me wake myself back up and feel ready to go back to the real world.
The feeling of relaxed euphoria lasted for a good few days after the treatment, and the sleep I had that night was gloriously deep. It was the perfect way to finish an already relaxing trip and made sure I went home feeling my best.
Now for the most important part: The food
I was spoiled for choice food-wise at The Peninsula. There are four main restaurants and we were lucky enough to try out all of them.
Mei Jiang
Mei Jiang is an authentic Chinese Cantonese restaurant that serves delicious dumplings made using local, organic ingredients along with premium tea pairings.
The restaurant also hosts a dinner called the Mei Jiang experience that I couldn't recommend more for a special occasion. Taking experiential dining to new heights, this exclusive dinner was immersive and unforgettable with each course taking the evening to the next level.
Each night there is only one dinner reservation for the experience for up to four guests to enjoy this nine-course culinary experience with five different wine pairings. The dinner takes place behind the scenes, so you can see your food being prepared right in front of you.
Thiptara
Set right on the bank of the Chao Phraya river and surrounded by luscious greenery, this authentic Thai restaurant is elegant and feels totally separate from the hotel, so although you're not travelling far for dinner it feels as though you've had a night out.
The menu prides itself on using locally sourced ingredients which means you get to enjoy an authentic Bangkok dining experience.
River Cafe & Terrace
Hands down the best buffet I've ever visited in my life, the River Cafe and Terrace is truly in a league of it's own.
The abundant spread of Thai food as well as a wide array of international food to choose from means you're spoiled for choice as you walk through and try not to overload your plate. I'm not ashamed to say one evening I went up for a third serving, there was just so much I wanted to try.
The Lobby
Open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, The Lobby is the perfect restaurant for working around your holiday schedule. Situated right in the lobby of the hotel with glass panel windows that give you a lovely view of outside the hotel and has an a la carte menu with light, tasty meals.
What can you do outside the hotel?
When you're staying at a hotel as luxurious as the Peninsula it's honestly pretty hard to leave, but Bangkok is such a cool, vibrant city I knew I'd kick myself if I didn't do some exploring.
Swing by River City
The Peninsula offers a shuttle boat service from 6am until midnight which makes sightseeing along the river super easy. During our stay we took the boat to nearby lifestyle centre River City to see some art collections from local artists and browse through the antique stores.
If you're not hugely into art the shuttle boat service also goes to the biggest shopping centre in Bangkok, Icon Siam, that houses hundreds of high-end shops and restaurants.
Visit Ratchaburi
One of the highlights of my trip to Bangkok was going to stunning Ratchaburi to meet with a community enterprise group of rice producers to see the expansive rice fields and learn about how rice is made.
The Peninsula Bangkok uses a lot of local produce in their restaurants and that night we had an eight-course Thai Rice banquet that showcased the local cuisine.
Enjoy the 25th anniversary Cultural Walking Tour
The Peninsula Bangkok is located in the Thonburi district, which is home to many of the cities most historic landmarks.
In order to encourage guests to learn about and explore the ancient temples, shrines, and other nearby attractions the Peninsula hosts a complimentary guided cultural tour every Wednesday. Our host was an expert in local history and we came away with a deeper understanding and appreciation, along with an eagerness to learn more about the Peninsula's surrounding areas.
Click here for more information and to book a stay at the Peninsula Bangkok online.
You Might Also Like
