Bangkok’s SILQ Hotel & Residence: Tranquil, with the cosy, well-laid out Benjasri Park nearby, and yet vibrant and bustling

The SILQ Hotel & Residence is located in what is possibly my most favourite area of Bangkok—Phrom Pong. Tranquil, with the cosy, well-laid out Benjasri Park nearby, and yet vibrant and bustling, with three of the city’s most luxurious malls (including the newly-opened EMSphere), plus an abundance of popular eateries and upmarket massage salons in the vicinity.

The Silq is a new hotel—it opened its doors in March 2023. It is easy to see that a great deal of money has been spent with equally great care on this property, in a bid to provide guests with a truly luxurious experience in every sense of the term.

The lobby is an elegant and well-lit space, with high-backed chairs offset by a wavy pattern on the stone flooring. There are some spectacular artefacts in this room, well worth a second look. Delicately painted wooden panels frame the sides of the Reception area and form the backdrop to the lobby space.

Wide corridors and a hushed ambience lead to the rooms. The SILQ Hotel & Residence offers 154-keys, categorised as follows: Studio Deluxe (36-sqm); Studio Executive (50-sqm); Studio Premier (56-sqm); One Bedroom Executive (56-sqm); Two Bedroom Executive (120-sqm) and Two Bedroom Premier (140-sqm). Most rooms are furnished with bath tubs as well as kitchenettes that include crockery/pans, a two-ring hob, large-size fridge, oven, toaster and washing machine.

I stayed in a One Bedroom Executive Suite. Leading off from the small foyer is the kitchenette. The living room has a small sofa, a circular table (no dedicated workstation as such), the minibar and a television. The bedroom has a really high bed, which is rather grand and another large screen television (by large, I mean fairly huge; they’re 65-inches). The windows give onto impressive city views.

Full-length mirrors frame both sides of the sliding door between the bedroom and bathroom. The latter is really spacious, with a walk-in wardrobe area to the right, while the left has a wide bathtub and rain shower. Very sensibly, there are towel hooks as well as a wall-mounted towel rack. Toiletries are from the well-known Thai brand, Panpuri. The lavatory has fancy Japanese WC’s with all those push buttons! However, the overall design element did not take into account that the shower/lavatory doors open outwards, which means a bathmat can’t be placed correctly.

All room categories are similarly furnished and are equipped with huge flat screen TV’s; electronic safes; four complimentary bottles of water; tea-making facilities; coffee machines; minibars; irons and ironing boards; magnifying mirrors and bathrobes.

F&B options include the 60-covers Weaver with its use of fabulously intricate and delicate silk fabric throughout the restaurant (the ceiling is covered in the world’s most expensive silk) in varying shades of green, with settee as well as chair seating, both indoors as well as al fresco. Weaver serves Indian, Italian and Thai cuisines.

The 25-covers White Mulberry bar, with restful shades of green and turquoise offset by a wooden, black flooring, offers an impressive selection of whiskies.

The Qlub Lounge, with its soothing ambience by the swimming pool, quickly became my favourite place to hang out—apart from freshly made smoothies and juices such as a cucumber-lemonade mix, there’s also popcorn! This 35-covers space also provides chess and other board games to while away your time.

The infinity swimming pool (open from 6AM-10PM), is partly covered so the gusts can enjoy an outdoor as well as semi-indoor experience This is a really serene space, as an attempt has been made to create a shaded garden under some trees.

Recreational and relaxation amenities include a small but adequately equipped gym and an infinity pool swimming pool (open from 6AM-10PM), partly covered so that one can enjoy an outdoor as well as semi-indoor experience. This is a really serene space, as an attempt has been made to create a shaded garden under some trees, enhanced by unusually designed seating. Such care has been taken to enhance the lavish attention to detail that even the pebbles around the pool are shaded blue.

Most remarkably, the Silq offers a Japanese onsen and sauna facilities (separate spaces for men and women). For those unaware of the fact, an onsen is the Japanese version of the Swedish sauna, except that here one has differing degrees in water temperature. An onsen can have as many as four pools; the Silq has three. The warm pool is at 39°C and has smoke bubbles, so that one can see the fine vapour floating through the air. The second pool is at 42°C, while the cold pool is maintained at 14°C. In typical Japanese style, one sits on low stools post the experience to have a shower. Traditionally, one is unclothed in an onsen; the Silq also offers the option of booking a private session (THB 1,899 per hour). Walk-in guests may also use the onsen facilities at THB 599 per hour (not private).

Convention facilities include five halls, namely, the Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate 180-pax theatre style; Tussah, which can seat 80-pax theatre style; Habotai and Chiffon, which can take 50-pax each theatre style, and the Sehli boardroom, which can seat 12-pax boardroom style. There is free wifi across the hotel.

As mentioned before, while money has been spent unstintingly on the hotel, some effort must equally be spent on training as well, particularly on the Front Office team, who can be brusque and overwhelmed at times. Housekeeping staff are cheerful and mindful of replenishing amenities. Engineering needs to look into the boiler as well as the drainage systems more closely, as they sometimes malfunction. The F&B team is welcoming and goes about their duties briskly; very nice to see the junior chefs helping their F&B colleagues out during service. The new Executive Chef is Italian, pleasant to talk to and keen to make a difference; food at the hotel is certainly an area that needs improvement.

Phrom Pong is one of the most happening areas of Bangkok, with luxury malls such as EMQuartier, Emporium and EMSphere within walking distance of the hotel, although the Silq provides a free shuttle service to Emporium. One BTS station stop away is Thonglor, with upmarket pubs and eateries. A few stops on the BTS in the other direction get you to Siam, with more malls, restaurants and roadside shopping; the popular MBK mall is also within this area. Apart from this, there is plenty to do in Bangkok; you can take in a day tour of the Grand Palace; visit Wats (temples) such as Wat Pho, Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Arun and others; do a ferry cruise down the Chao Phraya river, stopping at China Town, Little India, or Khaosarn along the way; visit a Floating Market, the Flower Market and countless Night Markets. The Chatuchak Market is open only on the weekends, 6am-6pm.

You can also do day trips to Ayutthaya; Suko Thai (both erstwhile capital cities of Thailand), Kanchanaburi and the Bridge over the River Kwai; Khao Yai with some Thai vineyards; or Pattaya and Koh Samet.

All major airlines fly into Bangkok and many low-cost ones. From Suvarnabhumi airport to the Silq Hotel & Residence, a taxi should cost approximately THB 400 (plus the airport surcharge of THB 50.) Alternatively, you can reserve a hotel car. You can also reach the hotel via the BTS if you’re feeling adventurous and don’t have much luggage; take the Airport Rail Link till Phaya Thai station on the Sukhumvit line (THB 45) and from Phaya Thai, switch to the BTS to Phrom Pong station.