It’s been a long wait, but the new Siam Kempinski Bangkok, located behind Siam Paragon, is nearly ready for it’s initial opening this Thursday, 22 July. I got a tour of the hotel, as workmen scurried about and stringed orchestras auditioned in the lobby for the opening festivities. There are 303 rooms in all, more than 40 of which are suites. In addition, for those that have to stay a bit longer in Bangkok, there is the 98-unit Kempinski Residences serviced apartments. There are a number of different suites on offer. Of particular interest was the "Terrace Suite" perched on the top of the Garden Wing, which has an outdoor jacuzzi set in a private roof-top garden. The Cabana rooms also look attractive, with doors that allow access directly into one of the pools.

The overall design of the Kempinski Bangkok is meant to form an oasis within the busy city. The two guest wings wrap around a large central courtyard, which is planted with some already lush foliage, and dotted with four salt water swimming pools. All of the corridors are single-loaded on the exterior of the buildings, so every room faces the courtyard. This design effectively shuts out the noise of the city and gives the courtyard a true resort feel.

The guest rooms exude a comfortable opulence, with huge bathrooms, large beds and state of the art flat screen televisions. A panel in the credenza next to the televisions gives you access to ports that will allow you to plug in just about any device you may travel with. The bathrooms feature a large free-standing bathtub and separate shower stall. As seems to be ‘standard’ in hotels these days, there’s a glass wall between the bathtub and the bedroom. The walls are covered in a padded Thai silk, with accent panels depicting scenes of village life. There are several different panels, so you may see different scenes if you visit different rooms. In fact, Thai art decorates the hotel throughout. Built on Crown Property, with investment from the Crown Property Bureau, the Siam Kempinski aims to display the best of Thai arts and culture, and plans to rotate the works on display on a regular basis.

All rooms include free Internet access and breakfast. The hotel’s Brasserie Europa main restaurant has an open kitchen and outdoor poolside seating. Just off the lobby is the hotel bar, with a large wall of wines and spirits as well as an outdoor area that serves as a cigar lounge. Down an amazing grand hallway is the "T Room" a plush place to relax in the afternoon for a high tea, although there’s also a bar. Nearby is the hotel’s Thai restaurant Sra Bua, which won’t be done in time for the opening this week. Overseen by a Michelin-starred Thai chef, Sra Bua will serve contemporary Thai cuisine in a setting that already looks spectacular. Other hotel facilities include a spa and fitness center, as well as the usual complement of ballrooms and meeting rooms. The residence wing also has its own restaurants, although residence guests will also be able to use the hotel’s facilities.

Rates for the Siam Kempinski seem to be competitive with the other top end Bangkok hotels. You can get some special rates and even free nights by booking through the Siam Kempinski Hotel web site before 1 August 2010, or you can check this page for additional booking sites.