The buzz: It has been a long, long wait for The Standard, but this Friday the whimsical luxury brand will finally open its doors to the great and good of Bangkok and around the world. Covid put the kibosh on opening plans for years, but, if you haven’t noticed, Bangkok is definitely back.

The vibe: The 60s retro color scheme smacks you in the face as soon as you step on the elevator. This theme continues through the hallways and dining venues—but always in different ways. The lobby and main hall is very bold and bright like a mix of The Jetsons and Soul Train, but the hallways to the rooms go a bit more moody and heavy, like a cruise ship. With design from the inimitable Jaime Hayon, expect original high-end art and sculptures here; artwork will rotate through the space as time goes on. Also, (it’ll take you a while to really take this in), but the music throughout is exceptionally curated for the retro space. 

The rooms: Boasting 155 rooms from 40 to 144 square meters, you can look forward to modern, but stylish vintage orange tones and low-to-mid-level city views throughout—as well as a hanging mid-room TV and a smart toilet. Also, expect soaking tubs, rain showers, and a convenient bedside light control system that a lot of hotels could learn from. 

The food and drink: This is where things get properly interesting. Sure, it’s nice to have a capricious The Standard hotel in Bangkok’s coolest building, but, for us, the food was always going to be the star of the opening. First of all, we’ve already let you know what we think of Ojo, but there’s also the Standard Grill, Mott 32, and Parlor. Parlor is a cafe vibe with fine dining chops, the social sphere of the whole hotel. 

The Standard Grill is where you’ll likely be spending a lot of your time as a hotel guest and you can look forward to American fare with fine dining flair—charcoal grill, carrots, greens, tableside cocktails, the whole shebang. The fresh flavors come hearty and filling—proper comfort food. In particular, we’ve got the main course of John Dory, lamb cutlets, and Copper Tree farm tenderloin on one plate. The Americana runs strong in this place. Don’t believe us? Look down. You’ll see it. Breakfast is here, an unlimited a la carte menu. You’ll feel lured by the brioche french toast with passionfruit and caramelized banana, but don’t forget the omelet with blue swimmer crab, gruyere, and truffle. 

The Cantonese Mott 32, named after the 32 Mott Street in New York, is still unknown to us dish-wise, but the design, complete with hidden doors (and what place isn’t these days), is dark, sexy, and sharp. Their private dining rooms would be a great place to threaten James Bond—Connery, not Craig. Peking ducks hang at the entrance, so there is a lot to be excited about. 

There’s also the Tease tea room. Though small, it’s got a real Tim Burton vibe and will be hot with those who travel for the Insta.

The amenities: Gym rats will find Peloton bikes and a whole wall of Clmbr gear in a space filled with natural light. The pool—hemmed in by white and yellow brollies—overlooks the city and there is a nearby bar on hand for light dishes and craft cocktails.

The crowd: Though they’re not open until Friday, but The Standard is geared toward the fashionable and design-forward. There’s also a party vibe in the Parlor—the self-styled social center of the venue. On our visit they had Not Your Average Bingo, which was hosted along with a drag performance and a Happy New Year kitsch decked out on every table. 

Why we’d come back: There is, despite every cynical attempt to the contrary, an actual sense of whimsy here. Somehow an iconic building and a luxe brand came together to birth fun—actual, honest, weird fun. The type of fun where something might actually go wrong, and that’s pretty special. As GM Heinrich Morio told us last night, “It’s a comfortable site that’s unpredictable.” 

Oh, and we’ll be coming back for Mott 32—just try and stop us.