On the banks of the Chao Praya River stands this majestic hotel synonymous with Bangkok luxury. The Shangri-la is a stalwart of the Asian hotel scene: I have been visiting Shangri-la hotels ever since I was a child growing up in Asia. They’ve stood the test of time and are masters at reinventing themselves to deliver concepts to suit the modern traveller. Its grand Chi spa was no exception. It was quite possibly one of the largest luxury spas that I have ever visited in my life, with an amazing 12 ‘spas within spas’, meaning each individual treatment room is in fact a spa in its own right – each with its own en suite steam-room, massage bed, plunge pool and spa bath. Some even have their own hamamms and heated stone Thai massage beds. After a long day’s sightseeing in the heat of the city, I thought I’d found heaven, or even Shangri-la.
