Like a resurrected phoenix, the iconic 50-year-old Dusit Thani Bangkok was rebuilt from the ground up as part of a new mixed-use development, Dusit Central Park. Overlooking Lumpini Park, the new 257-room hotel, which opened its doors in September this year, sets a new standard for luxury hospitality while respecting the original hotel’s history and heritage. 

The new building was designed by Architects 49 and OMA Asia Hong Kong and its elegant interiors were crafted by renowned Hong Kong interior architect André Fu. It includes an urban spa, 10 restaurants and bars, and 53,820 square feet of meeting and event spaces along with one of the city’s largest grand ballrooms. 

Fu says his inspiration for the hotel’s design started with a vision to celebrate Thai culture on a global stage. Working closely with Dusit’s creative team, he dug deep into the history and heritage of the original Dusit Thani property which was founded by Thai hotelier Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui and opened in 1970.

The purpose of Fu’s research was to define the character of the original hotel, which was the tallest building in Bangkok when it opened that year, so he could determine how to distil its essence into a contemporary new skyscraper while incorporating his own language of “relaxed luxury”.

“To me, this project captures a turning point for Thai hospitality,” says Fu, who created a design narrative that celebrates the original hotel’s warmth and distinct character, while also offering fresh and innovative elements.

“I have imagined a visual journey that progressively becomes more modern as guests ascend towards the hotel’s iconic spire. It is a layered celebration of Thai culture and design sensibilities, and art and craftsmanship throughout each destination within the property.”

In the main lobby, eyes are drawn to an opulent, but intimate ceiling crafted entirely in a diamond shape that is inspired by the Thai lotus leaf. Two preserved hand-painted pillars from the original hotel’s Benjarong restaurant were used here to pay homage to the hotel’s heritage.

One of the project’s key highlights is the multiple freestanding bronze screens – designed in collaboration with Bangkok-based projecttSTUDIO and handcrafted by Dong Sculpture – found in the main lobby.

“These screens were crafted with intricate interwoven patterns to create a layered visual experience, evoking a dynamic sense of movement and ascension. The level of intricacy for the scale we have dreamt up is highly ambitious,” Fu says.

For the ballroom, the hotel’s founding family had been keen to use the original chandelier for the fond memories it encapsulated, but in the end, new vintage-looking chandeliers, made with Murano glass, were chosen to evoke a 1970s atmosphere.

“We went with the new chandeliers because they were a more subtle way of giving a nod to the year of the hotel’s inception that also wonderfully balances the old with the new.” 

All the guestrooms have five-metre windows that overlook Bangkok’s famous Lumpini park. Along the windows, Fu has incorporated elegant day beds that stretch the entire length of the cantilevered windows to recreate the feel of a traditional Thai sala asai – a place where one can rest and reflect.

“This part of the room allows guests to seamlessly step into the landscape, luxuriate in comfort, and savour the unrivalled views,” he says. Thai motifs that reference patterns in the original hotel were integrated into the lattice panelling throughout the room, which again, emphasises the dialogue between traditional and contemporary. 

Fu and the Dusit team chose an expansive palette of tropical colours and a diverse variety of local materials for the décor, including Jim Thompson Thai silks, handmade ceramic tiles and items from local artisan. These were juxtaposed with European fabrics and stones, again, a strategy that works to marry traditional Thai with cosmopolitan modernity.

Fu believes that luxury is about offering a lifestyle that is effortless; and in the context of a hotel, he believes luxury should be about bringing to life an experience that is thoughtful and unique. “At the new Dusit Thani Bangkok, I hope customers can feel the extensive work that has gone into celebrating 50 years of the original hotel’s heritage and reimagining it through a modern lens within a new building. My personal goal was to bring the brand into a new chapter that is relevant to the global stage. I feel there is no better moment to showcase Thai hospitality than now,” he says.