Thailand’s First ‘INNSiDE by Meliá’ Hotel Grand Opening

Thailand’s First ‘INNSiDE by Meliá’ Hotel Grand Opening

Towering over Bangkok’s trendy On Nut neighbourhood, INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit has cut the ribbon on a host of remarkable facilities ranging from integrated co-working spaces to a sky-high transparent infinity pool and rooftop tapas bar.

Reaching 34 floors, the 208-room hotel celebrates its grand opening this month. It is Thailand’s first ‘INNSiDE by Meliá’ hotel and the fourth Meliá Hotels International property to debut in the kingdom after nautical-themed Meliá Koh Samui, wellness-inspired Meliá Phuket Mai Khao and urban hotel Meliá Chiang Mai opened in 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively.

INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit is the newest member of an eclectic collection of urban and beach INNSiDE hotels — in 14 different countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas — designed for those with curious minds who have a fluid lifestyle when it comes to work and leisure.

LUZ Tapas Bar, located on the 33rd floor of INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit

Situated at 1472 Sukhumvit Road, the new On Nut hotel is a 30-minute ride from Suvarnabhumi Airport and close to an array of services and attractions suited to business and leisure travellers including the On Nut BTS Skytrain station and Bangkok’s largest convention centre, BITEC.

The lifestyle hotel’s vast 32nd floor co-working space with soaring floor-to-ceiling windows offers a front seat to Bangkok’s sweeping skyline. Five playful meeting rooms and multifunctional areas designed to encourage creativity and productivity, such as the Big Ideas Space, underpin the INNSiDE brand and lend themselves to being mixed and matched for all sorts of bespoke social and corporate events.

Three diverse food and beverage outlets make for the hotel’s dynamic dining landscape. Together with the hotel’s jewel in the crown, an awe-inspiring infinity pool, The Giant Swing Pool Bar commands the 34th floor. Nestled between bar and pool, a compelling contemporary interpretation of Bangkok’s Brahman structure The Giant Swing is a dramatic photo backdrop.

Adjacent to the infinity pool is an expansive rooftop terrace, dotted with outdoor lounges and sunbeds, that evokes an Ibiza mood accompanied with panoramic vistas. Open from 10am until midnight, the open-air pool bar serves Mediterranean, Thai and international snacks and dishes such as INNSiDE’s Burger and cool beverages including imaginative cocktails.

By night, the pool bar becomes an upper-floor extension of the hotel’s 33rd floor LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar. Offering authentic tapas, Spanish wines, beer on tap, cocktails and signature sangrias, the tapas bar invites diners to embark on a culinary pilgrimage across Spain. Chef de Cuisine Laia Ferrer brings her Barcelona roots to the fore with a dynamic variety of local Thai ingredients embellished with Spanish flavours.

A spectacle unlike any other in Bangkok, tapas bar guests peer into the bottom of the infinity pool. The tapas bar’s design, including its striking angled lines and cabling, pay tribute to another iconic Bangkok landmark, Rama VIII Bridge. Open from 4pm until midnight, LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar’s signature dishes include Suquet de Peix Amb Romesco, Fideus a la Cassola, and Tiradito Basque.

The lobby at INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit by night

In addition to drawing on Meliá’s Spanish origins and celebrating Spain’s gastronomy, the hotel’s dining landscape taps local roots with fresh, colourful Thai cuisine. The chefs at all-day dining venue “The Kites Eatery”, open from 6.30am-11pm, serve up central, northern, north-eastern and southern Thai cuisine a la minute using quality ingredients sourced from local farms.

Adorned with graphic glass walls depicting state park Sanam Luang, the Kites Eatery’s chic setting is also dominated by soaring windows giving way to stunning views of Bangkok. The hotel’s chefs serve a healthy buffet breakfast and a la carte menu from noon, as well as customised lunches and banquets for meetings and events. The Kites Eatery’s not-to-be missed dishes include Kites Pad Thai and Kites Satay.

A hip café and lobby bar seamlessly integrated into the 32nd floor’s coworking space, The Open Living Lounge is manned by a barista by day and bartender by night. Open from 7am-11pm, the lounge offers an easy grab-and-go menu and specialises in Thai and Western comfort food.

With drink trolleys in circulation, The Open Living Lounge’s offerings include, but are not limited to, grab-and-go barista coffee, morning pastries, cold-pressed juices, kombucha, and a Spanish afternoon tea. The lounge’s design takes cues from another Bangkok landmark, Wat Phra Kaew, with, for example, a golden counter inspired by Wat Phra Kaew’s traditional Thai decorations gilded in gold leaf.

Sleek, bright and predominantly white with understated rose gold accents, the hotel’s accommodations feel fresh with purpose and pizazz and offer ideal bases to retire to after a day of rummaging through Bangkok’s lively streets.  Anchored by work desks and DreamMaker mattresses, in-room perks range from complimentary minibar items, organic bathroom amenities and natural cork yoga mats to 50-inch TVs, Wi-Fi and USB chargers. Rooms on the upper floors afford great views of the Thai capital.

NNSiDE Room with king bed, overlooking the Thai capital

Ranging from a convenient 20 sqm to an ample 64 sqm, the hotel’s eight accommodation categories fall under two umbrellas – ‘INNSiDE Room’ and ‘The Townhouse’.  The ‘INNSiDE Room King’ and ‘INNSiDE Room Twin’ are each 20 sqm and feature a king-size bed and twin beds respectively, with the ‘INNSiDE Connecting Room’ at 40 sqm when one room with a king bed connects to another with two single beds. As their names suggest, the ‘INNSiDE Room King City View’ and ‘INNSiDE Room Twin City View’, each at 20 sqm, located on the hotel’s upper floors, offer full length windows on the capital city’s constant movement.

Boasting stunning city views, separate living area, bathtubs and showers, Chromecast, coffee maker and free premium minibar with local beer, ‘The Townhouse’ and ‘The Townhouse City View’ are each 40 sqm. ‘The Townhouse Two-Bedroom’ is 64 sqm.

Room service is available 24/7. The hotel offers a 24-hour Infit Gym and a concierge service. Its range of sustainability efforts include a ban on single-use plastic, recycled glass bottles for drinking water and biodegradable takeaway boxes, in-room paper and plastic free collaterals and complimentary organic amenities.

“Our hotel may well be the new kid on the block in Bangkok yet we offer a completely new hotel experience in one of the world’s most exciting and vibrant cities,” said Ignacio Martin, Meliá Hotels International Managing Director for Asia Pacific. “True to its destination, this sensational hotel gives guests the freedom to connect or disconnect among an independent community.”

“With our cool coworking spaces, creative meeting rooms, amazing infinity swimming pool and rooftop bar, authentic Spanish tapas bar and then some, all in the heart of On Nut, our hotel offers far more than just a trip,” said the hotel’s general manager Aarron Nelson. “We’re ready to welcome curious and adventurous travellers who seek something different and dynamic; the opportunity to explore and share experiences, the flexibility to seamlessly move between work, leisure and wellbeing, and time to relax too.”

A 15% off introductory offer on room rates applies from July until October 2023 to celebrate the hotel’s opening. Visit melia.com or email reservation.innside.sukhumvit@melia.com

Share This

About the author

Thomas has a university background in the UK and in Latin America, with studies in Languages and Humanities, Culture, Literature and Economics. He started his Asian experience as a publisher in Krabi in 2005. Thomas has been editing local newspapers and magazines in England, Spain and Thailand for more than fifteen years. He is currently working on several projects in Thailand and abroad. Apart from Thailand, Thomas has lived in Italy, England, Venezuela, Cuba, Spain and Bali. He spends most of his time in Asia. During the years Thomas has developed a great understanding of several Asian cultures and people. He is also working freelance, writing short travel stories and articles for travel magazines. Follow Thomas on www.asianitinerary.com

View all articles by Thomas Gennaro