Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok

Jean-Michel Gathy designed this place and he clearly hates small spaces. The lobby ceilings are high enough to fly a drone inside, and the moment you walk in, the chaos of Charoen Krung Road vanishes into dead silence. Water features reflect the slate grey sky, creating an atmosphere that feels more like a modern art gallery than a place to sleep. The river view is mandatory. Don't cheap out on a courtyard room—you want to see the barges dragging rice upriver while you drink your morning coffee. Most riverside hotels in Bangkok are dusty relics, but this one actually works. The pools cascade down towards the water in layers, which keeps the influencers separated from the swimmers. BKK Social Club is the best bar in Thailand. Period. Philip Bischoff runs it like a military operation disguised as a glamorous Buenos Aires haunt, and the Evita cocktail is worth the headache you will have tomorrow. The Cantonese food at Yu Ting Yuan is excellent, though getting a table is harder than getting a taxi in the rain. Book the Peking duck when you book your room or you won't eat it.