The overall rating that I gave The Siam was a 7/10.

What I loved: The hospitality was fantastic; staff was always willing to prepare my odd protein packed breakfasts at my IMF hour of 11am and by the second day they already had my egg white and smoked salmon dish down (with a side of chilies!). The spa was very serene and smelled relaxing, which is a nice touch (when they add aromatherapy to the air), and the massage was the only one in my life that actually put me to sleep. No complaints about the room or room service; timely, delicious, comfortable, private and quiet. Wifi worked pretty well considering it is Bangkok and can be a little sporadic. The gym was a highlight for me… I mean, a full boxing ring complete with gloves and even a punching bag?! Yes. Not to mention treadmills, weights, and the works. Air conditioning worked great. 

What Set It Back: While it was nice to have the pool, it seemed to be just for looks and not one to swim laps in, which I found to be a bummer since I do like to get my swims in. This was minor. While the food was delicious, there was an immensely limited selection. I found myself having great difficulties trying to manage a healthier meal option, and while I’m sure they would have prepared something, it’s nice to have those options available. There was a language barrier among the restaurant staff and English speaking guests, which is to be expected since, you are in their native country. I didn’t have any issues, but found that tweaking my meal orders proved to be a challenge. What really gets me though, was their sustainability efforts, which, there were none. At least no information that I could find discussing their responsible tourism efforts. This doesn’t in any way lessen the overall quality of the hotel, but sustainable tourism is very important to me.

Overall: Recommended for a luxury getaway in Bangkok. Though due to lack of sustainability efforts, I would choose to go the sustainable luxury resort next time, many of them reside a bit farther away but are worth it for the same luxury experience except there’s more of a “do good, feel good” vibe knowing that you’re contributing towards regenerating the environment.

What makes a sustainable or regenerative hotel? A reverse osmosis water system, farm to table produce, supporting local dairy and meat farmers, engaging with local non-profit or community organization endeavors to address an issue within the country or community, energy efficient lighting, low pressure water systems, recycling, employing locals and offering fair and equal pay, replanting what was lost during the construction, use of biofuel (for boats), engaging guests in local cultural experiences and making them aware of environmental and cultural needs, LEED Certification, educating staff on importance of sustainability (turning off lights, observing for wasteful practices, etc.), reducing bathroom amenities waste (using bamboo toothbrushes instead, locally made/organic soap, shampoo and conditioner that help the environment), the list goes on.