This upscale brand’s first Thai hotel is a haven of good taste

The place

Madi Paidi Bangkok, Autograph Collection, Thailand

The Madi Paidi Bangkok was the first Autograph Collection hotel to be launched in Thailand.

Check-in

The hotel name sets the scene doubly. “Madi Paidi” refers to its street, Soi Pai Dee Ma Dee (Soi Sukhumvit 53) as well as a playful Thai travel send-off: “ma dee” (good arrival), “yoo dee” (pleasant stay), “pai dee” (happy return). The check-in digital paperwork is streamlined, the welcome warm and the ground floor lobby cafe a good hang-out if you’re early.

The look

City skyline views from the rooftop pool.

The Madi Paidi Bangkok, part of Marriott’s contemporary Autograph Collection (also the first to launch in Thailand), is a short stroll from Thong Lor BTS Skytrain station on Sukhumvit Road. It has elegant, timber-slatted exterior and subtly colour-coded guestrooms. The foyer and bar-restaurant share a toned-down retro-deco look – think updated Manhattan 1920s minus boas, flappers or suspect violin cases. Walkways on the upper floors feature “agamography” murals – optical illusions in which the image changes when viewed from different angles.

Walkways feature optical illusion “agamography” murals.

The room names and colours refer to three auspicious Thai gemstones – topaz, sapphire and emerald. The wall art includes auspicious Thai chalaew woven bamboo symbols to bestow good luck while the bathroom floors continue the troemp l’oeil fun with large rhomboid-shaped tiles creating an op-art illusion that you’re standing on a sloping, three-dimensional floor.

The staff, multilingual and right on the ball, wear “non-uniform” uniforms. The overall aesthetic – contemporary Thai – eschews the usual Siamese Orientalist motifs of temples, elephants and tuk-tuks. Nevertheless, there’s certain to be a traditional spirit house altar in the grounds.

The room

A sapphire premium king bedroom.Credit: Artist’s design render

Madi Paidi Bangkok has 56 guest rooms and suites. My sapphire premium king room with city views occupies 40 square metres on the ninth floor. There’s plenty of natural lighting via floor-to-ceiling windows with blackout curtains, plus a large TV and high-speed Wi-Fi.

The bathroom is a pleasure, with deep blue wall tiles and a voluminous bathtub. The lid of the over-fangled bidet loo spookily opens whenever you pass, as though one is being prompted to spend a penny. Unnerving.

The room’s drawbacks are minor but deserve mention. Neither of the chairs matches the room table height for comfortable working. The bed cover is a thick duvet: either you roast under it or have to crank up the air-conditioner to chill the room. The Nespresso coffee maker comes only with sachets of creamer, no UHT milk.

Food + drink

Retro-deco style in the restaurant and bar.

“Kin khao rue yang?” A cheerful waiter greets me with a traditional Thai welcome: “Have you eaten yet?” Madi Paidi’s busy EKKALUCK restaurant is overseen by executive chef (and ex-Melbournian) Khun “Tor” Tishabhiromya, whose east-west menu, brunch, lunch and later (buffet and a la cate) spans the gaps for late-risers, early-lunchers and all-comers thereafter. With blended Thai and international components, there is a superior pad thai, pasta, chicken ballantine or a lip-smacking, pumpkin creme brulee creation called sang ka-ya fuk thong.

Prices in the international wine list inevitably reflect Thailand’s hefty tariffs on imported alcohol. Surprisingly, the alternative, more reasonably priced local labels such as GranMonte are not listed.

EKKALUCK restaurant is overseen by executive chef (and ex-Melbournian) Khun “Tor” Tishabhiromya.

Out + about

Madi Paidi is on an upmarket residential street parallel to busy Soi Thong Lor (Soi Sukhumvit 55), an extended zone of restaurants, clubs, shops, bars, day spas, hotels and dental practices. Acclaimed Thai restaurant Bo.lan is on the same street. Think Thong Lor for wining, dining and teeth whitening rather than history or temples. For serious brand-name mall trawling, travel one stop on the Skytrain to Phrom Phong and the EmQuartier complex, or one more to Terminal 21 at Asoke for even wider choice.

The verdict

The Madi Paidi suite features a separate living room.

Madi Paidi is a haven of good taste, art and cuisine – an enjoyable respite from the intensity of Bangkok, complete with compact gym and rooftop pool. Tailor-made for city trippers, design fans and adventurous diners.

Essentials

Rooms from $268 (THB 5794) a night, plus taxes and fees. There is a limited number of accessible suites. Madi Paidi Bangkok, Autograph Collection, 22 Soi Sukhumvit 53, Thong Lor, Bangkok. Phone: [phone]. See marriott.com

Highlight

Convenient location, creative design and at-ease ambience.

Lowlight

Minor in-room issues such as no milk (creamer only) and a heavy duvet.

Our score out of five

★★★★½

The writer stayed as a guest of Marriott Autograph Collection.