Siam was the name by which the country was then known
in the west, and the fusion of cultures had a timeless charm
that Bensley has captured. One-story suites are set back from
the landing stage, and the main, three-story residence rises
behind. Each of the suites has the black-and-white décor that
was fashionable throughout the region a century ago and that
segued easily into the Art Déco style of the 1920s. Yet every
room has a unique mix of custom furnishings, fabricated by local
artisans, and a selection of the 3,000 antiques that were sourced
locally and in Paris. There is a room that might have lodged an
army officer, with maps, swords and helmets. Another reflects the
strong Chinese influence of the time. Elegant wood chairs are
juxtaposed with steamer trunks that serve as bedside tables, and
ceiling fans swirl lazily overhead. The Siam evokes the golden
age of travel, as Raffles, the Peninsula and the Cathay did for
Somerset Maugham and his contemporaries.
“In every project I look to nature first,” says Bensley, who grew
up camping and back-packing in southern California. There are
plants everywhere and an old-fashioned Thai garden greets
arriving guests. Rooms in the main residence open onto a lofty,
skylit atrium, with palm trees rising from a reflecting pool. Within
the arcades to either side are semi-private dining terraces that
promote social intercourse. Four vintage teak villas on stilts were
brought to the site from rice fields outside Bangkok—one to
serve as a riverfront suite and the other three to be combined
as a restaurant. They have a storied past: The legendary Jim
Thompson gave them to his socialite friend Connie Mangskau,
and her guests who included Henry Ford, the Rockefellers and
Jacqueline Kennedy. Another layer of history to add to this
enchanting evocation of the past. n The Siam, 3/2 Thanon Khao,
Vachirapayabal, Dusit, Bangkok, Thailand + 66(0) 241 8755
thesiamhotel.com
