Review of LUXX, by JB Cooper

LUXX in Bangkok neatly underlines the oft-touted (but rarely upheld) conviction that class lies in the understated. Well-located in the heart of Bangkok’s rapacious Silom district (think ostentatious shops, financial hubs and banging nightlife) but far enough down a quiet street so that you quickly forget, this compact boutique hotel is defined by modern, clean lines and sleek, slate accented décor. Step through the huge teak doors that punctuate LUXX’s glassy façade and you enter a joint perfectly pitched to provide refuge from the excesses outside.

For a start, the receptionists at LUXX greet their guests with such sincere warmth that any urban anxiety is instantly calmed. Only a few feet away from their desk, successful twenty-and-thirty-somethings sprawl on angular black couches while browsing through fashion mags or making the most of the free Wi-Fi; on the mezzanine just above, discreet meetings – business or pleasure – take place over hearty continental breakfasts or gourmet coffee in a tidy, quiet ‘Mess Bar’. All around, Buddha Bar electro music beats on with unruffled cool.

In short, life at LUXX is comfortable and self-contented without being overly pretentious. The atmosphere is unarguably friendly, but there’s none of the nosiness or social jostling often associated with luxury hotels. Privacy-seeking couples take note.

Part of this feel is down to the hotel’s layout. LUXX’s 13 rooms are located through a door that’s tucked away into the rear wall of the reception-cum-lobby. Combine these two areas and you have the extent of the hotel. Facilities don’t abound here, so if guests aren’t reading on the couches, chatting to the receptionists, or out enjoying Bangkok’s delights, they’re probably keeping to themselves in their rooms.  

The warmly lit, teak-furnished rooms are designed for in-house relaxation. They’re fitted with TV and DVD player – guests are invited to watch any of the films and sitcoms from the collection downstairs. An on-call masseuse is available should you desire a Thai massage without the fuss of leaving your room.

Of the 13 rooms, four are Studios (you get extra living space) and five are Suites (bedroom and lounge are partitioned by sliding glass doors and black-out curtains). All come with invitingly trendy bathrooms that feature a lavish waterfall shower and a surprisingly comfortable wooden bathtub. Outside in the stairwell, each room number is cleverly formed by a shadow that’s cast by an inconspicuous metal furnishing. It may seem trivial, but this neat little feature comes to sum up much of what impresses about the hotel as a whole: quietly original and always discreet, LUXX shows what class can be found in the underplayed.