Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit's Gym In Bangkok, Thailand

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Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit's Gym In Bangkok, Thailand

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There are dozens of different types of workout places in Bangkok now, much different than it was when I arrived here back in 1995, and there’s probably one to suit anyone’s preference, whatever it may be. If, for example, you want some luxury thrown in with your basic utilitarian workout equipment then the gym that’s part of the spa complex at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel might be for you.

This place is rather luxurious, with a beautiful stone carving hanging over the men’s Jacuzzi, for example, and plenty of gorgeous wood and marble everywhere along with individual grooming stations in the men’s locker room. But in the workout room it’s back to basics as you won’t find any of the hi-tech equipment that is the rage at many of the upscale expensive hotel gyms in town and other workout chains. There are just a lot of Cybex machines along with some treadmills, elliptical trainers, stair machines and exercise bikes. There’s an aerobics room with mats too, which made an excellent place to do my abs crunches before I started lifting.

But everything that you need for a good workout is here and as I was scheduled for a chest and shoulders session the day I was there I located the bench press and then three machines that would provide me with the exercises that I would need. The free weights here are the nice rubber coated, brightly-colored wheel types that are easy to carry and quiet and after loading four 10-kilo weights onto the 16-kilo bar with the help of Khun Anan, the vigilant assistant working that day, I proceeded to plug my way through a good workout.

In addition to the bench press I also used a pec-deck machine, a shoulder press and a chest press machine. I could have added a lot more to the session by using the dumbbells and the open bench that were there but since I was also going to do 35 minutes on the elliptical trainer I decided that this routine would be enough. I was there during the after-work period – 5:30 to 6:30 but there weren’t too many people there, certainly not enough to slow down my workout so it seems like they haven’t oversold memberships like so many places do.

And if I had been there to do a back and biceps session there were plenty of machines for that as well including a lat pull-down and a good back press machine. I didn’t notice a roman bench for lower back but there may have been one there as well. There’s a seated bicep bench for curls too, which I think is the best for this muscle group. Also, they have a very good selection of leg machines including two different leg presses and even a seated calf machine which is a rarity in this city.

And after my 35–minute jaunt on the elliptical trainer I felt a bit tired but the Jacuzzi did a good job of reviving me, the hot-water Jacuzzi I should add since almost every other Jacuzzi in this country has room temperature water which is basically worthless. They also have both a sauna and a steam room and somebody smart put the steam room together. First, it wasn’t too hot, another common problem, and in regard to the intelligence of the design, it was fitted with cheap, white plastic benches instead of the more expensive stone seating almost every other steam room has. That means if it does get a little too hot inside, which can be okay, then you don’t end up trying to sit on an overheated stone bench, burning your buns in the process. The plastic doesn’t absorb the heat and stays nice and, relatively, cool. That’s why the designers were smart.

Overall, I really liked this place and would definitely work out here again. The combination of elegance and back to basics worked for me and when a place gets the basics right – the plastic steam room seats, lots of hair dryers, the right machines, among others – you know that whoever designed the place must have been in a lot of gyms before, like me for 32 years, and knew what was important to serious gym users.     

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PATA Moving In Positive Direction Under New Leadership

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Greg Dufell, the new president and CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), headquartered in Bangkok, described in an exclusive interview on February 25 some of his ideas on how he will go about revitalizing the organization and trying to help improve the overall performance of the travel sector in this vital region. Since part of PATA’s original mission statement reads “we enhance the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to, from and within the region,” working to improve the travel industry in the region is one of the core tenets of the organization.

In a lengthy interview session Mr. Dufell touched on many subjects and displayed a comprehensive grasp of the travel industry which he developed over the years working within the industry in the private sector with companies such as Thomas Cook and Indochina Services Travel Group among others. He also was involved several years ago with a Silicon Valley software company startup which expanded his hi-tech knowledge base. Based on some of the ideas he expounded upon for his vision of the future of PATA, this experience will probably be as valuable to his upcoming efforts as his travel industry knowledge.

When asked what his key objective would be in his new position he unhesitatingly replied, “Engaging with our members on a much greater basis and reversing previous trends. The priority is to increase the opportunity for our members to network.” And, according to him, new initiatives by the organization will have to address two basic needs to be considered for implementation: “Will they help to retain membership and will they help us to sell something or help the members. We need to get back to basics.”

He also sees PATA’s role as being a leader in encouraging investment in the travel industry by the private sector and possibly even helping to educate the private sector in certain areas through seminars and events. What may be little known about the organization outside of the membership is the fact that PATA collects and processes tremendous amounts of raw data in regard to travel statistics among its member countries. For example, arrival and departure cards that are filled out by travelers to member countries are processed and analyzed by PATA and the information supplied back to the relevant governmental organizations such as tourist boards and tourism marketing arms such as the Tourism Authority of Thailand. And this is only a small part of their overall efforts.

This information can be extremely valuable to members who have access to it through their membership in the organization. Private operators can use it to try to predict future trends in the industry and make plans about investments and potential developments. In an economy as uncertain as the current one, in particular, this type of information can help to pinpoint where investments could be made. Additionally, the information can be used to refine marketing plans, especially in the area of trying to identify new niche markets to target, a strategy that will have to be adopted by many operators who are trying to supplement the loss of business that they have encountered during the recent global showdown.

And, as alluded to above, Mr. Dufell’s IT background will be useful in the coming months as PATA explores ways to upgrade the effectiveness of its website (www.pata.org) and make it more interactive for members and non-members alike. Other plans include the possibility of creating a business to business platform as an adjunct to the website that will allow members to more effectively network and do business with each other and there are other ideas on the horizon as well that could be implemented and are now in a long-range planning status.

Overall, Mr. Dufell seems to be bringing a new direction to this organization that was founded in 1952 by a group of travel industry visionaries who were interested in taking advantage of a relatively new technology of of their day – the passenger jet airliner – to develop the Asia-Pacific travel market. Mr. Dufell’s challenge will come to great degree from his ability to harness the new technology of the present day – the internet – to forge a greater opportunity for cooperation and interactivity amongst the members of PATA than has ever been seen before. Judging from the energy and passion for the travel industry that Mr. Dufell displays, along with his sterling credentials, it is likely that he is the right man in the right place at the right time.

 

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Kendall-Jackson And Dusit Thani Bangkok Team Up For Great Dinner

Kendall-Jackson wines were the star attraction at a recent wine dinner held at the Dusit Thani Bangkok’s Il Cielo Italian restaurant in February, one of the hotel’s seven top-quality dining outlets. Jeff Cook, General Manager of Jackson Wine Estates International for Asia and Japan represented Kendall-Jackson and presided over the event which was attended by over 70 people. Mr. Cook made the effort to visit all of the tables of attendees and imparted a great deal of knowledge about the operations of Kendall-Jackson, as well as wine-making in general, to an interested audience.

The five course dinner featured five Kendall-Jackson wines, all from the Vintner’s Reserve label of the winery, and included a 2007 sauvignon blanc, a 2006 chardonnay – the best selling chardonnay in the United States for the last 16 years—a 2006 pinot noir, a 2005 zinfandel and a 2004 meritage. Each of the wines has received very high rankings from a number of respected wine writers and have won a number of awards between them.

The dinner started with a marinated red tuna tartare that was made with avocado aioli and 10-year balsamico along with other ingredients and was paired with the sauvignon blanc whose varying fruit flavors, from fig to lemon and others was a perfect accompaniment. Indeed, all of the wines this evening were well-matched to the dishes showing a high degree of preparation for this dinner. The chardonnay was the next wine to be showcased and its companion dish was a lobster tortellini with Nori caviar and a frothy green pea broth. The chardonnay’s varied flavors were well-suited also to this dish that included the saltiness of the caviar and the delicate sweetness of the lobster.

One characteristic of each of the Vintner’s Reserve wines that were served at this dinner is that they were all made from grapes that come from different vineyards in the Kendall-Jackson holdings. Some of the grapes are from Sonoma, some from Mendocino, some from Santa Barbara and several other regions and therefore each of the different grapes contribute their own flavors to the wines giving them such varied tastes and nuances.

The pinot noir that came next with the pork tenderloin course, which was smoked and slow-cooked, had just a dash of the syrah grape added to it which affected the mid-palate taste of the wine and complemented the smoky taste of the meat. And the lamb course which followed – a roasted lamb saddle with plums and line nuts served on a light blue cheese risotto – had two wines poured with it. The zinfandel and the meritage both graced this dish and it was hard to say which was the better of the two as far as compatibility with the lamb. Blackberry and cherry are the two flavors most mentioned when describing the zinfandel and the meritage also has these flavors along with slight traces of cassis and coffee. The contrasts of these fruit flavors, especially with the slight saltiness of the risotto, made for an excellent contrast in tastes.

This dinner was one of several that the Dusit Thani Bangkok presents every year and it is one of the few hotels in the city that both makes the effort to do so and is also successful at attracting enough food and wine lovers to make the events such as this viable on a regular basis. Part of the success is due to picking good wine partners, as Kendall-Jackson has certainly proven to be, and the rest is due to great chefs, careful planning and the attention to detail that marks all top-notch food and beverage operations.

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Sala Rim Naam at the Oriental Hotel -- Bangkok, Thailand

Upon entering the Oriental Hotel's Sala Rim Naam Thai restaurant in Bangkok, you are confronted with a unique dining interior: traditional Thai tables with bench seating and in the center of the long, rectangular room, raised stage for the dancing to be held later. It's an atmosphere which lends itself to the food and entertainment that follows. The Sala Rim Naam is reached after taking a boat ride across the Chao Phraya River from the hotel. You get a great view of the hotel across the water as the boat slowly makes its way across the crowded river. The hotel bought this land several years ago and it houses the Sala Rim Naam and the Oriental Spa. The intention here is to give the guests a true look at traditional Thai culture, including architecture, food, clothing and dance. It's so authentic, in fact, that you must remove your shoes before entering the dining room.

Upon entering and seating yourself in the comfortable benches, you'll be struck by the beautiful wood and carved detail of the interior. And, unless you're in a larger group than two people, you'll be seated at close proximity to another couple, so the opportunity to meet and talk to someone from another country (or perhaps even your own) is presented. The seating is also another reminder of traditional Thai meals only here each person is served individually. The meal consists of a set menu with 10 different dishes or courses. Mixed appetizers and rounds of mixed pork in silk threads started us off and each were delicately flavored and lightly spiced. There is a misconception among many that traditional Thai food is too spicy for Western palates, but that is not the case. A traditional Thai dish is predominantly hot but there must be harmony in the dish as well. The sharpness of the chilis and the spices in a curry dish, for example are toned down by the sweetness of the coconut cream, which also enhances the flavors and tastes of other delicate ingredients and herbs. Thai meals are served pretty much all at once so that you end up having a number of dishes in front of you at once, giving you the opportunity to take a mouthful of this and that as you prefer.

The next dishes served were deep-fried taro with herbed crabmeat, an herbed pomelo salad with prawns and chicken, sweet and sour soup with sliced fish, red curry with roast duckling, deep-fried honey chicken, stir-fried vegetables a, of course, white rice. Dessert followed later. There was obviously plenty of food to taste and the combination of tastes made for a very interesting meal.

As we were finishing, the entertainment began, consisting of a number of traditional Thai dances with musical accompaniment that depict folk and fairy tales and other aspects of historical Thailand. The costumes are superb and the dances themselves, if somewhat hard to completely understand, are at the same time, very enjoyable to watch. The combination of food, dance, and overall ambiance gives you a true idea of the nature of traditional Thai culture as mysterious as it may seem to Westerners. The Oriental has done a good job of preserving the authenticity yet making it accessible to visitors from any country.

See http://bangkokdining.ning.com/profile/blog/list for info on Bangkok restaurants.

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World Gourmet Festival At The Four Seasons Hotel In Bangkok

The ninth annual World Gourmet festival swept into Bangkok’s Four Seasons Hotel this past September 22nd and entertained food enthusiasts for a week with dinners, afternoon teas, cooking classes and a brunch. Seven guest chefs from as far away as the U.S., Russia and Iceland displayed their culinary talents for an appreciative audience that was treated to great food with fine wines to complement the chefs’ inventive creations.

This year’s festival was a bit smaller than preceding years as two late and unavoidable cancellations by chefs trimmed the field from the original nine down to seven. But there was still plenty of talent present and enough events to satisfy the demand from guests. The festival was deemed a success by the hotel’s management and plans were being made throughout the festival week for next year’s 10th anniversary celebratory event.

Since journalists were given easy access to the chefs throughout the week there was ample opportunity learn about the chefs’ backgrounds and influences and what brought them to their current level of culinary prominence. And make no mistake; this group has been awarded its share of honors over the years from various international food organizations and top travel and food publications, attesting to their level of skill and dedication to their craft. This year’s chefs were Jeffrey Jake from The Carneros Inn in Napa Valley, California; Michael Ginor from Hudson Valley Foie Gras in New York; Maurizio Quaranta from Locanda del Pilone in Alba, Italy; Glen Ballis from Nedal’nij Vostok in Moscow; Siggi Hall from Siggi Hall Restaurant in Reykjavik, Iceland; Celina Tio from the American Restaurant in Kansas City and Michael Laiskonis from Le Bernardin in New York City.

Each of the chefs cooked dinner two nights in one of the hotel’s restaurants with the exception of Michael Laiskonis who is the Executive Pastry Chef at Le Bernardin. He, instead, prepared pastries for three afternoon teas. And all seven of the chefs collaborated on the seven-course Friday night Gala Dinner which also featured live entertainment and an auction with a portion of the proceeds going to HRH Princess Soamsawali’s “Save A Child’s Life From AIDS Project.” Also, the contributions of some of the hotel’s chefs can’t be overlooked. Without a lot of coordination and overseeing from the hotel’s Executive Chef, Nicholas Schneller, Shintaro Chef Satoshi Sawada and Biscotti chef Danilo Aiassa, the event could not be staged.

To give you an idea of what the dinners are actually like, here’s the menu from Siggi Hall’s Monday and Tuesday night dinners that were held in the hotel’s Shintaro Japanese restaurant. The starter was a variety of traditional Icelandic treats made up of herring with horseradish sauce, cured salmon and a langoustine tail. The next course was a piece of Arctic charr, a whitefish, with langoustine sauce served on a bed of julienned green leeks. The seafood theme continued with the next offering which was a baked cod with an almond crust. Next was another traditional Icelandic ingredient but from the land this time in the form of lamb fillet that was accompanied by a lamb sausage. A blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream finished off the meal. Also included in the 4,800++ price were five different wines and coffee.

It may sound a little pricey but if you love good food and wine you would be hard pressed to find better value for money in many restaurants in Bangkok, not to mention Singapore or Hong Kong, especially when you take into account what wine prices are like in this country. Another fact to consider is that most of the ingredients for the various dinners were brought in by the chefs themselves (often in their luggage) so that they could produce their dishes as authentically as they do in their own restaurants at home.

The other chefs presented menus that were equally ambitious and equally representative of their culinary pedigrees. Celine Tio’s menu featured a slow-cooked pork belly dish to emphasize her American roots-based style of cooking. Australian Glen Ballis’ dinner highlighted his combinations of top-quality international ingredients that also utilized some Russian influences. Jeffrey Jake's offerings underscored the influence of the abundance of fresh produce that he uses in his native Napa Valley.

Michael Ginor, whose Hudson Valley foie gras farm produces some of the best foie gras in the world, used that delicious ingredient in all of his dishes to great effect, creating what was probably the richest and most expensive (5900 baht++) menu of the festival . Michael has also been involved with the festival since its inception and has been instrumental in recruiting chefs for the festivals throughout the years. Maurizio Quaranta, the recipient of a Michelin star for the restaurant Locand del Pilone in his native Piedmont area of Italy, displayed how his native Italian cooking style has been influenced  by his interactions with, among others, top-quality Spanish chefs. And Michael Laiskonis’ elegant and light desserts added just the right touch to the Gala Dinner and the high teas that featured his award-winning work.   

In the final analysis, the World Gourmet Festival is quite an achievement, especially for a hotel staff that continues to run a large five-star hotel at the same time that it is producing 23 special food events in the course of one week. And that doesn’t include all of the preliminary planning, the marketing and promotional efforts, the logistics of transporting the guest chefs and their assistants and all of the other myriad details that are involved. This one-of-a-kind event in Bangkok is the result of lots of hard work and inspiration from many people and it is hoped that next year at this time food and wine lovers here will be talking about what a great success the 2009 version of the festival was. The city certainly needs all of the first class events it can get to help promote itself as a serious dining destination in Asia and the World Gourmet Festival is leading the way.

See http://bangkokdining.ning.com/profile/blog/list for info on Bangkok restaurants. 

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Centara Grand's Lifestyles on 26 Fitness Club --Bangkok, Thailand

Lifestyles on 26 is the name of the Centara Grand Hotel’s fitness and spa complex and it is, indeed, on the 26th floor of the hotel. When you are working out here you are thus afforded a great view of Bangkok’s skyline to the west, south and east.

The view inside the fitness area isn’t quite as inspiring unless you’re serious about working out and keeping in top shape and if that’s the case then there’s plenty to get excited about. The first thing to know about the club is that at this writing (Oct. 2, 2008) it is only a couple of months old and has hardly been used. Every piece of equipment is shiny and new looking and the whole space is immaculate.

Next, the whole gym is outfitted with Technogym weight machines and it also boasts a Kinesis wall system that is one of the most high-tech and versatile workout systems now available. These weight machines are all top quality with smooth action and well-designed motion for maximum effect. It’s really a pleasure working out on great machines and these certainly are. We would have liked to see a couple more pieces of equipment – a Roman bench for lower back, a pec deck and a seated calf machine, for example, since we’re still a bit old-fashioned – but the machines that are there provide suitable alternatives and the knowledgeable staff members can help you with anything you need.

Back to the Kinesis machine, though, since this system is really an interesting way to work out. As you can see from the photo, this is a cable system and there are many ways that you can use this machine. You can work one muscle group at a time or multiple groups. You can work through more than one plane of motion to give your muscles a different workout. And you can also do specific exercises that are helpful for people who play golf or other sports. Another nice thing about Kinesis is that you can really compress your workout time so if you’re on a tight schedule this can make a big difference. You can still get a full-body workout where otherwise you may not be able to.

If you still like the old methods of working out there are free weights, including a bench press machine and plenty of dumbbells as well as curling bars for biceps and triceps. There’s also an elliptical trainer, several stair machines and plenty of treadmills.

The locker room facilities include both a large sauna and steam bath and a Jacuzzi that, unfortunately, is room temperature and not heated. There’s also a cool down room with four comfortable beds to relax on.

This is a top-quality club that will probably provide you with everything that you’ll need for your workouts while you’re staying in Bangkok. 

See http://thaihotels.ning.com/profiles/blog/list for info on hotels in Thailand.

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Alila Resort in Cha-Am -- Bangkok, Thailand

Alila Hotels and Resorts opened Alila Cha-Am in February, 2008. This is Alila’s first property in Thailand and the first modern luxury beachside resort to be built in Cha-Am. Relaxation in contemporary style and sophistication is the hallmark of Alila Cha-Am, designed by Duangrit Bunnag, one of Thailand’s leading architects and interior designers.

Arrival at the resort offers a prelude to the experience within, as one walks up the grand entrance stairway to be greeted by a view stretching across the rooftop reflection pool towards the sea. Gardens, courtyards and terraces balance privacy and connection with the tropical surroundings, seamlessly interconnecting one experience to the next. Frederic Simon, Managing Director and COO of Alila Hotels and Resorts said recently, “We are excited to bring the Alila experience to Thailand. Alila Cha-Am is a modern and ultra-luxury resort that will offer a convergence of Alila’s innovations in accommodation, spa and cuisine, combined with the culture and the traditional Thai hospitality. The result promises to be a rewarding and memorable experience for the hotel guest.”

The resort features 79 signature rooms and villas, conceived as personal retreats - spacious, elegant and fully connected. Deluxe Rooms and Deluxe Terrace Rooms are designed in various configurations to enhance in-room comforts with openness to the outdoors. The Private Pool Villas are the ultimate retreats, exceptional in every sense, offering 297 square meters of luxurious space, each with its very own landscaped garden, private pool and terrace. All accommodation is furnished with a personal home theatre system, personalized Apple TV and complimentary wi-fi Internet access. Senses will be especially heightened by the spacious bathroom offering guests a 600 x 480 mm true rain shower experience.

As Duangrit Bunnag elaborates, “The design of the project is not just about being ‘contemporary’ or it just being a resort. The notion of its design is not just about space, light, flow through and styles but about how we connect it with our emotions and promote well-being, stimulate culture, work, play, rest and even eat. One of the intimate needs we have taken care of is the especial rain shower bathroom experience in each room. The rain showers are branded by Ceramiche from Germany. The function of the project is honest and straightforward. We are lucky to have a visionary client and an operator such as Alila that takes this further with its lifestyle concepts.”

Guests will enjoy relaxation and wellness on many levels at Alila Cha-Am. Spa Alila soothes with a natural touch in its private treatment and massage suites built around a thermal mineral pool. The wellness experience goes chic at one of the resort’s most distinctive features — the Chill Pool and Red Bar — a meeting point for ultra-cool relaxation and play. Guests can go from sipping healthy cocktails while lounging by day, to indulging in spa treatments beneath the night sky or partying in candlelit intimacy. Dining is one of the highlights of the Alila experience, brought to life at the resort’s two signature restaurants — poolside dining at Motion, and on the rooftop alongside the reflection pool at the Zen-style Clouds Loft.

See http://thaihotels.ning.com/profiles/blog/list for info on hotels in Thailand.

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