THE LAURELS OF EVERGREEN

Fifteen floors and 160 rooms of elegance and luxury are what greet you on the corners of Soi Pipat and South Sathorn as you step inside one of Bangkok's best kept secrets. The Evergreen Laurel Bangkok is the city's first boutique hotel and was opened in March of 1994. Located in the heart of the business district and a short walk from two Skytrain stops, the hotel is situated in a great location for the busy executive who doesn't have hours to waste sitting in a cab rushing from one business appointment to the next. And if the traffic is good on Sathorn and Silom a guest can be at the airport in thirty minutes using the new second stage expressway.

The hotel is part of the Evergreen Group whose flagship property, the Evergreen Plaza Hotel in Hong Kong, was opened in 1987 and sold in 1994. There are now four Evergreen Laurels: two in Taiwan, in Taichung and Keeling, and the Evergreen Laurels in Bangkok and Penang, Malaysia.

The Evergreen Laurel is a different concept than some of its more well-known competitors. As it is smaller, it can offer more personalized and friendlier service. Many of the staff will know your name and they will go out of their to make sure you are comfortable and at ease during your stay with them.

When the Evergreen Laurel opened it was designed to go head-to-head with great hotels such as the Oriental, the Seiyo Ginza in Tokyo and the St James Hotel in London. It may not be as well-known as those other famous establishments but it certainly is second to none when it comes to catering to its guests.

Danny Lin, the Taiwanese General Manager of the Evergreen Laurel in Bangkok says, "Painstaking efforts have been made to ensure that every facet of the hotel's operations, facilities, accommodation and services meet with every requirement.

"The Evergreen is a European style of hotel that is particularly popular with the French. We basically provide an alternative to the big American style hotels. And we have had up to forty different nationalities staying here. And all these people have different problems, different requests, and different tastes. It is our job to cope with and manage all these challenges."

Lin is extremely proud that eighty percent of his hotel's guests return for another stay, and that ninety percent recommend the hotel to others. He feels that his hotel provides great value for the money, and that's what draws his customers back again and again.

The Evergreen has 45 suites and 115 superior rooms. Each room has been elegantly appointed with custom designed inlaid teak furniture. All rooms include air-conditioning with individual controls for you out-of-country folk who may have trouble adjusting to Bangkok's clime. The hotel has also done an excellent job of sound-proofing so you don't have to worry about being kept awake by the constant chronic drone of Bangkok's traffic.

The bathrooms are spic and span, a touch of European and a touch of Asian. They each have a luxurious private bath and a separate showerstall. In the corner suites, the marble bathtubs are tucked in a corner of the bathroom and they jut out over the building proper on a right angle. There is absolutely no better way to relieve the stress of a hectic business day than by taking a nice long soak in one of their tubs. Read the paper and look out over the fabulous views that the hotel has to offer of the northern part of the Sathorn and Silom area. Order a bottle of champagne and just chill.

Hungry? Well, the hotel's Canton Palace has already established itself as one of the premier Chinese restaurants in Bangkok, its nearly always booked and a number of the Thai Royal Family have dined there. Cantonese cuisine is prepared by Hong Kong chefs in an intimate setting. Dim sum and set lunches are available to complement a superb a la carte menu.

And then if you want to burn away some calories, the Evergreen Health Club is equipped with exercise equipment, a swimming pool with a built-in jacuzzi, sauna, massage facilities and an aerobics studio.

The hotel has a twenty-four hour Business Center which has e-mail, Internet, fax access, translation and secretarial services, and mobile phone rental. There is also an adjacent meeting room if you need to consult with your colleagues in a more formal atmosphere. And five multipurpose rooms with a full range of audio-visual equipment are also available for private banquets and meetings.

The Evergreen Laurel's brochure describes the hotel as "an oasis of charm and elegance in a peaceful surrounding." It really couldn't be said any better.