To say that Public House on busy Sukhumvit 31 is just another new hotel is selling it short. From the first impression I got, it aspires and is designed to create a sense of belonging amid this concert jungle and be an activity hub for visitors and locals alike.
Although Public House will officially open its guestroom doors on March 1 (but bookings can be made now), anyone can drop by to check out the open-plan ground floor, which has a restaurant, bar, co-working space and podcast room.
Self-dubbed a "social dining" restaurant, Fest's open kitchen with a wood-fired oven and a charcoal grill should easily catch your eye. This is where you can share comfort food with friends from various cuisines, ranging from four-cheese pizza drizzled with organic honey and chilli oil scented with rosemary, a succulent Josper-grilled pork chop to a hearty portion of aromatic XO crab fried rice. There are more than 60 dishes on offer so everyone should be able to find something to satiate their craving.
There are also plenty of visual feasts to enjoy: the beautifully eclectic interior and decor, which houses various head-turning artworks. Definitely a style statement. A colourful mural by Spanish artist Rafael Uriegas is the first thing to greet you from behind the check-in counters when you enter. A wire art in the shape of James Dean's head is literally in the spotlight on a wall. They go to a great length with interior details using custom-made furniture and upholstery fabric from France.
Literally, a stone's throw away from Fest is Open Bar, which aims to live up to its name by encouraging guests to anonymously share their secrets (hence "open") in leatherbound confessional volumes that are kept on the shelves of co-working space Forum. Since we live in the age of sharing, check out The Podcast Lounge where you can record your fresh ideas and convo. If the open-floor plan feels a bit distracting, pick a Zoom Room (more like a cubicle) where you can concentrate on your work or an online meeting.
Beyond the ground floor’s spiral staircase, modern industrial touches punctuate a mid-century design style throughout all 79 rooms across four categories namely Deluxe, Grand Deluxe, King Suite and Premier Corner. Sweeping black-out curtains, 65” LCD smart TVs and comfy beds may make you want to Netflix and chill (not necessarily euphemistically, obviously) in the rooms all day though.
Public House's other facilities include The Moon, an 80s-inspired rooftop venue that transforms throughout the day. By day, guests recline on lounge chairs around a swimming pool with a selection of menu items from Fest. After 5pm, the casual Thai flavours made famous in the neon-lit streets below are elevated by Robota fireside cooking with binchotan. The Helipad invites guests to “take the elevator up for downward dogs” where daily classes such as Pilates, meditation and Thai boxing take place. From cocktail parties to imaginative launches, Inner Space is accepting bookings for a variety of private, catered events. A series of pop-up events are also in the pipeline to create a community around Public House.
When asked how did Public House came about (notice the rhyme), Angie Sachdev who co-owns Public House and Pronto Group with hubby Paul Sachdev, said, "During the pandemic, we looked around and saw the old boundaries getting blurred. Home, office, restaurant, common room. We began to imagine a new type of space, that could be steered by guests and would bring the best of the city inside and make the best of the outside accessible to newcomers."
Paul chimed in, "We wanted people to feel instantly included and surrounded by friends they hadn’t met yet. To feel alive again. This place would have to satisfy our need to travel, socialise, connect, explore and share with each other. Every day, our changing guests will co-define the ways that spaces are used. Like Bangkok itself, we expect Public House to constantly flow, morph, shine, rumble and reinvent itself in ways we can’t yet imagine.”
Visit publichouse-hotels.com.
