Feast and be Merry

When King Rama V ascended to the Siam throne in 1868, he was the first Thai monarch to have received a full western education, though neither the King nor his parents could have foreseen the enduring resonance their decision would have. It was another century later when his tutor’s memoirs, fictionalised by the author Margaret Landon, would provide the basis for the international smash hit Richard Rodgers musical, The King and I.

It’s to King Rama V’s reign that Hotel Muse Bangkok now looks for historical inspiration: known for his cunning reform policy which cleverly embraced western colonialization while resisting its more aggressive underbelly, the hotel skilfully weaves the artistic spirit of fin-de-siècle Europe with the country’s own distinctive heritage and the footprint of the golden age of travel.

With room names invoking the highest Dhevas in Buddhist cosmology—those supernatural beings who lead blissful lives forever immersed in perpetual pleasures —this a property dedicated to the art of pure pleasure and fanciful indulgence, especially in its distinctive dining and entertainment offerings.

Imbibing here is an act of joy, whether it’s at the neo-industrial Italian Medici Kitchen & Bar, or the award-winning Speakeasy Rooftop bar with captivating views of the Bangkok skyline.

When Dame Carcas hurled a fattened pig over the ramparts of a medieval French city in the 9th century, it was the act of a desperate woman. Under siege from Charlemagne, the town had no more grain or livestock to live by, and this act of deception was the only trick left up her sleeve. Her bold move paid off; the great French ruler concluded that their resources were abundant and lifted the siege. With the trumpets jubilantly ringing out in celebration, the town was promptly named Carcassonne, roughly translated as “ Carcas rings”. Or so the tale goes.

While the story of Dame Carcas is now considered a case of folk etymology, its endurance is testament to the enchanting appeal of the citadel and its 53 towers, within which Hotel de la Cite Carcassonne is nestled away. With a glorious varied history, the site has been occupied since the Neolithic era, growing in importance as a trading route and defence position in the Roman Empire, before it was founded as a city by the Visigoths in the 5th century.

While its fortifications were regularly expanded until the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, by the 19th century there were calls to pull the whole thing down. Enter architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who lovingly restored the citadel in such a fashion that, in 1906, two friends decided to endow it with the magical hotel needed to share its splendour with the world.

Over the years, Hotel de la Cité has welcomed the likes of Winston Churchill and Princess Grace of Monaco, wowing all that have journeyed across its historic drawbridge into the fairy-tale citadel. Built on the site of the former Episcopal Palace, the hotel neighbours the Saint-Nazaire Basilica, but the real jewel in its crown is La Barbacane, the citadel’s finest restaurants.