In the elevator we swipe our keycard and press the button for the 32^nd floor. Only guests staying in the suites have access to the top. The elevator ascends, the doors open and we step out onto the roof terrace. Round the corner, there it is: one of the most Instagrammed views in Bangkok.

In a city amply served by high-end hotels, 137 Pillars stands out. Since it opened in 2017, it has become the address of choice for the Instagram generation, and at the rooftop infinity pool, we see them in their element. A South Korean couple take turns standing on the edge for photos, arms outstretched, seemingly on the brink of a sheer drop. In fact, there’s a glass barrier around the pool, but from where we lie on sunbeds it’s not visible. The pool appears suspended above the skyline of Bangkok.

© 137 Pillars Suites & Residences Bangkok

137 Pillars Hotels & Resorts was established in 2015, initially with one property, an exclusive hotel in a historic teak mansion in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. That characterful building is held up by 137 pillars, hence the company name. The Bangkok property brings the group’s luxury boutique ethos to a purpose-built city skyscraper.

Our Ayutthaya Suite is spacious and sleekly modern. The tastefully muted décor is startlingly contrasted with vibrantly colorful paintings on the feature walls. There’s a lounge, walk-in dressing room, kitchen area, bedroom with a vast bed, and a bathroom featuring a smart toilet and free-standing bath. From the balcony we have an unbroken panorama of the endless skyline.

© 137 Pillars Suites & Residences Bangkok

The hotel is located in Phrom Phong, an upscale district close to Sukhumvit Road, the city’s most important commercial street. The nearby metro station (accessible on foot or, hourly, by the hotel’s complimentary shuttle bus) provides easy connections to the tourist areas. The immediate area is popular with Japanese expatriates, with corresponding restaurants and a renowned bakery, Custard Nakamura.

But for great food we don’t need to venture beyond the hotel. The Baan Borneo Club, an exclusive lounge for suite guests, serves complimentary breakfast from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and offers free sundowner drinks and snacks from 6 to 7 p.m. The breakfast is spectacular, with a range of custom-cooked Western and Asian dishes, as well as choices from the buffet.

© 137 Pillars Suites & Residences Bangkok

At sunset, we dine on the terrace of Nimitr restaurant and enjoy one of the finest meals of our three-month tour of Southeast Asia. The four-course tasting menu offers Thai favorites with an innovative, contemporary twist, including a soup featuring dried fish and crispy fire ant eggs (it tastes incredible, instantly overcoming any reservations about the ingredients). My main course is a perfect Massaman lamb curry.

© 137 Pillars Suites & Residences Bangkok

Next to our table there is a large glass porthole in the floor. Fellow diners walk over it without a second glance. In daylight, it becomes another Instagram view. The restaurant terrace is suspended 27 floors above the street, and the glass porthole allows you to stand directly above the drop and look down. In daylight, for those (like me) scared of heights, it’s terrifying. At night, fortified by wine and the wonderful meal, I brave it.

The true measure of a hotel is in the small touches. We are scheduled to leave for the airport at 5 a.m., before breakfast is served. Instead, we are supplied at check-out with a bag of our chosen drinks and snacks, more than enough to set us up for the journey ahead. After three months on the road, we’re looking forward to returning home, but sorry to leave 137 Pillars.

137 Pillars Suites & Residences Bangkok

59/1 Sukhumvit Soi 39
Klongton-Nua, Wattana, Bangkok, Thailand 10110
tel 66 2 079 7000