OCATED on a busy central commercial artery, a short hop from a BTS SkyTrain station and surrounded by shopping distractions, the Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit is an essay in corporate grey-brown elegance and discretion yet with a refreshing hint of mischief and whimsy, much of this on the high-floor L’Appart that brings Paris to the City of Angels in a happening rooftop bar and restaurant with a breezy wraparound open-air terrace where vistas unfurl in all directions.

Step in from the clamour to an oasis of calm, rich in texture and tones that will have the eye searching for more hidden motifs and messages. This stately 345-room address serves up brisk service with a smile and a can-do attitude that should catapult it to the forefront of the best Bangkok business hotels lineup. It is no slouch on Bangkok corporate meetings either with its InspiredMeetings concept and Le Grand Ballroom that hosts up to 800 persons cocktail style.

From the high ceiling black-granite-floor lobby, whisper-quiet elevators whisk you up to Club Millésime on the 31st floor, a retreat – and a treat – for business travellers on the go. Expect refreshments, vintage wines, evening cocktails, breakfasts, two computer stations, and more. Try a taste of the high life in, say, the 121sq m Opera Suite dressed in soothing greys and browns with a wooden parquet floor, two SMART LED TVs, complimentary WiFi (throughout the hotel), iPod dock, pillow menu, and a plump, inviting MyBed. There’s Illy coffee too. Entry-level Luxury Rooms are compact and refined with wall mirrors and look-in partitions for the bathing area with its L’Occitane amenities. Hermes products are reserved for the suites and club.

Enjoy a range of restaurants and, for a lazy afternoon unwind, Le Spa with L’Occitane. Voilà! is the signature restaurant with French flair. Expect Asian, Middle-Eastern and Thai too. All in, this is a hotel where luxury comes with a hint of spice and attitude. Dive in.