A look behind the scenes at Capella Bangkok

A visibly cheerful John Blanco stands in the elegant lobby of the Capella Hotel in Bangkok having just returned from holiday. The American-born, six-language-speaking citizen of the world is the general manager of the five-star hotel, which opened in October 2020. The resort-like venue is one of the latest additions to the Asian megacity, which is not short of luxury hotels, and like its main competitors, the Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula and Four Seasons, it is prominently located on the banks of the Chao Praya River. But even though the early life of the hotel was far from straightforward – it opened in the middle of the pandemic – it has not only just been voted the best hotel in Bangkok, but the Singaporean ‘Capella Group’ has also just been named the best hotel brand in the world. So, this hotel is definitely doing a lot right, and John tells Falstaff what exactly led to this success.