Hello, everyone I am Chifumi Maeda,
a Japanese female president living in Bangkok.
Thank you, guys, for visiting this
“True comments from Japanese female presidents living in Thailand” blog
For this review, I invited two of my trusted staffers, P and A,
who absolutely love sweets, to be my guest writers.
You see, I’m not really one for sugary treats,
so it seemed like a great opportunity for P and A to experience
Afternoon Tea at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Hello everyone.
Today we had the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing afternoon tea on the 30th floor
and I am very happy to report that
the food was delicious and the service was excellent.
Afternoon tea at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok has the theme
“Afternoon Tea in the Library” and is the highest afternoon tea in Bangkok.
Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok: A Premier Afternoon Tea Experience
Delving into the Rich History of Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
This boutique hotel brand was founded in 1981 in San Francisco, USA.
Today, Kimpton has more than 60 hotels and more than 80 restaurants, bars and lounges,
with expansion plans in Europe, the Caribbean, China and other locations around the globe.
Kimpton was named one of FORTUNE Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”
and became part of Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) in January 2015.
Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok has the distinction of being the first hotel to open in Southeast Asia
under the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand,
which will debut in Thailand in 2020.
Embracing the Unique Concept of Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
The term MAA-LAI, pronounced ‘maa-lai’,
is inspired by the traditional artistry of Thailand and means ‘delicacy’.
This delicacy and creativity is particularly evident in the heart of Thai art,
the creation of floral garlands.
Each Kimpton space is meticulously curated down to the smallest detail,
inviting guests to share in the extraordinary experience the hotel has to offer.
Nestled in the heart of Bangkok,
the hotel is surrounded by the lush greenery of Lumphini Park.
With refreshing views of the serene gardens,
it represents a harmonious balance between modern city living and nature.
It’s a place where traditional Thai ambience blends
beautifully with the contemporary lifestyle of Bangkok.
Exploring the Services and Facilities at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok offers a wide range of facilities to meet the needs of our guests.
Whether you are hosting a party, relaxing in the bar or lounge,
enjoying a memorable meal in the restaurant or café,
pampering yourself at the spa, swimming pool, gym or afternoon tea,
Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok is also a pet-friendly hotel,
which is very rare for a 5-star hotel.
Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok is also a pet-friendly hotel,
which is very rare for a 5-star hotel.
You’ll find a variety of restaurants, bars and cafes scattered throughout the hotel.
This coffee, cocktail and craft beer hub is conveniently located in the hotel lobby.
With indoor and outdoor seating, you can enjoy views of the hotel’s lush gardens.
This is a modern and chic cocktail bar-cum-Italian restaurant,
located on the L floor of the hotel.
It operates under the concept of a “Grocerant”
– a combination of a grocery store and a restaurant.
Located on the 5th floor of the hotel,
it ensures a delivery of fresh and varied ingredients directly from the farm to the kitchen.
A rooftop bar located in a sky garden on the 40th floor of the hotel.
In addition to the restaurants,
the hotel offers a variety of facilities such as a spa, gym and pool,
all designed to help our guests relax and rejuvenate.
The Amaranth Spa is located on the fourth floor of the hotel,
with an inviting scent wafting from the entrance.
The aromatic products used here are also available for purchase,
so if it’s inconvenient to buy them at the hotel,
you can always place an order online.
Afternoon Tea Review: A Panoramic View of Bangkok
The Afternoon Tea at the Library, located at Maa-Lai Library,
just opened its doors in January 2023.
This afternoon tea, offered at the Maa-Lai Library on the 30th floor,
is the highest served afternoon tea in Bangkok.
While enjoying the afternoon tea,
you can also enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of Bangkok
as well as the lush garden view.
The Maa-Lai Library was designed with the concept of a home reading corner.
In this private space, you can enjoy your favorite book
while enjoying a delicious drink and light snacks.
It’s also the perfect place for business meetings or casual conversation over tea.
Immersing in the Atmosphere of Afternoon Tea at the Library
When you arrive at the hotel, take the elevator directly to the 30th floor.
As you exit the elevator, you’ll be greeted by an Afternoon Tea sign.
As you enter, a breathtakingly beautiful view unfolds before your eyes.
The high ceilings create a spacious and bright atmosphere.
We’ll let the staff know the name we’re registered under and then go to your table.
The atmosphere of Afternoon Tea at the Library is one of quiet luxury,
as if you’re lounging in a celebrity’s home.
The theme here is similar to a “library in a 30th floor condominium” with a sweeping view,
furnished with a sofa and TV.
It really does feel like you’re at home.
At Afternoon Tea at the Library, there are approximately 15 tables,
each spaced to ensure privacy.
The tables are low and the sofas are incredibly soft,
allowing you to relax as if you’re in your own home.
Inside, soothing classical music plays,
creating a relaxed atmosphere.
And since the windows surround the room, no matter where you sit,
you can enjoy a beautiful view.
There’s also a terrace where you can fully enjoy the view of Bangkok
while feeling the natural breeze.
The terrace is wide and safely separated by glass.
(On the day we visited, it had just stopped raining,
and although it was a bit humid, the view was as stunning as ever).
Inside, there’s also a bar area where you can choose additional sweets a la carte.
It’s a truly homey atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re in your own kitchen.
An In-Depth Review of Afternoon Tea at Kimpton Maa-Lai
Here they offer sets based on the concept of Afternoon Tea in the Library.
The paired sweets that come with the tea are served in a ‘book of wood’.
You can choose between the Pocket Edition and the Premium Edition.
Afternoon Tea is served from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday,
and reservations are required.
First, the staff will help you choose your tea.
If you’re not sure what to choose, you can taste test and ask the staff for advice.
The staff will thoroughly explain the unique characteristics of each tea.
As all the staff speak English,
you can communicate with them in English even if you don’t speak Thai.
Once you have finished a cup of tea,
you also have the option to switch to a different flavor.
This is a great choice for those who like to try a variety of teas.
Afternoon tea at the Library features two teas
specially created for Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok.
The first is the Kimpton Maa-Lai Marigold Blend,
which features notes of lychee, rose and starfruit.
The other blend is Kimpton Maa-Lai Peach.
It’s a perfect combination of peach flavor with the scents of rose and lychee.
As you take a sip, the scent of peach fills your mouth.
It’s an irresistible choice for peach lovers.
The tea is packaged in a beautiful,
custom-made canister designed especially for Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok.
It has an elegant and classic look.
You also have the opportunity to sample the fragrance in advance.
In addition to the two special blends created for Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok,
they also offer teas from the Thai brand MONSOON.
This is a Thai tea brand that aims to protect the forests.
The other blend I tried is called the Rainbow Blend.
It gives you a refreshing feeling like after rain.
This special tea is blended in collaboration with Gender Station Bangkok
and is meant to support the promotion of LGBT awareness.
The Rainbow Blend is a blend of five types of tea:
white tea, green tea, yellow tea, black tea and oolong tea.
It is also paired with mango, starfruit, papaya and apple,
giving it a distinct fruity aroma as soon as you take a sip.
While I was enjoying my tea, the main attraction of today’s visit arrived – the afternoon tea set.
Afternoon Tea Set – Pocket Edition
The Pocket Edition comes with a variety of delicious dishes.
These include crab dumplings, basil chicken snacks,
pecan nut and cream cheese, and blood orange cream shortcake.
This set also includes a premium blend of tea and monsoon coffee from Thailand.
The menu lists the symbols of the foods included,
allowing those with food allergies to dine with peace of mind.
Those with food allergies can inform the staff and enjoy their meal with peace of mind
Afternoon Tea Set – Premium Edition
The Premium Edition set is served with exquisite and luxurious desserts.
A premium Thai tea blend and Monsoon coffee are included in the set.
This time we chose the set for two.
And here is the full picture of today’s afternoon tea.
The desserts are arranged to resemble a book.
When you open it excitedly, it looks something like this!
At the top of the menu are savory items such as cheese with a hint of chili,
sandwiches with maple syrup and bacon,
and egg rolls (two of each, except for the shrimp in the middle).
This level is served with basil flavored cheese browns and a pesto style sauce.
Canadian sturgeon is served on a small white plate with celery sticks and green olives.
Next, the 28-month aged Parma ham is served on a bed of rye bread.
The rye bread is crisp and perfectly matches the subtle saltiness of the Parma ham.
The acidity of the cheese is also light.
The last dish before dessert is a Scotch egg with tartar sauce to round out the meal.
Finally, the dessert menu is available!
They are now served for two.
First up are the raspberry tart and apple pie.
They look wonderful and tasty.
Next up is the Molten Chocolate Cake.
This fluffy chocolate cake is sprinkled with cocoa powder.
The chocolate melts out of the cake and is sweet and delicious.
It goes well with a cup of tea.
The fourth dessert is mango and passion fruit mousse.
It is decorated with small purple flowers on top and looks beautiful.
The mango mousse is refreshing and the passion fruit mousse is sweet and sour,
providing a perfect balance in the mouth.
The fifth dessert is the chili chocolate terrine.
As the smooth chocolate melts in your mouth, a slight heat develops.
The spicy heat that spreads in your mouth is slight,
but it is a wonderful combination with the chocolate.
The final dessert is the Raspberry Macaroon.
The macaroon dough is crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside,
with a rich raspberry flavor.
When you put it in your mouth,
the aroma and sweetness of raspberry fill your mouth.
Afternoon tea is famous for its scones.
This time we had two kinds of scones.
One is a vanilla scone and the other is a chipotle scone.
Each scone is served in pairs.
Vanilla scones are sweet with a clean vanilla flavor,
with just the right amount of flour texture and sweetness.
Chipotle is a smoked and dried jalapeño pepper usually used to flavor foods.
Using jalapeños is a novel and unique scone.
It has a sweet, spicy, peppery flavor and is not hot or irritating to the throat.
It is a strange taste, somewhere between sweet and salty.
The scones here are very tasty and fluffy.
Now let’s take a look at the jams.
There are four flavors of jam available to serve with the scones.
Lemon Curd, Devonshire Vanilla Cream,
Wild Berry Jam, and Citrus Blood Orange Marmalade.
Citrus Blood Orange Marmalade contains orange pulp and is sweet
and delicious with none of the bitterness of orange peel.
Wild berry jam is first sour, then sweet.
The berry flavor is very strong.
The Lemon Card has a lemon aroma as soon as the lid is opened.
Finally, Devonshire Vanilla Cream is a smooth, white vanilla cream with a vanilla flavor.
All jams go well with scones.
Try them with your afternoon tea at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok.
This time, I enjoyed afternoon tea in an elegant atmosphere,
and needless to say, I am completely satisfied.
At first, you might think that only two people can eat enough,
but you can enjoy it at your leisure.
However, if you are coming alone, we recommend ordering a smaller set.
The Premium Edition set may be difficult for one person to finish.
Price of Afternoon Tea
Pros and Cons: Weighing Up Afternoon Tea at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
Highlights of Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
Shortcomings of Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
Concluding the Afternoon Tea Experience at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
So much for our review of the library concept afternoon tea at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok.
For us, afternoon tea was a new experience and we enjoyed it very much.
When we heard about afternoon tea,
we thought it was something to be enjoyed in a café or garden.
However, it was a very special experience to be on the 30th floor,
sipping tea and enjoying the 360 degree view of Bangkok.
I highly recommend you try afternoon tea at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok!
Detailed Information for Planning Your Visit to Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
Location: 78 Soi Tonson, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
Nearest Station: BTS Chidlom Station
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