The buzz: The signature bar of the newly opened W Hotel Bangkok, sat in the city’s new hip quarter on Sathorn Road, Woo Bar proves to be much more than a regular lobby bar with its glitzy purple décor, chic electronica spun by some of Bangkok’s finest DJs and creative cocktails concocted by expert mixologist Bard Petchapradit.     

The décor: Tastefully indulgent. Step inside the hotel’s main lobby and to your left is Woo Bar, instantly identifiable by the white leather sofa sets topped with sparkling purple and silver pillows. Down the middle of the space runs a long bar counter decked out with purple and violet mood lighting. The private room at the back is separated off by a golden boxing ring rope (reservations required).     

The music: Pretty impressive compared to other hotel bars with wide-ranging electro sounds—everything from groovy lounge and funky house to techno and trip hop—spun by the elites of the Bangkok party scene like DJ Dragon (Dubway), King Kong (Zoo Studio), Deejai, Funky Gangster, Pichy, and Pom Pom (Dudesweet).     

The crowd: Mostly hotel guests for now plus office workers in the neighborhood thirsting for after-work drinks in swanky surrounds.

The price: Unlike the concotions Bard has created for Aloft Hotel’s WXYZ Bar, where the focus is all molecular presentation, the signatures here make use of gastronomic techniques (think infusions and fermentation) to keep things fresh. Try the luxurious looking Chor Muang (butterfly flower infused in raspberry vodka, lime juice, syrup and served with butterfly flower dipped in 24K gold dust, B400) or the Chatuchak Ice Tea a (classic Long Island which uses Thai tea instead of coke topped with foam to give the impression of cha chak, B400) Even more traditional choices come with little twists; for example, gin and tonic (B450) is served with different add-ons depending on which variety of gin you choose (opting for Hendricks gets you slices of cucumber and rosemary).

Why you’ll come back: The daily happy hours features a buy-two-get-one free deal on cocktails from 6-9pm. If that’s all too commonplace, there’s also their promise of traveling art showcases, like the Madonna: A Transformational Exhibition that just ended on Jan 19. The team says they will be installing another one soon, while you should also keep an eye out for their next party, “I’m Single, So What?” to coincide with Valentine’s Day. Vasachol Quadri