JASON FRIEDMAN, The Siam, Bangkok — For decades, one of the pleasures of arrival in Bangkok was being greeted in the lobby of The Oriental (now the Mandarin Oriental) by Kurt Wachtveitl, the greatest of the old-school GMs. Before he retired in 2009, Kurt was the public face of his hotel, your effortlessly charming host, not just a faceless administrator. I am pleased to say that the Thai capital now has a new high-profile general manager. Jason Friedman was on hand to greet me the moment I arrived at The Siam, the delightful new boutique hotel beside Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. During my stay, I was continuously impressed by his warmth, attention to detail and professionalism. A graduate of the Cornell University Hotel School, this sophisticated young New Yorker has worked extensively in Southeast Asia — at Amandari, among other hotels — and he takes a laudably hands-on approach to creating a personalized experience for his guests.
-A.H.
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