Apartment 302, one of five meeting rooms in the Residence at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, has its own separate living area for relaxing duringmeeting breaks.

Currently in place at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok and the Grand Hyatt Beijing, The Residence also is soon to open at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne. The concept is slightly different at each property, with the Bangkok version serving as a flagship of sorts. Designed by Tony Chi, the venue is divided into eight distinct spaces designed to work together as would the various rooms in a private home. Wood floors plus stylish furniture and décor and designer lighting help create the warm feeling of a luxurious executive residence.

During the day, the Residence at The Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok is primarily booked for business meetings, while in the evening it becomes “the ultimate social venue,” says Rosalyn Sayswang, the hotel’s public relations manager. “It is the perfect space to hold a meeting due to the level of sophistication and attention to detail in the venue,” she notes. “Many of our business guests sit regularly in meetings; the Residence concept makes our guests feel comfortable, ultimately making meetings more productive.”

Part of what makes the venue so distinct is the level of service that accompanies the space, Sayswang says. “The space becomes the host’s residence for the evening. When setting up The Residence for an event, it is done as one would set his/her home to entertain his/her guests.” That may include personal photos scattered around the venue, for example, creating a much different feel than a typical banquet setup.

Another point of difference is the catering, distinct because of both the setup and the service level. “We offer an entire concept and not only an empty space with banquet tables and chairs,” Sayswang notes.

In The Residence’s Apartment 305, for example, which is a sort of residence within The Residence, “the concept is similar to entertaining in an upscale urban apartment,” Sayswang says. “Pre-dinner drinks can take place in The Gallery, before moving to the Dining Room for dinner, where the tailor-made menu prepared to the host’s preferences is cooked and served a la minute by our chefs.”

Even menus are designed and displayed as one would in his/her own home, Sayswang says. And after dinner, “guests can enjoy coffee or digestives in The Living Room or relax in the patio garden.”

As for the cuisine, “We provide international, Thai and Chinese, specializing in live cuisine cooked to order,” Sayswang says. That said, “Working between the client and our team of dedicated Residence chefs, we can produce and execute almost any cuisine available,” she notes. That is partly due to the designs of and the equipment in the kitchens of the Residence and Apartment 305, which includes pieces like a Japanese Teppan grill, combi-ovens and more from German manufacturers Bulthaup and Gaggenau.

To more fully understand The Residence concept, what follows is a brief look at each of the distinct spaces within the venue.

Apartment 301, (top image) while set up differently than its sister meeting room 302 (middle image), also has a separate living area and maintains the same residential feel. The high-ceilinged loft kitchen, meanwhile, becomes a social space for meeting or cocktail party attendees who want to grab a snack or a drink, or even to watch the chefs prepare their meals.

The Gallery serves as a gathering space during receptions.

The Gallery is the reception area between the four apartments and the loft kitchen, frequently used as an open area for gathering during cocktail receptions.

The 7-m (23-ft.) ceilinged loft kitchen—featuring an intelligent lighting system and communal tables—actually becomes a social area during meeting breaks and cocktail parties. Guests will find self-serve coffee machines and refrigerators packed with cold beverages in the kitchen, along with chefs offering tastes of whatever they are cooking, contributing to the feel of being in someone’s home and gathering around the kitchen for a drink and conversation.

Apartments 301 and 302 have their own separate living areas, while Apartments 303 and 304 can be opened up into one large meeting room. Each apartment is complete with modern audiovisual systems and wireless Internet access.

Newly opened, Apartment 305 is an extension of the Residence, designed as “a residence within The Residence.” Apartment 305, featuring the same technology and luxurious design as the other apartments, adds the unique features of its own Gallery, Living Room, Function Room, Dining Room, Show Kitchen, Whisky Room and patio garden, all in one space. The venue caters to small groups (a maximum of 32 guests for dinner or 100 guests for a cocktail reception) seeking a space for an intimate dinner, reception or business gathering.

“The guests who will use Residence 305 are those who currently use high-end restaurant private rooms for their gatherings,” Sayswang says. “305 also can be used as the VIP space when a large cocktail reception is taking place in The Residence, increasing the overall capacity by 100 guests.”

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