AHMS to Open Hip All-Suite Hotel in Chiang Mai
Bangkok (Thailand) – June 26, 2015 – Leading luxury boutique resort company AHMS The Collection is poised to inject a sense of hip, urban style into Thailand’s northern capital with the upcoming launch of akyra Manor Chiang Mai on August 1.
The unveiling is being held at Italics restaurant in Bangkok, an Italian culinary concept, which will be the signature restaurant at akyra Manor Chiang Mai.
Italics and akyra Manor Chiang Mai are the result of a bold collaboration between AHMS The Collection and Singapore design house, Manor Studio, where the creativity of the pioneering ‘barefoot luxury’ resort group has been paired with cutting edge architectural styling and design.
The hotel is a five-star, 30-key all-suite luxury hotel, with 23 suites at 610 sq ft and seven larger suites at a capacious 1050 sq ft created around a courtyard-within-a-room concept. It has already been accepted as a Small Luxury Hotels of the World member.
akyra Manor Chiang Mai was created to fill a niche in a market saturated by Lanna-style resorts but lacking a hip, urban hotel offering exceptionally spacious suites, a level of privacy and style hitherto unknown in the ‘Rose of the North’, and an ‘in-the-know’ insider’s cachet that comes with a location in the new hip neighbourhood of Nimman Haemin, a precinct buzzing with youth and energy and awash with art, boutiques, coffee shops and cool bars and restaurants.
AHMS founder and managing director, Ms Anchalika Kijkanakorn said she was thrilled and excited to be about to open akyra Manor Chiang Mai’s doors to its first guests.
“It’s going to be the new hot place to stay. It’s an all-suite hotel with lavish bathrooms, separate his and hers dressing areas, and a fantastic centrepiece – a white marble circular bathtub in an al fresco courtyard, with privacy preserved by a custom-made screen,” she said.
“You can really spread out and relax and live. The idea is to offer a lot of customised services. The hotel will offer bespoke guided tours to the city that take you beyond the tourist traps and to places where you can connect with authentic Chiang Mai and fascinating locals doing cool things.
“It’s perfect for guests who want to come to Chiang Mai for a long stay, or those who come and go on business frequently and want somewhere with the space and style to feel more like a home than a hotel.
“More than that, it’s hyper-local: this is where the cool locals hang out and guests can tap into that buzz and energy, yet also be able to retreat to absolute privacy. ‘Hip, cool, high service and super private’ are the words that spring to mind. Think Notting Hill, before the movie Notting Hill.”
RISE, the rooftop pool bar with a spectacular infinity pool with glass sides will become the place to be seen and the scene for the best events and parties, as well as a daily Magic Hour as the sun sets over Doi Suthep, set to become a must-not-miss ritual for guests.
Italics would also be a great place for people watching, not to mention authentic Italian cuisine with a twist, with wood-burning pizza oven and a cool urban vibe.
Chaw Chih Wen, the designer, and his team had done a sterling job on the hotel’s design, Ms Kijkanakorn said. The former protege of Cesar Pelli Architects in New York has had his work selected for exhibitions such as La Triennale di Milano (2007), the 6th International Conference in Tokyo, Japan (2006), and Tokyo Designers Week (2010). He is also the 2012 A’Design Award winner for Interior Space and Exhibition Design.
The exterior facade is a Chaw Chih Wen showstopper, inspired by Chiang Mai’s old city wall, which survives in varying states of crumbled brickwork throughout the old quarter of the city.
“The wall separates old and new, so the ancient city wall is the inspiration for the facade. It looks iconic, but we are not just pursuing ‘wow’ for its own sake,” Mr Chaw said. “We want the hotel to be perceived as something natural, a curved, organic part of the landscape, created over time with many layers. The colours are also very natural, a palette of browns and greys.”
Ms Kijkanakorn said: “This is a new chapter in our development. We have worked for more than a decade in wonderful off-the-beaten-track beachfront destinations with unique and high quality guest experiences at the core of what we offer our guests.
“This will be no different at akyra Manor Chiang Mai as we will still offer exceptional dining and destination experiences but to this we will add a higher sense of art and style, courtesy of our partners at Manor Group. It’s a perfect combination, in a perfect location.”
The luxury akyra Manor Chiang Mai opens in the northern capital’s art precinct and ‘coffee street’ Nimman Haemin with an exhibition by celebrated UK portrait photographer Dr Andy Gotts who will personally premiere his new show of Hollywood A-listers exclusively at the hotel on August 22, 2015.
Manor Group CEO John Lim added: “We are delighted to be partnering AHMS, a company with such a strong track record for innovation in the hospitality industry, to which we are able to add our creative skill set. We look forward to working with AHMS for many years to come.”
akyra Manor Chiang Mai is offering an introductory rate of THB4,200 ++ for the first three months of operations, providing art and design aficionados a great opportunity to check out the Andy Gotts exhibition while also experiencing akyra Manor’s urban chic and warm service. The exhibition will be the first in a series of regular shows by prominent artists and photographers to be shown at the new urban resort.
About AHMS
AHMS specialises in the management of small luxury resorts and is the owing and management company for Aleenta Phuket-Phang Nga (www.aleenta.com/phuket) and Aleenta Hua Hin-Pranburi (www.aleenta.com/hua hin). AHMS also operates akyra Chura Samui (www.theakyra.com). AKARYN Retreat at Koh Krabay in Cambodia is scheduled to open in late 2016.
For further information, please contact:
Eugene Oelofse
Director of Brand Communications & PR
AHMS The Collection
Tel: +66(0) 2514 8112
E-mail: eugene@ahmshotels.com
Website: www.aleenta.com