InterContinental Chiang Mai The Mae Ping in Thailand has opened its doors. When designing the conversion project from the former Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, design firm PIA Interior layered traditional Lanna heritage with the building’s storied past, resulting in spaces that honor the hotel that had welcomed generations of travelers over its 30-year history.
Guests can choose from 240 rooms and suites facing the old town or the misty slopes of Doi Suthep mountain. The accommodations have handcrafted objects commissioned from local artisans and spacious bathrooms with a plunge bathtub. Guests staying in Premium Rooms and Suites will enjoy Club InterContinental benefits, including a deluxe breakfast served in a private area, daily afternoon tea and evening cocktails.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, The Gad Lanna evokes a traditional market with seasonal, organic ingredients used comforting northern Thai dishes. Overlooking the hotel’s main pool, Kam Lobby Lounge offers light meals, coffee and organic Monsoon Tea produced in the mountains of Northern Thailand. Guests can enjoy cocktails and music in the evenings. On the 16th floor, signature restaurant Hong’s Chinese Restaurant & Sky Bar serves fiery Sichuan, Cantonese and Taiwanese dishes; the signature Teresa Teng tea ceremony is a tribute to the Taiwanese singer who was once a regular at the hotel.
Guests can enjoy a range of experiences, from tea-blending workshops and local chocolate-tasting to white-water rafting, jungle walks and hot air balloon rides followed by a lakeside picnic. The brand’s signature Planet Trekkers program for young guests will offer activities such as clay figurine-marking, banana leaf-folding and coconut shell crafts. The hotel will also host rotating art exhibitions and music performances in partnership with The Center for the Promotion of Arts and Culture of Chiang Mai University.
Good to know: In addition to growing fresh produce at its own organic garden, the hotel works with local suppliers, including bee and cacao farms, besides partnering with the Royal Project Foundation, a Thai non-profit organization.
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