Lanna Heritage

Founded along the Ping River and flanked by jungle-covered mountains, Chiang Mai offers a welcome retreat for those looking for a slice of the slow life. At the new Raya Heritage, guests can appreciate the region’s roots in natural living while still enjoying the utmost comfort and impeccable design.

In Chiang Mai, people are still inspired by the region’s roots from the historic Lanna Kingdom which covered northern Thailand as well as parts of Laos, Myanmar and China during the 13th to 18th centuries. Today, the area is often thought of as one of the country’s main cultural hubs with a thriving arts and handicrafts scene.

Raya Heritage honours the region’s past through the hotel’s architecture, art and artefacts, and aims to promote a balanced life between community and nature.

“We’re going back to a better future right now,” says Naphat Nutsati, Raya Heritage’s general manager. “People in the old days, whether in design or architecture, paid attention to the details. And so are we.”

Artful Architecture

Raya Heritage’s simple yet impactful architecture paired with carefully chosen design components certainly makes an impression.

In a garden setting on the edge of the Ping River, the 33-suite resort was designed by Thai architect Boonlert Hemvijitraphan who incorporated traditional northern Thai building elements, such as substantial wood columns and beams, classic terracotta tiles and delicate mulberry-paper screens, with a modern neutral colour palette and high ceilings. The result? A fresh space that feels comfortingly familiar yet still original. Guests can lazily lounge on their spacious river-facing verandas, a feature that the resort says is a nod to when villagers would gather on their porches every evening.

Designer Details

To complement the architecture, designer Vichada Sitakalin had a clear vision to decorate the resort with curated furniture, artefacts and accessories sourced from local weavers, potters, woodcarvers and other artists. 

From the teak-framed mirrors to ceramic tiles, the design elements found throughout the resort were all handcrafted, with natural cotton, linen and hemp fabrics, created through village weaving cooperatives. This kind of natural beauty and dedication to detail is apparent even in the dyes used to colour the fabrics, which are made naturally using ingredients like local indigo.

“I appreciate culture. I appreciate craftsmanship. I appreciate the old ways of doing things and the way people in the past approached artistic endeavours as a part of everyday life,” muses Vichada when asked about her aesthetic.

“In the past, people were much better at sustainability than we are today. ‘Organic’ wasn’t a novel concept back then; it was a way of life.”

Though just a 20-minute drive from the city centre, Raya Heritage feels worlds away both in time and space. One can only hope that the sense of serenity and simplicity will follow them wherever their travels take them after staying at the refined property.

Suites starting from 8,486 THB.

Source: rayaheritage.com