Last year, Meliá, the Spanish five-star hotel brand, opened its first property in Thailand on Koh Samui. This year, it’s turning to the country’s second city for its next.

 

The Meliá Chiang Mai will open behind the city’s night bazaar, looming over the Ping River, in the fourth quarter of 2021 (i.e., sometime between October and December).

 

Owned by Thai real estate group Asset World Corporation (AWC), this hotel will have 260 guestrooms. Of those, 38 rooms and six suites will belong to “The Level,” an upgrade that offers access to the executive lounge, private breakfast service, cocktail and canapé hours, private check-in and check-out, discounts at the spa, and more. These rooms are also on higher floors. In all rooms, though, the interiors will reference northern Thai design. Think earthy hues, wood and rattan accents, and outdoor awnings that reflect the region’s kalae houses.

 

The highlight here, however, is likely to be the rooftop bar on the 22nd floor—the highest bar in Chiang Mai to date. The bar—or, rather, two bars that are linked by a glass bridge—will offer 360-degree views of the city, according to a press release.

 

Besides the rooftop bar, the food and beverage options include two restaurants. One promises northern Thai cuisine jazzed up with Mediterranean touches and the other all-day Mediterranean-focused dining in a marketplace-like setting. 

 

There’s also a pool with a swim-up bar and a gym, as well as the brand’s YHI spa, which has seven treatment rooms.

 

Although it’s sure to appeal to most travelers with a little money to burn, the hotel seems primed to cater to business travelers and groups above all. It will have two lounges, a 358-square-meter ballroom, and three function rooms, as well as a 175-square-meter function room located in the seven-story podium building that fronts the main 22-story tower.

 

Interestingly, the ballroom’s sizable, 173-square-meter pre-function area is connected to an outdoor swimming pool and poolside bar. Breakout swim, anyone?

 

In 2022, Meliá will continue its expansion in Thailand with a new property near Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. The 176-room Innside by Meliá will be the first of that sub-brand to open in Thailand, but expect more in the future.

 

Pre-opening rates start at US$122 (about B4,000). Next week, the property will reveal opening deals for Thai nationals and residents, too. For more information, visit the hotel’s website.