Launching a hotel brand in the middle of a pandemic that has caused a cash flow crisis for the tourism industry might seem counter-intuitive, if not downright crazy. But not to Sansiri, reportedly Thailand’s leading developer of quality homes, luxury condos and townhouses.
Having acquired the majority stake in hotel group Standard International in 2017, it sees this as an opportunity to cater to more budget-conscious travellers looking for accommodation offering simple pleasures, done just right.
Enter the Peri Hotel brand. Before its launch in October last year, Standard International was best known for its unique hotel brands – The Standard and Bunkhouse – with limited rooms, a long wait list and considerable rates.
The Peri Hotel aims to expand Standard International’s clientele base by offering more attainable accommodation with the lustre of a design pedigree.
“We are launching The Peri Hotel at a difficult moment in the world. But it is a moment when life’s simple pleasures are appreciated more than ever. This spirit of simplicity and appreciation form the foundation of The Peri Hotel brand,” says Amar Lalvani, Standard International’s CEO.
The Peri Hotel Khao Yai and The Peri Hotel Hua Hin replace the Sansiri Escape Hotels in those towns.
According to Ou Baholyodhin, chief creative officer, “Our collective teams have designed renovations that capture the soul of the locations and properties themselves.”
Situated in the lush mountainous landscape of Thailand’s third-largest national park and a Unesco World Heritage Site, The Peri Hotel Khao Yai takes its design aesthetic from the epic scenery and sets in the movie Out of Africa.
The lobby’s outdoor space with its firepit and water feature.
The interiors mix tribal patterns and animal prints in a warm colour palette comprising greens, earthy tones and terracotta.
There are four room types (26 sq m to 30 sq m each) and three kinds of suites (46 sq m to 260 sq m each) with plunge pools.
The guest room features a tribal- inspired pattern in earthy tones, greens and terracotta.
“In this season of travel changes, we haven’t just developed hotels but new ways of communing with nature and each other as well,” says Ou.
At The Peri Hotel Khao Yai, this concept is even articulated in its F&B offerings.
The Chow Barn (from Thai words for “villager”) smokehouse and live-fire grill rolls out the campsite dining experience.
Here, guests can pick their veggies from the organic farm at the start and see the meat grilled with open fire.
Lush indoor plants at the Chow Barn connect the restaurant with the outdoors.
The E-sarn Soul Cafe, which stays open till late, invites them to kick-start mornings with some Joe before taking a bicycle ride around the neighbourhood.
The hotel also provides bikes for guests to explore the National Park’s endless kilometres of trails as well as visit and make offerings to the monks in the neighbouring forest temples.
All-in-all, this is one great introduction to a relaxed, more conscious form of post-pandemic tourism.
The Khao Yai National Park is one of the best place to wildlife watching – Asian elephants, gibbons, hornbills and more – in Thailand.