New five-star hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand, first since pandemic began, to be opened by Spanish chain Melia
- ‘We are going to have a very joyful and memorable pre-opening time,’ says one employee, as launch brings relief to beleaguered tourism industry
- Hotel will open in the fourth quarter in central Chiang Mai, close to attractions such as the old city walls and moat, markets and art galleries
Occupancy in 40 Chiang Mai hotels surveyed by the Northern Chapter of the Thai Hotels Association has been less than 10 per cent throughout 2021, according to its president, La-iad Bungsrithong, and more than 70 per cent of people in tourism-related businesses have lost their jobs since the pandemic began.
It is perhaps surprising, then, that five-star Spanish hotel chain Melia plans to open in Chiang Mai’s city centre in the fourth quarter of this year.
The 260-room Melia Chiang Mai occupies the building that once housed the Pornping Tower hotel, between the Ping River and the Night Bazaar, and close to attractions such as the old city walls and moat, markets, art galleries and riverside restaurants. Its opening follows that of Melia’s first property in Thailand, on Koh Samui, in January 2020, where suites fashioned from refurbished teak barges are a key feature.
The new hotel’s general manager is Edward Snoeks, a Dutchman who has worked in hospitality management in Asia for more than 20 years.
