From Hospitality to Art

The hotel is not just a place where you spend a few short hours sleeping between adventures. It’s a starting point, the first sign of hospitality, the first step towards culture. Hotels can be unique local museums, sometimes harboring small, barely noticeable signs. Try to find them wherever you stay.

Following the threads in our journey, we found several interesting projects whose creators strive to apply the principles of ecotourism in their work. Kaomai Lanna Resort has revived the space of a tobacco factory from the last century. Little Shelter speaks the language of art, providing artists with space for exhibitions. Neera Retreat supports local entrepreneurs, preferring to work with them rather than large international suppliers. Sivatel, by cultivating a garden on one of the floors of the grand hotel, offers guests a small oasis in the bustling metropolis. Let’s share the stories we found on our journey to inspire you to seek your own.

Kaomai Lanna Resort

Kaomai Lanna Resort is more than just a hotel; it’s a whole town engulfed in the greenery of Chiang Mai. Inheriting the property of a former tobacco factory from his father, Chuck Cherdshatakur replaced the smoke of production with fresh air. While preserving the site’s history, he infused it with new meanings, creating a tranquil retreat nestled amidst nature.

Despite advice to sell the land or open another production facility, the family of Chak decided to create a paradise instead. They planted trees, opened a restaurant with friends, and naturally began to consider hotel rooms. Upon returning from studying in America, Chak himself began to immerse himself in the family business—but now fulfilling his own dreams. Preserving the factory architecture, he created a place of strength for those seeking peace and harmony with nature. During the reconstruction, urbanists tried to leave every brick intact to emphasize the careful attitude to heritage, while the interiors were filled with items from Chak’s father’s antique collection. With the help of its own AR application, Kaomai Lanna Resort offers a virtual tour to see how the tobacco factory looked before.

The story was pieced together bit by bit: interviews were conducted with people who lived here when the factory was still operating. Each contributed to the living history of the place. The involvement of people became woven into every detail of the hotel’s operation: fruits and vegetables sourced from neighboring farmers, guest programs featuring activities led by students and teachers from local schools. Workshops are held here, concerts are organized, inviting guests to join in, fostering subtle connections not only with the place or its objects but also with the people, the bearers of culture.

Little Shelter

The small design hotel with 12 rooms is the embodiment of its owner Apichai Thienwilairot’s dream. «The hotel should be your home away from home,» says Apichai, who returned after several decades in Bangkok to his native northern Thailand to open a riverside guesthouse where everyone would feel cozy. According to the concept, the building’s architecture blends with the surrounding landscape and becomes an extension of nature: under the wooden roof stands a mirrored house, as if echoing the landscape. Plastic is hardly used here, leftover food is recycled, and even filtered water is reused.

Apichai organizes art exhibitions in the hotel space: every three to four months, guests can see the works of a new local artist and meet them at the exhibition opening. Most often, the artworks at Little Shelter are reflections on ecology, and the art pieces are created from recycled materials.

Neera Retreat

Carefully and unobtrusively invites guests to familiarize themselves with practices of mindful and sustainable environmental stewardship. Every detail of the guest experience is made harmless: eco-friendly, recycled packaging for household items, local ingredients in dishes, water purification and reuse. Kitchen waste is composted for plants and distributed to anyone interested, and even airport transfers are organized only with electric cars. As part of leisure activities, they offer picnics on mats made from 100% recycled plastic, crafted by the heroes of our story — the brand Agora Mat. The hotel’s program includes yoga classes, meditations, painting sessions, and enlightening lectures on how to treat the environment more carefully. Are you ready to become an eco-advocate?

Sivatel

The hotel is quite differentе — a large skyscraper in the metropolis with many rooms. However, such projects can successfully incorporate eco-friendly solutions into their processes, which ultimately not only support nature but also enhance the guest experience. Products are organic, sourced from Thai farmers, and waste is recycled. But the most pleasant feature is a whole floor dedicated to a garden where vegetables and herbs are grown for use in the kitchen.

The principles of zero waste are gradually and painstakingly integrated into all operational processes. While it may be challenging and sometimes costly, by taking small steps and collaborating with other entrepreneurs and enthusiasts, individuals like Alisara Sirisarun, CEO of Sivatel hotel, are creating a more conscious and holistic model for the hotels of the future.

Na Nirand Romantic Boutique Resort

This resort also has its own story. Combining the aesthetics of northern Thai architecture and lifestyle with colonial heritage, its owners have created a retreat for leisurely relaxation amidst the quiet of ancient trees. The hotel staff love to tell the legend of how the first guardian of these forests planted a rain tree 130 years ago, which has become one of the symbols of the place. If this tree falls ill, special «doctors» are called in, injections are administered, and every effort is made to preserve it.

By choosing our hotel, we can support important processes and ideas, and often become not just spectators, but also heroes of big and small stories. Different hotels have their own stories — from large resorts to tiny guesthouses with just a couple of rooms. Follow the threads left by their creators and discover the amazing.