Like a retro train: The Intercontinental Khao Yai Resort in Thailand
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14 Mar 2023
The interiors and villas of the Thai hotel look like Art Deco train cars: in one there are retro rooms, in others there is a restaurant, a jazz bar and even a children's center. Designer Bill Bensley came up with such a non-standard solution
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
The InterContinental Khao Yai Resort is located on the edge of Khao Yai National Park (the most visited in Thailand) — UNESCO World Heritage Site. The resort stands out among other holiday destinations not only for its five-star amenities and scenic views, but also for its original concept. Designer Bill Bensley designed the interiors and public areas in the spirit of retro Art Deco trains. He drew inspiration from the history of this place — at the beginning of the twentieth century, Khao Yai was one of the most important destinations for traveling in Southeast Asia.
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
From the reception desk, which looks like a ticket office, buildings and villas with interiors reminiscent of luxury Art Deco cars, to the spa and jazz bar, Bill Bensley filled the hotel with charm and romance of leisurely rail travel.
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
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Nopanon Itthiakarapong
Impressions begin from the very entrance when guests arrive at the hotel. The reception desk, stylized as a ticket office, is decorated with vintage railway: retro suitcases, old tickets and the traditional bell of the stationmaster, who rings welcoming guests. Memorabilia from various railways, brought from English cities and Bangkok, can be found throughout the hotel.
"Collecting things for this project was an adventure in itself," says the designer. His favorite find — a huge map of the 1920s, which depicts all the railway stations in Thailand - now hangs in one of the guest houses.
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
Guests are accommodated in one of the 45 rooms in the main buildings or in 19 separate suites located in converted railway cars. The suites are located around the lake and are all named after different stations of the era of King Rama V, the founder of the modern railway system in Thailand. It was under his patronage that the region became a key point for railway travel in the late XIX — early XX century.
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
In all rooms, the walls are decorated with wooden panels stylized as the lining of cars, picturesque wallpaper and silk fabrics made to order by Jim Thompson. Rounded large windows in the rooms remind of train windows, so that guests, even while in the room, could feel on the road and admire the landscape spread out below.
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort, Nopanon Itthiakarapong
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
Billy Bensley's project is not only original, but also eco—friendly. The designer works with local materials, reuses old wagons, pays attention even to little things like key cards (they are made of wood, not plastic) and cleaning and detergents (exclusively biodegradable, not harmful to nature).
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
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InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
The eco-approach has also been reflected in the work of the hotel's kitchen: in the restaurant, Something's Kitchen is prepared on the principle of "from farm to table" and serves fresh products from its own organic farm. The atmosphere of trips in first class can be felt in the Poirot restaurant with French cuisine, it is located in an old restored carriage. Guests can listen to live music in the Papillon Jazz Bar, which is also equipped in a modernized carriage.
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