Award-winning mixologist Nipichthorn “Francisco” Junkaew from MAI The Sky Bar at Meliá Chiang Mai

Award-winning mixologist Nipichthorn “Francisco” Junkaew from MAI The Sky Bar at Meliá Chiang Mai will headline a special two-night guest shift at Garbo, Meliá Hanoi’s cinematic cocktail bar, in celebration of World Cocktail Day. To be staged on May 14 and 15 from 4pm until midnight, the takeover, titled “Garbo’s Signatures Reimagined in Chiang Mai Flavors” will see Francisco reinterpret Garbo’s signature cocktails with a Thai expression of herbs, spices and citrus.

Known for its old-Hollywood atmosphere and cocktail menu inspired by silver screen icons and classic films, Garbo has collaborated with Francisco on three bespoke cocktails to coincide with World Cocktail Day on May 13.

Inspired by Greta Garbo and the 1936 film Camille, “Black Glamour” combines Johnnie Walker Black Label, cacao-infused Averna Amaro, coffee and tonka bean tincture, topped with Chiang Mai stout cacao and cava air foam.

A nod to Ginger Rogers in Top Hat, “Chiang Mai Confidential” combines neem leaf-infused gin, Lillet Blanc and soda water for a herbaceous serve

“Call Me By Your Name”, that pays tribute to Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, blends Chiang Mai tea-infused vodka with clarified pomelo juice. A nod to Ginger Rogers in Top Hat, “Chiang Mai Confidential” combines neem leaf-infused gin, Lillet Blanc and soda water for a herbaceous serve.

Each cocktail is accompanied by a limited-edition coaster inspired by the Hollywood figure and film behind the drink, with a QR code that “unlocks the scene behind the sip”.

Francisco was crowned winner of the Thailand Hotel Bartender’s Championship 2025. He was also the second runner-up in the World Class Thailand 2025 national competition and won the Zacapa “Above the Clouds” Challenge.

Francisco leads the beverage program at MAI The Sky Bar, Meliá Chiang Mai’s 360-degree rooftop venue perched high above the Ping River

He has more than eight years’ experience in luxury hospitality and mixology and played a key role in the pre-opening of Meliá Chiang Mai before becoming the hotel’s beverage manager. He leads the beverage program at MAI The Sky Bar, the hotel’s 360-degree rooftop venue perched high above the Ping River with a striking glass bridge and panoramic views across Chiang Mai.

“This guest shift gives me the chance to recast Garbo’s signature cocktails through the flavours and atmosphere of Chiang Mai, with Northern Thai ingredients stepping into the spotlight,” said Francisco. “The drinks still carry that old Hollywood glamour and mystery, but with Northern Thai ingredients playing the leading role.”

The post Award-winning Mixologist Francisco at World Cocktail Day appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

The highest bar in Chiang Mai, Meliá Chiang Mai’s MAI The Sky Bar, has launched a quartet of experiences accompanied with chilled out live acoustics to make weekdays as anticipated as the weekend.

The highest bar in Chiang Mai, Meliá Chiang Mai’s MAI The Sky Bar, has launched a quartet of experiences accompanied with chilled out live acoustics to make weekdays as anticipated as the weekend

Perched on Meliá Chiang Mai’s 22^nd floor, the 360-degree rooftop bar affords sweeping views of the Ping River to the city’s east and famed Doi Suthep Temple on the mountaintop to the west. The remarkable venue features rooftop terraces at varying heights, with a spectacular glass bridge connecting the bar’s highest seating areas.

Dubbed “stylish weekday hangouts above the city skyline, where good drinks, bold vibes and sunset stories come together”, the new “Sky High Evenings: Rooftop Rendezvous at MAI The Sky Bar” weekday promotions are staged Monday to Friday until September 30 this year:

• “Beer Madness” on every Monday and Tuesday from 6-8pm offers free-flow Chang Draught Beer at THB 699 net per person.
• “Charcuterie Wine Glass Toppers” are served on Wednesdays from 6pm-midnight. A glass of red or white wine is artfully topped with a charcuterie set replete with saltara thera cheese, chorizo, Catalun and serrano cold cuts, dried prune and apricot, green and black olives, and a red grape for THB 650 net per glass.
• “Aperol Spritz Lover” every Thursday from 6-8pm is a buy two Classic Aperol Spritzes and get one free affair.
• “Mystery Drink Nights” on Fridays from 6pm-midnight entail the mixologists crafting a surprise cocktail at the special price of THB 400 net per glass.

Dubbed “stylish weekday hangouts above the city skyline, where good drinks, bold vibes and sunset stories come together”, the new “Sky High Evenings

Live instrumentalists play chilled acoustic sets from Sunday to Friday from 6.30-8.30pm. On Saturdays, a house DJ spins the decks from 7-9pm. Surrounded by glass balustrades that give way to vistas of Chiang Mai at sunset and by night, the bar is characterised by ambient lighting and contemporary Lanna décor.

Drawing on Meliá’s Spanish roots, the bar menu plates up a variety of tapas and pinchos, grazing boards and desserts. Local sustainable and organic farming underscore a variety of dishes.

In addition to cold cuts, the menu features mixed grill skewers, croquetas, fresh summer rolls comprising vegetables in fresh spring roll wrap and sweet tamarind dip, and salmon tiradito with mango passion fruit dressing, avocado mousse and pickled onion. Rich chocolate mud cake with berry compote and biscotti, and a jar of tiramisu with creamy sweetened milk and lady fingers are among the dessert options.

“Charcuterie Wine Glass Toppers” are served on Wednesdays from 6pm-midnight. A glass of red or white wine is artfully topped with a charcuterie set

The dishes are designed to be accompanied by the bar’s vast array of spirits, cocktails, mocktails, wines, beers, coffees, signature tea concoctions, smoothies and shakes, fresh juices, and soft drinks.

For further information or to make a reservation, email maiskybar@melia.com or call +66 52 090 600.  Prices are inclusive of a 10% service charge and 7% government tax.

The post Charcuterie Wine Glass Toppers’ at Sky Bar appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar, crowning Thailand’s first INNSiDE by Meliá hotel, has introduced a “Viva la Fiesta” experience replete with guest DJs, live percussionists, a giant pan of paella, and sweeping views of Bangkok’s skyline by night. Viva la Fiesta, which means ‘long live the party’ in Spanish, is staged every Wednesday from 7 pm until late at the authentic Spanish tapas bar on INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s 33^rd and 34^th floors.

Spanish Chef de Cuisine, Madrid-born Juan Ignacio García Racionero, fires up his show-stopping giant pan of paella with rotating flavours

Spanish Chef de Cuisine, Madrid-born Juan Ignacio García Racionero, who has honed his craft in some of Spain’s top kitchens, has crafted a menu that celebrates Spain’s famed gastronomy. Dishes range from ‘Pulpo A Feira’ comprising octopus with potatoes and spicy paprika and ‘Chanquetes fritos’ made up of fried fish with fried eggs and roasted peppers to ‘Croquetas de ternera y tartar de tuna’ featuring oxtail croquettes paired with fresh tuna tartar.

Other menu highlights include ‘Plato de jamon’, Iberian ham served with tomato-rubbed bread, and the Spanish omelette with creamy potato foam with truffle and Idiazabal cheese. Chef Racionero fires up his show-stopping giant pan of paella with rotating flavours such as seafood, pork, chicken and vegetables including mushrooms and Padrón peppers.

Tapas are accompanied by fun cocktails such as ‘Agua de Valencia’ concocted with freshly squeezed orange juice, cava, vodka and gin, and Spanish favourite Sangria.

In addition to live percussionists, the guest DJs spin Spanish-modern house and tribal beats weekly. As part of the event’s playful Spanish night theme, the optional dress code is red, black or bold, with a complimentary signature drink for the best-dressed guest in red and black attire.

Viva la Fiesta, which means ‘long live the party’ in Spanish

LUZ has quickly gained a reputation as ‘the place to be’ since its September 15, 2023 debut. LUZ offers authentic Spanish tapas, wines, beer on tap, cocktails, signature sangrias, spirits, mocktails, spirits and more. In a spectacle unlike any other in Bangkok, diners on the 33^rd floor peer into the bottom of the hotel’s 34^th floor infinity pool.

Before joining INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit, the Madrid-born chef worked at one Michelin-starred Saddle as well as Diverxo, recognized in the top three ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ in 2023, and acclaimed restaurants El Jardin De La Marquina and Montellen.

By night the hotel’s 34^th floor, featuring a pool bar, transparent infinity pool, and rooftop terrace dotted with outdoor lounges, sunbeds and a compelling contemporary interpretation of Bangkok’s Brahman structure The Giant Swing, all become an upper-floor extension of 33^rd floor LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar. The 33^rd tapas bar’s design, including its striking angled lines and cabling, pay tribute to another iconic Bangkok landmark, Rama VIII Bridge.

LUZ is open daily from 4pm until midnight. For further information and to make a reservation, visit https://linktr.ee/luzbangkok_tapasbar, https://www.tablecheck.com/en/innside-by-melia-bkk-luz-bangkok-tapas-bar/reserve/ or call +66 2 340 5499.

About INNSiDE by Meliá

Tapas are accompanied by fun cocktails

INNSiDE is a collection of unique urban and beach hotels designed for those with curious minds and fluid lives. Always true to their destination, they give guests the freedom to connect or disconnect among an independent community of like-minded travellers.

INNSiDE provides guests with all the everyday essentials and extra-special details to make their stay all the more unique. From in-room comforts to the inspiring Big Idea Space, Open Living Lounges, and fitness studios, we allow guests to feel more-than-at-home.

Sustainability is also packed into all the little details: every room is equipped with paper and plastic-free collateral and complimentary organic cosmetics. INNSiDE celebrates the culture of each of its locations with an events calendar, handy city guides for guests, and by spotlighting a local artist’s work across the hotel walls and onto merchandise and staff uniforms.

There are currently 38 INNSiDE by Meliá properties worldwide, with the brand continuing to expand its global footprint. All properties are located in the best lifestyle neighbourhood travel destinations. Some of them are Spain (Madrid, Mallorca, Ibiza, Fuerteventura, Zaragoza), United Kingdom (Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester), United States (New York, Lima), Germany (Berlin, Bremen, Frankfurt, Munich, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Aachen, Leipzig, Hamburg) Czech Republic (Prague), France (Paris), Italy (Milano), China (Zhengzhou), Indonesia (Yogyakarta), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and Netherlands (Amsterdam) .

Follow INNSiDE by Meliá on instagram @innside_by_melia and Facebook INNSiDE by Meliá  – https://www.innsidebymelia.com/

The post Sky-High LUZ Bangkok ‘Viva la Fiesta’ appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Meliá Pattaya Hotel, a 234-room hotel that pays homage to Pattaya’s ethnic diversity and commands expansive views of the Gulf of Thailand, opened its doors to guests on February 14. Situated in vibrant Pattaya, a short drive from Bangkok on the Gulf of Thailand’s east coast, the hotel stands 12 stories high on Second Road, known as Pattaya Sai Song, near an array of attractions.

Meliá Pattaya Hotel has cut the ribbon on a rooftop restaurant with a sky bar, an executive lounge, swimming pool with an adjacent bar and function lawn, Meliá’s signature YHI Spa, kids club Kidsdom, a fully-equipped gym, coworking space, collection of versatile meeting spaces and more.

Launched by Spanish hotel group Meliá Hotels International and owned by Thailand’s leading integrated lifestyle real estate group Asset World Corporation (AWC), the five-star hotel is part of the Meliá brand’s rollout in key destinations across Thailand. Meliá Pattaya Hotel, Thailand’s debut follows the openings of Meliá Koh Samui in 2020, Meliá Phuket Mai Khao in 2021, Meliá Chiang Mai in 2022 and INNSiDE By Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit in 2023.

The hotel’s food and beverage outlets collectively reference Pattaya’s diversity of people, their shrines, and markets, especially the longstanding Chinese communities of Chonburi. The hotel’s rooftop restaurant and bar, Yitong Chinese Restaurant & Sky Bar, serves Cantonese cuisine with some Sichuan choices in a setting characterised by pops of red, complemented by black and gold trimmings. Its views of the Gulf make the most of Pattaya’s renowned sunsets.

Specialising in fresh, locally sourced seafood, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant Sanehh Sarae tells the story of Pattaya’s Bang Saray fishing village. It is adjacent to Meliá Pattaya Hotel’s Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei restaurant Den, which pays tribute to nearby “Little Japanese Town” Si Racha and the influx of Japanese expats to the Kingdom during the “Thailand 3.0” economic era focused on heavy industry and exports.

From the moment guests set foot in the hotel, the cultural immersion experience begins with a lobby and lounge inspired by Nong Mon Market. Its surfaces reference the dish Khao Lam; sticky rice roasted in bamboo sold at the morning market.  The hotel’s pool bar embraces Jomtien Beach’s culture and winks at the influx of Americans to Pattaya in the 60s and 70s.

Ranging from a convenient 27 sqm to a generous 125sqm, the hotel’s 218 rooms and 16 suites fall into seven accommodation categories for leisure and business travellers alike. The 27sqm Deluxe Rooms and Deluxe Sea View Rooms feature king or twin beds and window-side sofa.

The Premium Room and The Level Premium Sea View Room are each 31 sqm with the latter offering, as the name suggests, views of the Gulf’s azure waters. There are also one- and two-bedroom The Level suites that span 61 to 125 sqm respectively, including The Level Presidential Suite.

Of the property’s room portfolio, 18 rooms and 16 suites belong to ‘The Level’, an upgraded level of personalised service and benefits that includes exclusive access to The Level Lounge on the hotel’s second floor. An intimate area for indulging an upgraded breakfast and afternoon delicacies that is also suited for casual business meetings, The Level Lounge is fronted by a pre-function room and is adjacent to the hotel’s ballroom Nuaan. The patterned solid wood interiors of the lounge, pre-function room and ballroom are inspired by the Baan Puek Weaving Community.

There is plenty on offer for families with the swimming pool featuring a thrilling slide and the kids club offering Meliá’s signature kids entertainment program. With a design that deploys an “under the sea” theme inspired by Koh Pai Island and its wreck dive site, the hotel’s Kidsdom hosts a variety of engaging yet educational activities.

The hotel is also home to two ballrooms, that usher in an abundance of natural light and feature LED screen technology, as well as three meeting rooms and a co-working space.

Located in the heart of the action in ‘Central Pattaya’, Meliá Pattaya Hotel affords easy access to attractions such as Pattaya Beach, Walking Street, Central Festival Pattaya, Terminal21 Shopping Mall, wooden temple Sanctuary of Truth, and Bali Hai Pier. Islands such as Koh Larn are strewn just offshore, offering idyllic spots for swimming and snorkelling.

“Meliá Pattaya Hotel is part of AWC’s mixed use The Aquatique Destinations Pattaya project and a flagship project of our strategic roll-out of the Meliá brand in Thailand, aligned with AWC’s Lifestyle Destination,” said Mrs Wallapa Traisorat, Meliá Pattaya Hotel’s owner and AWC’s CEO and President. “Meliá Pattaya Hotel will redefine luxury hospitality in one of Thailand’s most iconic beachside destinations, reflecting AWC’s commitment to be part of strengthening Thailand as a global sustainable destination.”

“AWC understands and shares our dedication to sustainable tourism and our strong service and hospitality philosophy that are epitomized in this exceptional Meliá Hotels International property with unparalleled facilities in the heart of Pattaya,” added Mr Ignacio Martin, Managing Director Asia Pacific of Meliá Hotels International. “Meliá Hotels International is a world leader in leisure and bleisure, positioning Meliá Pattaya Hotel, Thailand as an excellent fit with Pattaya that is renowned as a leisure and events destination with so much to see and do.”

“My team and I are excited about the debut of Meliá Pattaya Hotel and about delivering Meliá’s warm Spanish hospitality, distinctive passion for service and focus on the customer’s wellbeing at our one-of-a-kind hotel in an unbeatable location,” said Meliá Pattaya Hotel’s General Manager Javier Gimeno.

Meliá Pattaya Hotel is celebrating its opening by offering MeliáRewards members a Deluxe Room from THB 3,500 net per night, with breakfast for two adults and one child (aged 11 or below) and THB 500 net resort credit per stay. The opening offer is available to book from now for stays from February 15 until June 30 2025.

For more information or to make a booking, visit melia.com, email info.pattaya@melia.com or call +66 33 168 555.

The post Meliá Pattaya Hotel Opens in Tribute to History and Culture appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Two Meliá hotels in Vietnam and one in Thailand are taking their green goals to the next level with ambitious solar panel projects that have seen over 2,600 solar panels added to Meliá Vinpearl Cua Hoi Beach Resort and Meliá Vinpearl Cua Sot Beach Resort, both along Vietnam’s north central coast, and Meliá Phuket Mai Khao on the tropical island of Phuket.

Meliá Vinpearl Cua Hoi

These seafront destinations are making the most of the sunshine with the addition of 1,450 panels at Meliá Vinpearl Cua Hoi, 546 at Meliá Vinpearl Cua Sot, and 622 at Meliá Phuket Mai Khao. In Vietnam, panels have been added to several areas including rooftops, in parking areas, offices and other back of house locations. In Thailand, they have been installed on ten different buildings at the oceanfront resort, including the YHI spa and lobby area.

The new systems in Vietnam are projected to supply between 10-30% of each hotel’s total electricity consumption. The new panels at Meliá Phuket Mai Khao will generate energy of 39,414.94 Kw each month.

Meliá Phuket Mai Khao

Following these installations, Meliá Vinpearl Cam Ranh Beach Resort will be the next property to implement solar panels later this year.

“Solar panels are just one of the sustainable initiatives that our hotels are pursuing to ensure a healthier future in places where we have properties,” said Ignacio Martin, managing director for Meliá Hotels International in the APAC region. “Our hotels and resorts are also investing in circular food economies, community projects focused on restoring local natural environments, and plastic reduction or elimination, to name a few initiatives.”

Vietnam is Southeast Asia’s largest solar power market with an operating utility-scale solar and wind capacity of 19 GW, according to Global Energy Monitor. Thailand and The Philippines follow with a capacity of 3 GW each.

The post Meliá Expands Solar Ambitions in Southeast Asia appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Meliá Chiang Mai has clinched a coveted spot in the well-respected Australian magazine Holidays with Kids Readers’ Choice Awards, recognised as among “Thailand’s Best Family Resorts”. Situated in the heart of Chiang Mai city in Thailand’s mountainous north, Meliá Chiang Mai rounded out the list of 12 Thailand hotels and resorts and was the only property in Chiang Mai to make the cut.

Nominations for the Holidays with Kids 2024 Best Family Resorts Awards were open for 12 months and came from the magazine’s vast readership of more than 600,000 parents.

“The competition has been fierce, with so many kid-friendly resorts not just meeting expectations but smashing them. From creative kids’ clubs and family focused dining, to kids-centric facilities and activities, the winning resorts and hotels are raising the bar for families,” the publication said.

Holidays with Kids described Meliá Chiang Mai as “beautiful”.

“YHI Spa pampers guests with massage therapy, scrubs, wraps and facials, while the gym ensures your fitness goals stay on track,” the magazine said. “There are three dining venues serving up culinary masterpieces, and the resort even facilitates the Meliá Farm 360 experience, immersing guests in the eco-farming program that fills their plates. The rooftop bar has fantastic views of the surrounding landscape, the pool is the perfect place to cool off after a day of exploring Chiang Mai, and the kids club will keep the little nippers safe and sound when parents need a romantic evening for two.”

Meliá Chiang Mai’s general manager Marc Selinger said he and his team were honoured that the hotel had been recognised as among Thailand’s leading family properties in the awards for the second year in a row.

“We’ve got so much to offer the young and the young at heart including our Family Rooms with puzzles and board games, children’s tent, toys and more, and our vast kids and teens club with a program packed with activities such as Thai boxing, umbrella painting, and arts and craft with recycled materials,” he said. “Our large outdoor swimming pool with a shallow pool area for kids replete with two water slides, a rain curtain, water fountains and a giant tipping bucket is popular with families, and our hotel is a great base to explore Chiang Mai’s many attractions ranging from famed temple Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep to the Chiang Mai Night Safari and novel Elephant Poo Poo Paper Park.”

View the full list of winners here: https://holidayswithkids.com.au/best-family-resorts-awards/ and the full list of the ‘Best Family Resorts in Thailand’ here: https://holidayswithkids.com.au/best-family-resorts-thailand/

To contact Meliá Chiang Mai or to make a booking, email reservation.chiangmai@melia.com, call +66 52 090 699 or visit https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/thailand/chiang-mai/melia-chiang-mai/index.htm

The post Meliá Chiang Mai Among Thailand’s Best Family Getaways appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

TIME magazine is hailing Meliá Hotels International as the most sustainable company in the tourism sector, designating the Spanish hotel group a number-one pick in the ‘World’s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024’.

INNSiDE Yogyakarta – INNSiDE Room Merapi View Twin

The inaugural list includes 500 leading companies from more than 30 countries. Meliá Hotels International obtained the highest score in the tourism sector worldwide and occupies 114th place in the global ranking among all industries. The hotel group has also positioned itself in eighth place among the 25 Spanish companies that appear in the ranking.

The TIME announcement comes at the same time that Meliá secured its commitment to sustainability through Ecostars, an internationally recognised certification that evaluates and rewards sustainable practices in the hotel industry.

Twenty-seven hotels in Asia have already achieved ratings ranging from certified to Silver level. The highest-ranked hotels within the region are Meliá Bali and Meliá Purosani Yogyakarta, both in Indonesia. Meliá Makassar and INNSiDE Yogyakarta, also in Indonesia, achieved a Bronze rating, along with Meliá Vinpearl Hue and Meliá Vinpearl Phu Ly in Vietnam and Meliá Koh Samui in Thailand.

Melia Vinpearl Hue – Zenith Sky Bar

The globally-recognized Ecostars standard evaluates the sustainability of hotels, considering factors related to environmental management and energy efficiency, such as energy consumption, use of green energy, water management, waste management, carbon emissions and sustainable purchasing.

“Having an assessment as solid as Ecostars across our entire portfolio in ownership, rental and management, not only strengthens our reputation, but also directly enhances our business results, since, as a recent study conducted by Booking.com shows, a visible positioning in sustainability is valued by customers and translates into an increase in bookings,” said Gabriel Escarrer, president and CEO of Meliá Hotels International.

Melia Purosani – Presidential Suite Bed Room

For Meliá Hotels International, another strong point of the Ecostars certification is its global nature, as it is used and recognised all over the world. The portfolio assessed by Ecostars is distributed geographically as follows: 160 hotels in Europe, 60 in the Americas, 40 in Asia and 10 in Africa.

Earlier this year the group was recognized as one of the top-performing hotel companies globally according to the latest Sustainability Yearbook by S&P Global. The leading financial ratings and market analysis provider ranked Meliá in third place and the first European-origin hotel company in the ranking. The Sustainability Yearbook 2024 was based on the 2023 Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies’ sustainability practices, which covers over 9,400 companies from around the world.

The post Meliá Hotels Recognized Globally For Environmental Efforts appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Meliá Chiang Mai’s jewel in the crown, 360-degree rooftop bar Mai The Sky Bar, will welcome an award-winning bartender next month to concoct an imaginative selection of Thai-inspired cocktails.

Meliá Chiang Mai’s jewel in the crown, 360-degree rooftop bar Mai The Sky Bar, will welcome an award-winning bartender next month to concoct an imaginative selection of Thai-inspired cocktails

Benz Naphat Boonmamuang, a.k.a “Mr B”, who hails from Chiang Mai and has been recognized among Thailand’s top mixologists, will “take over” Mai The Sky Bar on Friday August 2 from 7pm until midnight.

Perched on Meliá Chiang Mai’s 22^nd floor, Mai The Sky Bar – the highest in Chiang Mai – offers spectacular views of the Ping River to the city’s east and famed Doi Suthep Temple on the mountaintop to the west. The remarkable venue features rooftop terraces at varying heights, with a spectacular glass bridge connecting the bar’s highest seating areas.

Benz Naphat Boonmamuang, a.k.a “Mr B”, who hails from Chiang Mai and has been recognized among Thailand’s top mixologists, will “take over” Mai The Sky Bar on Friday August 2 from 7pm until midnight

Mr B, the beverage and bar manager at Anantara Chiang Mai’s Brit Bar at 1921 House, has more than a decade’s experience of mixology under his belt. He has been recognised in the prestigious “World Class Thailand” Bartender of the Year Awards, named the second runner runner-up in the 2024 awards and a finalist in 2023. He was also the first runner-up at the Giffrad West Cup this year and a finalist in the Dewar’s Highball Challenge last year.

His Thai-inspired cocktails on offer during the takeover include a highball cocktail dubbed “Poy Luang”, which means a grand celebration featuring a lively procession dominated by the sounds of the gamelan.

Paying homage to traditional drinking customs where alcohol is typically consumed with pickled fruit, the cocktail features a homemade wild apple sparkling juice – made from wild apples, galangal and citron grown by the Doi Ang hill tribe community in Chiang Mai’s Fang District – mixed with Johnnie Walker Black Label Whiskey. The cocktail is garnished with plum-soaked citron wrapped in edible plastic; a nod to the world’s need to reduce plastic use.

The remarkable venue features rooftop terraces at varying heights, with a spectacular glass bridge connecting the bar’s highest seating areas

Mr B’s selection of cocktails complement Mai The Sky Bar’s menu featuring dishes underpinned by local sustainable and organic farming. Drawing on Meliá’s Spanish roots, the city’s most happening venue’s vibrant menu serves a variety of tapas and pinchos, grazing boards and desserts under sections dubbed “Para Picar”, “Tableros” and “Postres” respectively.

Mai The Sky Bar’s resident DJ will spin commercial house music, afrobeats, pop and dancehall tunes from 8pm.

Entry to Mai The Sky Bar for Mr B’s takeover is THB 250 net per person, with credit towards food and drinks.

For further information or to make a reservation, email maiskybar@melia.com or call +66 52 090 600.

The post Renowned Mixologist ‘Takes Over’ Chiang Mai’s Highest Rooftop Bar appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Thailand’s first INNSiDE by Meliá hotel is hauling in locally sourced seafood and breaking out the tables every Friday and Saturday evening for a buffet dubbed the ‘Weekend Seafood Catch’.

The Weekend Seafood Catch is served every Friday and Saturday at INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s all-day dining restaurant The Kites Eatery

Highlights of the feast at INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit’s all-day dining restaurant The Kites Eatery include grilled Ayutthaya river prawns, fresh seafood on ice such as oysters, rock lobsters, crabs, clams and mussels, and the steamed catch of the day.

Other buffet options include spicy salmon sashimi, grilled scallops, hot dishes such as crab curry and Thai beef noodles, colourful salads, roast vegetables, a selection of cold cuts and cheeses, and desserts such as playful cakes with customised ‘INNSiDE’ chocolate pieces. The seafood is accompanied by an array of condiments including the recommended chilli sauce.

Fashioned by executive chef Katisak ‘Note’ Pinkaew and his team, the Weekend Seafood Catch is served every Friday and Saturday from 6-10pm. It is priced at THB 999++ per person and THB 499++ per child aged six to 11 years inclusive of food and selected soft drinks.

Thailand’s first INNSiDE by Meliá hotel is hauling in locally sourced seafood and breaking out the tables every Friday and Saturday evening for a buffet dubbed the ‘Weekend Seafood Catch’

Situated on the hotel’s 31^st floor, The Kites Eatery is dominated by soaring windows giving way to spectacular views of Bangkok. It is adorned with abstract artwork of kites – a reference to the popular pastime of kite flying in state park Sanum Luang. Open from 6.30am-11pm, the restaurant serves up central, northern, north-eastern and southern Thai cuisine a la minute using quality ingredients sourced from local farms. The hotel’s chefs serve a healthy buffet breakfast and a la carte menu from noon, as well as customised lunches and banquets for meetings and events.

The hotel’s dining landscape also pays homage to Meliá’s Spanish origins and celebrates Spain’s gastronomy. LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar offers authentic tapas, Spanish wines, beer on tap, cocktails and signature sangrias. By night the hotel’s 34^th floor, featuring a pool bar, transparent infinity pool, and rooftop terrace dotted with outdoor lounges, sunbeds and a compelling contemporary interpretation of Bangkok’s Brahman structure The Giant Swing, all become an upper-floor extension of 33^rd floor LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar.

INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit, which debuted in July 2023 in Bangkok’s On Nut neighbourhood, is the newest member of an eclectic collection of urban and beach INNSiDE hotels.

INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit, which debuted in July 2023 in Bangkok’s On Nut neighbourhood, is the newest member of an eclectic collection of urban and beach INNSiDE hotels

The hotels are located in 14 different countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas and are designed for those with curious minds who have a fluid lifestyle when it comes to work and leisure. Situated at 1472 Sukhumvit Road, the hotel is a 30-minute ride from Suvarnabhumi Airport and close to an array of services and attractions suited to business and leisure travellers including the On Nut BTS Skytrain station and Bangkok’s largest convention centre, BITEC.

To further information or to make a booking at The Kites Eatery, visit https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/thailand/bangkok/innside-bangkok-sukhumvit or https://www.tablecheck.com/en/innside-by-melia-bkk-kites-eatery/reserve/ , call +66 2 340 5499 or email reservation.innside.sukhumvit@melia.com

The post TGIF ‘Weekend Seafood Catch’ Experience appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Spanish Hotel Group Meliá Hotels International is building its luxury brand presence in Southeast Asia with two new Thailand hotels, including the launch of the first Paradisus by Meliá-branded property in the region. The new hotels will come online as Meliá properties through an expanded partnership with Thailand’s leading integrated lifestyle real estate group, Asset World Corporation (AWC).

Meliá Paradisus Jomtien Resort

The addition of Meliá Pattaya City and Paradisus Jomtien Resort will further enhance Meliá’s presence in partnership with AWC, bringing the total number of hotels under their umbrella to six in the country. They first established a presence in the tropical destination with the opening of Meliá Koh Samui in 2020. Paradisus Jomtien Resort will be the first Paradisus announced to open in Asia. Meliá’s luxury all-inclusive brand focuses on memorable local experiences in addition to upscale dining options and is already well-established in South America and Spain.

Meliá Pattaya City will start welcoming guests in December 2024 following a full renovation. Situated in the beachside resort town of Pattaya, a popular and convenient weekend getaway from Bangkok, Meliá Pattaya City will involve a renovation of the three-star, 234-room Grand Sole Pattaya, which will bring the hotel into alignment with Meliá’s Spanish ethos and charm. The new property will embrace its coastal location by expanding F&B seafood offerings with an all-day dining restaurant inspired by a local fisherman’s village. New bars and MICE spaces will draw their design from local culture. A kids club, fitness facilities and a theater will also be added.

Paradisus Jomtien Resort will debut in 2028. With its prime oceanfront location, the new-build will make the most of the ocean views with a 43-floor tower and 698 keys. In line with Meliá’s global eco-ambitions the new hotel will sport a more dynamic and sustainable facade, incorporating vertical tropical greenery into the exterior. Forty-four rooms will feature outdoor plunge pools merging with the skyline from their terrace. The property will also include multiple restaurants, a gym and spa, convention center and meeting rooms.

“The addition of these two hotels to our portfolio marks a major milestone in our long-term relationship with AWC,” said Gabriel Escarrer, CEO and Chairman of Meliá Hotels International. “We will build on the success of Meliá Koh Samui, Meliá Chiang Mai, and most recently INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit in Thailand with AWC.”

“AWC and Meliá share a commitment to sustainable tourism. We are delighted to expand our portfolio and strengthen Pattaya’s position as a global luxury lifestyle destination by introducing the flagship Meliá Hotels & Resorts brand and Paradisus by Meliá all-inclusive luxury brand to this vibrant beachfront city,” said Mrs. Wallapa Traisorat, President and CEO of AWC. “Pattaya‘s unique positioning – with its close proximity to Bangkok, exciting activities, a variety of attractions, renowned seafood and international cuisine, and vibrant cultural scene – combined with Meliá’s extensive beachfront resort expertise, creates a special offering for global travelers seeking an unforgettable experience as well as strengthening Pattaya as a global sustainable tourism destination.”

“The Meliá Pattaya City, located within AWC’s mega mixed-use Aquatique, will strengthen the area to a new level of luxury with a world-renowned hotel operator and a variety of activities, while Paradisus Jomtien Resort will be one of the first luxury all-inclusive hotels, transforming and enhancing Pattaya into another luxury destination for leisure and MICE groups,” added Mrs. Wallapa Traisorat. “This collaboration will create significant value for the surrounding community and contribute to the Thai economy.”

Meliá Hotels International currently operates four hotels in Thailand and with this signing, the group brings the total number of properties (including pipeline) to eight across five major tourism destinations: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Phuket and Pattaya.

The post Meliá Hotels International Two New Hotels In Thailand appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Ahead of Earth Day in April and on the heels of Meliá Hotels International being named one of the most sustainable companies in the world, the Spanish hotel group is running Meliá Sustainability Week this week, shining a light on eco-initiatives that its hotels & resorts have undertaken.

Here are some of the highlights from the growing group’s properties in Southeast Asia.

Increasing biodiversity in Thailand and Vietnam

Meliá Chiang Mai kicked off a forest restoration project in partnership with the Doi Suthep Nature Study Center and the Forest Restoration Research Unit in 2022 to help restore the tropical forest in Northern Thailand. Their efforts have covered an area of more than seven acres and they have actively contributed over 4,350 trees, including important native species, to the area.

INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit, in Thailand’s capital, is also balancing its central city location with projects that prioritize the earth. Through their GREENSiDE project they partner with Bangpu Nature Education Center for tree planting activities, with their volunteer staff planting over 100 mangrove trees so far.

In Thailand’s south, Meliá Koh Samui is enhancing green spaces within the property and decreasing erosion. So far volunteers have added an additional 40 trees to the property.

In nearby Vietnam, Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort runs a Carbon Offset Program, offsetting guests’ travel emissions through tree planting initiatives. The seaside resort has also introduced more nature-based, educational experiences that highlight local ecology and conservation efforts.

Meliá Koh Samui

Creating a 360-degree food economy, minimizing food waste, and local sourcing

Meliá Chiang Mai is embracing sustainability and promoting healthy eating with its ‘360° Cuisine’ concept. In partnership with SEED farm, Meliá Chiang Mai runs a sustainable farm and harvests organic fruit, vegetables, and herbs for its restaurants. They also work closely with local farmers such as the Rong Khum Farm, sourcing free-range eggs for breakfast at The Level and organic San Pa Tong Jasmine Rice for Mai Restaurant and Bar and SUPHA BEE FARM, a local honeybee farm in Mae Rim. In their circular system they have sent back more than 3,000 kg of food for compost and fertilizer since starting the project in 2022 and over 600 kg of cooking oil has been used to produce diesel fuel from renewable resources.

Meliá Chiang Mai

At Meliá Phuket Mai Khao, the team has gotten creative with the island’s most famous fruit, the Phuket Pineapple. The cleaning team uses a natural detergent made from pineapple peel, and pineapple tops are the main table decorations throughout the property. Like Meliá Chiang Mai, the Phuket property also has its own organic vegetable garden as do several Meliá hotels including Meliá Vinpearl Cam Ranh Beach Resort, Meliá Ba Vi Mountain Retreat and Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort. INNSiDE by Meliá Yogyakarta has its own fruit and vegetable garden, growing such produce as passion fruit, melon, chili, and bananas.

On Phu Quoc Island, off the southwest coast of Vietnam, Meliá Vinpearl Phu Quoc turns food scraps into soil nutrients for its outdoor plants. INNSiDE by Meliá Yogyakarta processes its eggshell waste into powder fertilizer for plants and vegetables.

Meliá Yangon isn’t letting the property’s central location dampen its farming ambitions, as well, and the hotel has its own organic vegetable garden located on the third floor.

Sol by Meliá Benoa Bali and Gran Meliá Jakarta in Indonesia are managing food waste through the Scholars of Sustenance program, an initiative in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines designed to address food inequity and ensure that disadvantaged communities are getting nutritious meals. Through this partnership they are providing hundreds of meals per month using food that may otherwise be wasted. Both properties work to minimize food waste throughout their operations but when there is an excess it isn’t wasted.

Supporting those in need in the local community

The team at Meliá Koh Samui supports the Samui Special Needs Foundation through Roses for Hope, an artistic project where the children supported by the foundation create cardboard roses that are sold in the restaurant with proceeds going back to the worthy cause. The hotel has also been supporting Ban Plai Laem School in renovating the school premises, including installing solar lighting, painting and maintenance to help create a rich learning environment.

Meliá Hanoi has recently embarked on several outreach initiatives including organizing a fun day and gifts for the kids at Phuc Tue Center, which provides support and education to children with autism and intellectual disabilities; and providing donations to Hanoi‘s Care Centre for Children with Disabilities and the Thuan Thanh Wounded Soldier Nursing Center. Meliá Hanoi, VinaCapital Foundation and Vu A Dinh Scholarship Fund also worked together to organize a workshop on vocational skills for female ethnic minority students from all over Vietnam, who gathered in Hanoi to participate in an Empowerment Meeting.

INNSiDE by Meliá Yogyakarta

Meliá Purosani Yogyakarta has joined global cleaning products manufacturer Diversey’s Soap for Hope program. The hotel recycles hotel soap into new (sterilized) soap which is then packaged and sold as souvenirs in the hotel. Soap sale profits go to the Reachout Foundation, which supports various community empowerment programs. The Indonesia-based hotel also started a coffee brick initiative where the hotel processes used coffee grinds into charcoal/coffee bricks which are then used as fuel for barbecue theme dinners and events at the property.

In Malaysia INNSiDE by Meliá Kuala Lumpur Cheras and Meliá Kuala Lumpur, partnered up in December to visit Pusat Kebajikan Amal Jian An, a local welfare center, where they distributed essential goods and enjoyed games and performances ahead of Christmas.

The Meliá Yangon team are also actively involved in community programs such as Linen for Life, where they made 4,000 masks by upcycling old bed sheets and unusable uniforms into fabric, and through visiting local elderly homes and youth centers to provide support.

Staff from INNSiDE by Meliá Kuala Lumpur Cheras and Meliá Kuala Lumpur visit a local welfare center

More digital and less plastic at properties

Meliá Hotels throughout the region are increasingly going paperless with necessary information and menus available via QR code at such properties as Gran Meliá Nha Trang, Meliá Phuket Mai Khao and INNSiDE by Meliá Kuala Lumpur Cheras.

Gran Melia Jakarta Eco-friendly grass straws

Eco-friendly grass straws and paper straws have become the norm and can be found in drinks at Meliá Vinpearl Hue, Meliá Vinpearl Danang Riverfront, and Meliá Makassar among most other hotels in the region. Plastic bottles are becoming a thing of the past at each property too. Meliá Makassar is the most recent convert having switched to glass bottles in December 2023. Gran Meliá Jakarta has also eliminated all plastic water bottles in guest rooms and meetings and moved away from plastic straws, and single-use disposable amenities opting for refillable dispensers for toiletries instead. Plastic keycards are being updated to bamboo keycards at properties such as Meliá Makassar.

Global recognition

Meliá Hotels International’s efforts worldwide have resulted in the hotel group being recognized as one of the top-performing hotel companies globally according to the latest Sustainability Yearbook by S&P Global. The leading financial ratings and market analysis provider ranks Meliá in third place – behind Thailand‘s Asset World Corporation and Minor – making it the first European-origin hotel company in the ranking.

The Sustainability Yearbook 2024 is based on the 2023 Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies’ sustainability practices. It covers over 9,400 companies from around the world.

“We are very proud to once again be recognized as one of the leading hotel companies in sustainability worldwide, and we will continue to work to innovate and lead the way towards more responsible tourism, contributing to generating wealth in destinations and improving our positive impact on communities,” stated Gabriel Escarrer, President and CEO of Meliá Hotels International.

The post Meliá Sustainability Week Highlights appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Elevated luxury pool villa sanctuaries are surrounded by tropical rainforest, overlooking Karon Beach

Prestigious international property developer, Mishari Group Ltd, is set to re-awaken interest in the “sleeping giant” of Karon Beach as it unveils rainforest pool villa sanctuaries with 180-degree views and entice the new international generation of lifestyle-seeking buyers to the legendary destination.
Karon Beach is the location for Meliá Phuket Karon Residences, a hillside development containing a 138-key hotel and 68 low-density residences, overlooking the arching bay and turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea from a verdant forest “box seat” vantage point. Nestled in 16 acres (40 rai) of centuries-old jungle, amongst soaring indigenous trees, Meliá Phuket Karon Residence integrates the beauty of the site with the latest in contemporary, sustainable design, featuring an ecological nature reserve that occupies over 50% of the development.
“The natural contours of the land and the astonishing views over the bay have inspired this project,” said Faheem Ahmed, Chairman, Mishari Group, a developer with a track-record in London and Hong Kong. “It gives us great pleasure to unveil the pool villa and condominiums which will appeal to an increasing number of international residents who are moving to live in Phuket, full or part time.”

Phuket’s “sleeping giant,” Karon Beach is a gorgeous stretch of powder-soft sand on the island’s sunset coast – Image credit to Phuket 101

The transformation of Phuket since Covid is well documented as drivers based of the desirability of living on an island connected by over 50 international direct flights a day, with international schools and world-class medical care turn Asia’s tourism centerpiece into a residential lifestyle haven.

A total of 16 three and four bedroom Ocean View Pool Villas (ranging from 320-490 square metres) offer two levels of luxurious living with open-plan indoor spaces, alfresco terraces and an elevated 9.5-metre-long outdoor infinity pool. A further 52 condominium units range from 56-square metre one-bedroom Ocean View Residences to 88.5-square metre two-bedroom Ocean View Residences. All are blessed with light-filled living spaces, high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling sliding doors designed by the Underwood Art Factory, custom-built furniture, marble bathrooms and contemporary kitchens.

A total of 52 one- and two-bedroom low-rise condominiums are perched on the hillside

All residents will enjoy five-star services managed by Meliá Hotels International, the acclaimed European hotel group, including an 800-square metre forest spa, bars and restaurants, a beach club, and a nature park. Karon Beach is just five minutes away by a dedicated shuttle service. Residents are offered use of a 70-foot, four-bed Sunseeker boat with capacity for 20-30 people.
“We are delighted to partner with Mishari to unveil a collection of pool villa sanctuaries,” said Ignacio Martin, Asia Pacific Managing Director, Meliá Hotels International. “This project is very much in line with our nature-focused outlook. By blending natural beauty with world-class hospitality, this development will once again put Karon Beach on the map as one of the most sought-after destinations on the island.”
Established in Spain in 1956, Meliá Hotels International is the world’s leading resort management company with more than 380 hotels and resorts in 40 countries worldwide. It was also named as the “Most Sustainable Hotel Company in the World” in 2022, due to its deep commitment to protecting the environment and communities everywhere it operates – including Phuket.

The hotel lobby offers an impressive arrival experience with stunning views over Karon Beach

Construction of Meliá Phuket Karon Residences is well underway, with 60% of the project having already been pre-sold. The first show condo will be ready in March 2024, and all condos and pool villas are expected to be fully completed by March 2025. A Meliá-managed rental pool will be available for residence owners.
Prices at Meliá Phuket Karon Residences start from THB 8.5 million. For more information, please visit meliáphuketkaronresidences.com.

The post LUXURIOUS RAINFOREST RESIDENCES ON KARON BEACH appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Meliá Hotels International has achieved another significant milestone in sustainability by being recognized as one of the top-performing hotel companies globally according to the latest Sustainability Yearbook by S&P Global. The leading financial ratings and market analysis provider ranks Meliá in third place – behind Thailand‘s Asset World Corporation and Minor – making it the first European-origin hotel company in the ranking.

Melia Ba Vi Mountain Retreat in Vietnam

The Sustainability Yearbook 2024 is based on the 2023 Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies’ sustainability practices. It covers over 9,400 companies from around the world. In 2023, 61 companies from the “Hotels, Resorts, and Cruises Lines” industry were assessed, of which only 7 have been included in the yearbook. To be included, companies must score within the top 15% of their industry. In other words, only those companies demonstrating exceptional performance compared to others in their industry have the opportunity to be part of this recognized group of leaders in sustainable practices.

The assessment analyses a total of 26 criteria covering the three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, social, governance & economic. Meliá has scored a total of 69 out of 100 points, ahead of the leading traditional hotel chains in America and Europe.

Melia Phuket Mai Khao in Thailand

Additionally, Meliá has achieved the highest score in the industry for Climate Action. This achievement is the result of the effective implementation of measures prioritising environmental sustainability in the management model, within the company’s strategic roadmap. It has also excelled in areas such as Transparency and Reporting, Environmental Management System, Human Rights, or Engagement with stakeholders, among others.

“We are very proud to once again be recognized as one of the leading hotel companies in sustainability worldwide, and we will continue to work to innovate and lead the way towards more responsible tourism, contributing to generating wealth in destinations and improving our positive impact on communities,” stated Gabriel Escarrer, President and CEO of Meliá Hotels International

www.meliahotelsinternational.com

The post Meliá most sustainable world hotel companies appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Meliá Chiang Mai is getting the mulled wine ready for its sublime Christmas and New Year’s celebrations featuring sky-high parties, lively buffets, intimate four-course dinners and afternoon tea for two.

‘New Year’s Day Dinner’ at 21st floor Mai Restaurant & Bar

The urban hotel, which debuted last year in the heart of Chiang Mai with the city’s highest rooftop bar affording awe-inspiring views, will mark its second festive season with a program filled with merriment including:

1. Ruen Kaew Lounge concocting ‘Vino Caliente De Bayas’ (mulled berry wine), ‘Vino Caliente Con Especias’ (mulled wine with spices) and ‘Vino Clinate Clasico’ (classic mulled wine) from 5-10pm from Dec. 1, 2023 – Jan. 31, 2024. THB 350 per glass.
2. ‘Festive Afternoon Tea’ at Ruen Kaew Lounge from 2-5pm, Dec. 1- Jan. 31. Sweet treats include ‘Mini Roscón de Reyes’, Spanish almond cake, churros with warm chocolate dipping sauce, and sangria ice popsicles. Stack of Manchego and quince paste, serrano ham croquetas, and smoked turkey and avocado sandwiches are the savories, paired with fine tea or freshly brewed coffee, and two glasses of Sangria or Spanish Cava. THB 1599 per set for two.
3. 

   ‘Christmas Day Dinner’ at Mai Restaurant & Bar

   Santa Claus giving children gifts to a backdrop of live music at Laan Na Kitchen’s ‘Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet’ from 6-10pm. Whole roasted turkey, beef shawarma, a poke bowl counter with salmon, tuna, chilled seafood, tobiko, avocado, nori, egg, and winter vegetable toppings, as well as Churros con Chocolate and Tronco de Navidad desserts are among highlights. THB 2500 per person. THB 1250 per child aged six to 12 years. THB 1900 extra per person for two-hour free flow soft drinks, chilled juice, draught beer, house wine and sparkling wine.

4. Resident DJ Fufu spinning the decks and Danica band performing at 22^nd floor Mai the Sky Bar’s ‘Christmas Eve R&B Night’ from 6-12pm. THB 500 per person inclusive of festive welcome drink.
5. 

   ‘New Year’s Eve Buffet’ at Laan Na Kitchen

   A four-course Northern Thai set dinner marking Christmas Day at 21^st floor Mai Restaurant & Bar from 6-10pm. The ‘Mellow Christmas Day Dinner’ starts with a platter of creamy chicken choux, a golden shrimp spring roll and citrus crispy noodles followed by a creamy hot and sour soup with locally raised turkey and farm products. The main course is a choice of slow and tender roasted beef fillet steak with spicy toasted rice gravy, root vegetables and potatoes or wok-fried tiger prawns, New Zealand mussels, squid, and lotus stems with salted egg rice, topped off with a Christmas treasure box of desserts. THB 1999 per person with a glass of house red or white wine.

6. Mai the Sky Bar’s ‘Christmas Day Pop-Rock Night’ with Ripeye band performing from 8-11pm. THB 500 net per person inclusive of a festive welcome drink.
7. 

   Laan Na Kitchen’s ‘Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet’

   Laan Na Kitchen’s lavish ‘New Year’s Eve Buffet’ making for a culinary journey around the globe from 6.30-10.30pm, as a live band entertains. Highlights include roasted prime ribs, seafood on ice, charcuterie board, salmon tiradito, a live cooking foie and truffle cream pasta station, Spanish-inspired Roscón de Reyes pastries, strawberry trees, a chocolate fountain with marshmallow skewers, Basque burnt cheesecake and more. THB 2700 per person. THB 1350 per child aged six to 12 years. An extra THB 1900 per person for two-hour free flow soft drinks, chilled juice, draught beer, house wine and sparkling wine. All kids have complimentary access to KIDSDOM.

8. 

   ‘Festive Afternoon Tea’ at Ruen Kaew Lounge

   Ringing in 2024 with a bang as fireworks light up the sky at Mai the Sky Bar’s ‘In the Sky New Year’s Eve Countdown Party’ from 7pm-1am. Entertainment from Young Brother band and DJ Fufu, with prizes on offer. THB 2500 per person for access to the lower rooftop and THB 3000 per person for the upper rooftop, including THB 1500 of credit for food and beverages.

9. Starting 2014 on a delectable note with Mai Restaurant & Bar’s ‘New Year’s Day Dinner’ from 6-10pm. The four-course Thai set dinner begins with green rice-crusted shrimp cake, Northern-style pork salad, and galloping horses appetizers, followed by Tom Kha soup with crabmeat, young coconut, and fresh turmeric. After a choice of grilled sirloin steak with scented gravy and tamarind-glazed vegetables or grilled Andaman yellow curry tiger prawns with crab roe brown rice for the main course, a New Year’s treasure box of desserts rounds out the dinner. THB 2300 per person with a glass of house wine.

For further information or to make a booking, contact Mai the Sky Bar on +66 (0)52 090 600 or maiskybar@meliachiangmai.com, and Laan Na Kitchen on +66 (0)52 090 601, and Mai Restaurant & Bar and Ruen Kaew Lounge on + 66 (0)52 090 602 or fb@meliachiangmai.com

Visit https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/thailand/chiang-mai/melia-chiang-mai

The post Meliá Chiang Mai To Toast a Merry and Bright Festive Season appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Not long ago, luxury travel and kids were rarely seen in the same sentence. However, times have changed as the demand from parents wanting their little ones to enjoy the same five-star experiences as them grows and grows. My 5-years-old Leonardo and I are not snooty travellers: we have stayed in one, two or three stars that were great also. But for the start of this adventure trip, I wanted him to experience the best, so for our Chiang Mai stay I picked Meliá Chiang Mai.

Melia Chiang Mai Entrance

Meliá Chiang Mai opened in 2022, the first five-star opening in the city since the pandemic, and was born from a major facelift to one of the highest buildings in this colourful northern Thailand city of historic charms and cultural attractions. Its location is amazing, not far from the banks of the Ping River, a 15 minutes walk to the walled old city with its famed temples and alleyways, and with one of the city’s biggest night bazaars on its doorstep. While we had a rented car, the hotel location made it convenient for us to just get out and walk around the town.

Leonardo at check in

As I expected from a Meliá property, the unique Spanish ambience is ever-present. Yet, with its spectacular interiors designed by Bangkok firm PIA, Meliá Chiang Mai has a definite sense of place and exudes the mystic splendour of northern Thailand, paying homage to the town’s features and to the culture and handicrafts of local hill tribes. The hotel is overall modern, but it uses Thai culture as its inspiration in its arcs, walls and furnitures. Its decor includes Thai themes, luscious oversize installations that reference silversmithing, weaving and Lanna (Northern Thai) architecture, metal artistic lanterns and woven basketry. Leonardo loves museums, and his exact words after he roamed about the reception area were: “Papa, this hotel is like a museum”. I was pleased.

Melia Chiang Mai The Level Room

The next mention goes to their awesome services. Meliá sense of hospitality includes an emphasis on personalised service and guests’ well-being. We were met by professional and enchanting smiles and greetings by local staff from the moment we entered the dazzling lobby, and this feeling stayed right up to the moonlit rooftop bar on the 22nd floor. Indeed, the staff was beyond fantastic, friendly, helpful and so patient with such a small kid; I was truly amazed. They really cared that we had a wonderful experience, and we did.

The Level Lounge Reception

Meliá Chiang Mai has 254-room comprising a seven-storey podium building, where the entrance is located, connected to a 22-floor tower. All rooms and suites are contemporary and equipped with all modern conforms. The room we stayed in was on the 19th floor, which is considered part of The Level: the same as the basic Meliá room but with additional amenities and benefits such as a Nespresso coffee machine and pods, access to The Level Lounge with its various daily F&B offerings on the 21st floor, and late check out. Our room was modern, pleasant and spacious, with hardwood floors, tapestries and views across the city rooftops, the Ping River and the mountains, which, needless to say, Leonardo enjoyed and never got tired of. A 50-inch wall-mounted flatscreen TV facing the huge king bed, USB ports and a good wifi connection completed the job.

Leonardo at Kidsdom kids club

Next, my kid wanted to check the facilities I had so often mentioned in the previous weeks: the kids pool and the kids club. The hotel’s kids and teens club Kidsdom offers a program packed with activities such as Thai boxing, umbrella painting, plaster model painting, arts and craft with recycled materials and origami (which Leonardo booked but never got to attend as he was so busy in the pool). It comprises numerous sections including a ‘gaming zone’ offering Chess, Monopoly, Uno, Jenga, Tic-tac-toe, table football, and other games, and a ‘teen club zone’ featuring a drawing board, water colours, colouring pencils and crayons, and painted plaster dolls. In addition to a ‘mini club’ replete with Lego, rocking horses, indoor sliders, a ball house and wooden block puzzles, Kidsdom is also home to a library zone, TV zone and nap studio. A paradise for Leonardo, and it was hard to take him away.

Leonardo at the kids pool

But I used the pool as bait, and it worked. Adjacent to the hotel’s large outdoor swimming pool on the second floor, the hotel has a shallow watery playground home to two water slides, a rain curtain, water fountains and a giant tipping bucket. Leonardo being a good swimmer, he loved to switch between the adult and the kids pool, and this was a real blessing for his father, who could finally enjoy a generously sized pool with navy blue tiling, as well as a cocktail or three at the Tien Pool Bar.

It is worth mentioning that Meliá Chiang Mai is offering a ‘Family is Everything’ package, with all details HERE.

Enjoying a deserved fresh coconut water after his swim

But let’s talk about food and drinks now. Laan Na Kitchen restaurant on the ground floor serves breakfast from 6.30 to 10.30am, as well as Mediterranean cuisine (including freshly-made churros and tortilla!) but with interesting Thai twists.  To the left of the lobby is the Ruen Kaew Lounge, where you can get afternoon tea along with the usual drinks and pastries.

On the 21st floor is The Level Lounge, the hotel’s executive lounge, where Leonardo got spoiled with mousses, smoothies and all sort of kid’s snacks, as well as enjoying the pretty amazing views and the staff girls’ continuous attention. The Level Lounge cohabits with Mai Restaurant & Bar, serving fine dining Thai cuisine derived from northern Thailand’s Lanna kingdom, but with subtle Mediterranean influences (open 6 to 10pm). To be noted that much of the produce is sourced from the nearby ORI9IN organic farm. I enjoyed an exceptional tasting menu there, but I will talk about that in a different article.

Mai The Sky Bar

Last but not least is the amazing, the hotel’s jewel in the crown, the one and only Chiang Mai’s premier Mai The Sky Bar, which seems to be the only one with a 360 degree stunning views over the Ping River or Doi Suthep mountain and its sunsets. This very trendy city haunt has two bars connected by a glass bridge and it is open 4pm to midnight.

Complimentary maccaroons!

Meliá Chiang Mai promotes sustainable tourism through a variety of means, including having its own organic farm, from which its restaurants get much of their produce (any leftovers go back as compost, too); using biodegradable packaging; utilising refillable containers and dispensers in rooms; and providing drinking water in glass bottles.

Our verdict is clear: Meliá Chiang Mai features all the five star extras you’d expect: the gym, the spa, the bars, the kids facilities, all coupled with excellent service and amazingly trained staff. This is a welcome addition to an increasingly cosmopolitan city, one that looks set to attract business and leisure travellers. The only negative factor? With all the entertainment for kids and adults alike, you have very little reason to want to leave the hotel at all, which would be a real shame since Chiang Mai, the jewel of the north, is a Thai city well worth exploring!

The post Leonardo at Melía Chiang Mai appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

Anchored by a picture-perfect swimming pool, Meliá Chiang Mai has introduced Tien Pool Bar with a design that pays tribute to some of Chiang Mai’s most famous landmarks including Tha Phae Gate.

Situated on the second floor of the hotel, on the lively Charoen Prathet Road by the River Ping and Night Bazaar in the heart of Chiang Mai city, Tien Pool bar is open daily from 10am until 7pm.

Tien Pool Bar’s design pays tribute to some of Chiang Mai’s most famous landmarks including Tha Phe Gate

With a 28-seat capacity, the bar’s stools, outdoor sofas and sunbeds make the most of the hotel’s outdoor pool with striking tiling that makes for a contemporary interpretation of textile patterns the locals call “teen jok”. Similar patterns are also evident on the exterior façade of the hotel visible from the bar.

Its distinctive red brickwork references Chiang Mai’s venerable landmark Tha Phae Gate. As the east entrance to the Old Town, the gate was designed to protect Chiang Mai from invaders.

Arch-shaped mirrors behind the bar’s counter are nods to 700-year-old Buddhist temple Wat Umong, also known as “Tunnel Temple”. Tien Pool Bar’s gardens draw inspiration from the picturesque Royal Flora Ratchaphruek.

Meliá Chiang Mai’s Tien Pool Bar is anchored by a picture-perfect swimming pool

The bar’s menu includes the ‘Triple Decker Sandwich’ comprising fried breaded chicken, bacon, lettuce, fried egg and aioli on dark rye bread. The ‘Plant-based Burger’ features hummus, tomatoes and gherkins on a sesame bun accompanied with potato wedges, and the ‘Cheese Burger’ is made up of a grilled beef patty topped with melted cheese served with caramelized onions, gherkins and French fries.

The ‘Seasonal Fruit Platter’ with wild honey, Greek yogurt and lime is part of the hotel’s sustainable ‘360° Cuisine’ program. Under the program, the hotel works closely with local farmers to help them improve sustainability and encourage ethical production to make communities and the overall food system more resilient.

The pool bar also serves fresh juices, smoothies and shakes, soft drinks, beers, mocktails, cocktails, and wines including organic and vegan wines.

“Coco Cooler” is a special promotion on offer until June 30 this year

Royal Flora Ratchaphruek’s colourful flowers inspire the bar’s selection of imaginative cocktails such as ‘Meliá Blossom’, comprising lychee juice, lime juice, cherry blossom syrup, and grenadine, decorated with coral vine flowers.

Priced at 350 THB (USD 10.20) per cocktail, “Coco Cooler” is a special promotion on offer until June 30 this year. Served in a coconut shell, Coco Cooler features rum, banana liquor, caramel syrup, coconut milk, pineapple juice, and lime juice.

To contact Meliá Chiang Mai or to make a booking, email reservation.chiangmai@melia.com, call +66 52 090 699 or visit https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/thailand/chiang-mai/melia-chiang-mai/index.htm

The post Meliá Chiang Mai Launches Coolest Pool Bar appeared first on Asian Itinerary.