| The Rachamankha is much more than just a hotel. It is an
experience. For the owners, who are two of Thailand's most famous
designers and architects, it is a creation of love and a treasury of Lanna
art and Chinese antiquities, which can be found in every guest room and
throughout the hotel. The combination of Lanna art and interior design,
and the temple style architecture has created a haven of peace - the kind
that penetrates you and touches your heart. This is an ideal hotel for
people in need of rest and relaxation The design of the hotel is taken
from the viharn (chapel) of one Thailand's most beautiful old temples, Wat
Phrathat Lampang Luang in Lampang Province, which is why the hotel looks
and feels like a temple. The hotel is planned according to ancient
principles of Chinese architecture because the architect and interior
designer want the hotel to reflect the Chinese roots of Thai
architecture. The interior design is based on northern Thai Lanna
culture, which is a blend of Chinese, Dai, Laotian, Lua, and
Burmese cultures. This accounts for why the hotel is full of Chinese
antiques and exemplifies the art and architectural features of all of
these cultures. Altogether, the hotel is a cultural masterpiece one of the
uppermost aims of creating the Rrachamankha was to enable tourists to
experience - feel and touch - genuine Lanna culture, even though it will
take many years to recoup the enormous cost of construction and
decoration. No expense has been spared to create this experience, and
indeed, many items of Lanna furniture and many of the decorative pieces of
Lanna culture were bought in Burmes, Lao and China.
 |
 |
The walls thrust out the hotel are made in an ancient manner that goes
back to Greco-Roman times and which is commonly used by Thai temples. They
are made from earthen bricks that are covered with a white limestone
plaster the takes two months to make, and which insulates the rooms so
well that they always feel cool, however hot it is outside. Earthen roof
tiles, which are a feature of Dai culture, also half to keep the rooms
cool.
When you arrive, you enter the first courtyard, which is guarded by two
Ming dynasty lions. In front of you there is a gorgeous and very rare jip
tree, which is over 100 years old, and whose red flowers hang down to the
ground. The surface of the courtyard is made from handmade earthen bricks.
Reception is the room on your left, and is unlike any other Reception area
that you will have encountered. The doors are beautifully carved in Lanna
style, a large cloth hangs from the wall telling a story from the
Vessantra Jakata, and Chinese antiquities decorate the room. Even the
Reception table is an antique.
The main courtyard adjoins the first courtyard and is split in two by a
large open-air lounge, which has a tall temple style roof and red wooden pillars. It is decorated tastefully with Chinese antiquities, the doors are
beautifully carves, and furniture is rattan and classic Chinese, Chinese
porcelain lamps and an antique chandelier in the centre provide self
lighting, while 12 rare nineteenth century paintings depiction scenes from
the Vessantra Jakata fable adorn the walls.
The courtyard garden is made up of small lawns and sweet-smelling, white-flowered
temple trees, and red and white bougainvillea, which enhance the
peacefulness. The guest rooms are located at the sides of the courtyard,
under an earthen tiled roof supported by a white colonnade that runs the
full length of each side. Old Lanna boxes and trunks are placed under the
colonnades for decoration.
Accommodation
There are 18 Superior rooms, 4 Deluxe rooms, and 1 Two-Bedroom suite.
Each guest room is slightly different because the furniture is antique,
and each piece is different. The door is an old Lanna style door with an
ornate door handle and
wooden bolts. The window blind is made from bamboo, and reeds are used to
make the colorful floor matting.
The table lamps are made from Chinese
porcelain, and a Lanna lantern with a tassel that matches the color of
the antique wardrobe hangs
down in the centre of the room. Even the sink counter in the bathroom is a
Chinese antique. The walls are decorated with dais art from Chan state in
Myanmar. The Deluxe rooms differ from the Superior rooms in that they are
larger (42 m2 compared to 30 m2 ), have a four-pester bed, and look down
onto the main courtyard.
Restaurant
Next to the restaurant there is a small, shady courtyard where guests
can dine out side while listening to old northern Thai music. The restaurant is illuminated by large Lanna
lanterns, and beautifully decorated with nineteenth century paintings that
describe part of the life of Lord Buddha on a large cloth that hangs down
from the ceiling. Antique Chinese tables and Ming Dynasty plates are
placed tastefully along the sides of the restaurant. The focus of the
cuisine is Thai, but there is also a large selection of fusion dishes that
combine food, sauces, and flavorings from Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and
Europe.
The Bar is situated next to the restaurant and is decorated with a very
rare Chinese antique liqueur screen, and lithographs by Henry Moore,
Robert Mother well, and other early twentieth century painters. The screen
shows in gold paint the whole process of tea production from the bust to
the ships exporting the packaged tea leaves.
Above the restaurant is the Gallery, shine serves to educate guests
about Lanna culture, and also to provide a meeting room. It is filled with
silverware, lacquer ware, hill tribe jewellery, a sword collection, an
eighteenth century Buddha image, and also with the post, plates, etc., that
were discovered when the hotel site was excavated.
Facilities
There is also a 20-metre swimming pool, which is lined with sun beds
and bougainvillea flowers. The airy Pool Bar offers snacks and drinks,
while the open-air room above provides a massage service.
The hotel also boasts a library with an internet room; the only hotel
in the north to provide this.
The service concept is based on the principle of creating a memorable
experience for all guests, and supports the unforgettable feeling of peace
and homeliness created by the hotel's architecture and design. Overall, a
stay at the Rachamankha is unique
Map
 |
