Maladee Rendezvous Hotel opened recently along Charoen Prathet Road near the Night Bazaar and is yet another fantastic hotel to add to our feathery cap, one which will appeal to many visitors to Chiang Mai.
First off, the location is great, being within a five to ten minutes drive from most city locations, as well as only 15 mins from Chiang Mai International Airport. This leafy upscale neighbourhood saw bustling trade at the beginning of 19TH century, as boats came up and down the river trading goods from across the region. By the early 1900s, foreign consulates and a number of missionary-founded local schools also opened up in the area. Today some of the city’s best restaurants, boutiques and sights are within walking distance of Maladee Rendezvous Hotel and this is a great base from which to discover all the things to do in Chiang Mai.
The 34-room Chiang Mai hotel sits on a nice sized land and the spacious rooms and suites surround a centerpiece of a swimming pool which comes with a bridge crossing, a heated jacuzzi, in-pool sun beds, and lounges under the shade. This hotel has more than most to offer though, as it has a bit of a history, which adds charm to any guest experience.
“My grandparents originated from China and came to Thailand after they got married. My father, Mana Chaiphanichapun, grew up in Bangkok and migrated to Chaing Mai during the late 1900s. He opened a stationary business, Manapanich, which eventually turned into Chiang Mai’s most well-known school supply shop at that time.” Maladee Rendezvous Hotel’s owner Temsiri Chaiphanichapun, 45, told Citylife as she took us on a tour of her property.
“I and my three brothers grew up surrounded by books and notepads. So stationery is in our blood,” she laughed, as we walked through the hotel lobby where a mini-museum showcases the hotel’s stationery past. There are all sorts of odds and ends from stationery days of yore showcased for guests to get a sense of Maladee Rendezvous Hotel and the former house’s history. “I went to Regina Coeli school, which is just down the road, and this here was our old house which my parents built around the time I was born. Today, Temsiri’s generation honors their parent’s humble stationery shop as well as the success of Manapanich to expand into both the property and hotel industries, with Maladee Rendezvous Hotel being one of the family’s businesses.
Opened in May 2022, Maladee Rendezvous Hotel has been designed to the personal tastes of Temsiri, who says that she likes the contemporary nostalgic architecture of the hotel which offers all the modern conveniences, luxurious facilities and amenities expected from a small luxury hotel with a sense of historical neighbourhood. “It is all about attention to details,” insists Temsiri, as we walked around a couple of large rooms and suites. A room service menu and hotel information QR codes are printed on the sides of a miniature lantern traditionally used for local festivals, or a stationery set – complete with printing blocks, ink pad and stationery – reminds guests of the hotel’s story while also offering a unique guest experience. Amenities are generously offered, including generous bath products to be indulged in the massive tub or under the rain shower, a daily and generous free minibar as well as an afternoon tea treat at The Club.
“While many of Chiang Mai hotels cater only to visitors, Maladee Rendezvous also aims to appeal to locals. Their Rosemary Restaurant, headed by Chef Rattapol ‘Jazz’ Teawsamart, serves up both Thai and International fare. The Thai menu covers the popular gamut of Thai cuisines – Pad Thai, Khao Soi, Krapao, Duck Red Curry, Green Curry – as well as crowd-pleasing international dishes such as the beef burger with onion ring and fries, or the large Maladee Signature Salad which is filled to the brim with prawns, avocado, mango and all sorts of fresh seasonal goodies. Lovers of afternoon tea can sit by the pool or in the cool garden-view Rosemary Restaurant and indulge in a plethora of sweet and savoury treats from brownies to fruit tarts, strawberry pudding to Madeleines. For only 590 baht, two people can indulge in endless cups of tea and tasty nibbles. If you are looking for something a little stronger, head to the Tiger Bar situated by the pool, a retro bar serving up a bewildering number of cocktails and mocktails.
Why not spend a few hours immersed in the hot jacuzzi, swimming in the emerald green pool or simply soaking in the sun? All with a bright and cheerful cocktail in hand. Make sure you order one of the three signature drinks named after members of the Manapanich family – Mana, Dara and Siri, all infused with herbs and clarified for purity before mixing with a number of great and fun ingredients.
Maladee Rendezvous is a Chiang Mai story. From humble beginnings, this one migrant family has settled here, built a business, burrowed down roots, created a legendary brand which resonates with tens of thousands of residents, creatively expanded their business, and now turned their family home and past into an utterly charming hotel which fits into Chiang Mai’s present. We look forward to hearing what is next for this family…
Maladee Rendezvous Hotel
150/1 Charoen Prathet Road, Chang Klan Sub- District, Muang District, Chiang Mai 50100
Tel. 053 270 081
GPS: goo.gl/maps/bu36onJAMbywbBng6
