Raya Heritage

Why book?

For a dose of Chiang Mai that sidesteps the tuk-tuk hustle and temple crowds of downtown.

Set the scene

Forget what you thought a Northern Thai resort looks like, because Raya Heritage skips the usual cues. There are no pointy gables, no teakwood floors, and no gingerbread frills mimicking the architecture of the erstwhile Lanna Kingdom. Instead, the all-white, straight-lined buildings by Bangkok-based architect Boonlert Hemvijitraphan nod to the clean geometry of Northern Thai rice barns. They're more backdrop than statement piece, designed to turn the spotlight on the details: local crafts — hand-thrown ceramics, naturally dyed textiles, and fine wickerwork — made in close collaboration with artisans from the surrounding communities. Unsurprisingly, the hotel's go-slow pace and slightly out-of-the-way riverside perch attract a linen-wearing, camera-slinging crowd more interested in Chiang Mai’s creative undercurrent than its postcard shrines.

The rooms

Just 38 suites are spread across three room categories. They're blissfully oversized by city standards, with even the entry-level, black-accented Rin Terrace Suites on the second floor starting at a lofty 75 sqm. One floor up, the Huen Bon suites (named after the top floor of traditional Northern Thai homes) are a shade brighter, wrapped in a palette of beige and cream, and come furnished with thick cotton throws, rough-hewn woods, and rugs from natural fibres. Both categories open to bamboo-clad balconies overlooking the riverside, and have double-vanity bathrooms with dreamy soaking tubs. If you're planning to do a whole lot of nothing, the indigo-colored Kraam suites are just the ticket: located on the ground floor, each one comes with a private pool terrace finished in terra-cotta brick and giant pillowy daybeds to snuggle up in.

Regardless of room type, you can expect thoughtful touches throughout: bespoke ceramic tea sets, handmade soaps, straw sun hats, and a minibar stocked with herbal teas and local kombucha.

The food

Local is the word. The main restaurant, Khu Khao (named after the wicker rice baskets suspended from the ceiling) draws from the regional larder: lots of rice, noodles, and river fish, prepared in modern riffs on recipes borrowed from nearby Myanmar, Laos, and China's Yunnan province. Highlights include the Burmese mohinga rice noodles with curried fish and the Yunnanese salad from rice curd, bean sprouts, and corn drizzled in a punchy peanut sauce. Breakfast is also served here (and is best had at one of the tables on the terrace). It includes contemporary Thai resort staples such as coconut yoghurt with mango, khao tom rice porridge, and French toast with forest honey.

There's also a cosy tea terrace, which serves up organic teas from Chiang Rai and local-rooted afternoon tea sets with sai oua (northern Thai sausage) quiche, brie cheese with local figs and chilli, and scones with longan and perilla seed. Just below, the moody Baan Ta bar is lovely for a riverside sundowner, such as a G&T with ginger and gin from Thailand's southern Krabi province.

The location

Raya Heritage's perch along the Ping River doesn't exactly put it within easy reach of Chiang Mai's postcard sights, but that's kind of the point. You’re about a 20-minute drive from the temple-dotted Old Town and about the same distance from the city’s buzzier café-and-coworking neighbourhoods, like Nimmanhaemin. The hotel runs regular (and complimentary) shuttle vans to its sister property, Tamarind Village, which sits smack in the middle of the Old Town’s leafy lanes.

Service

Typically Thai, in the best way possible: cold towels and tea upon arrival, hushed sawatdeekas whenever you pass by. There are complimentary yoga classes and craft workshops every day (from bamboo weaving to local ta-laew totems), and the concierge can arrange a wide range of excursions to get up close with the craftspeople who helped furnish the hotel.

Eco effort

Raya Heritage walks its sustainability talk through a range of green initiatives. The local provenance of its décor and building materials, for starters, and a lack of single-use plastics throughout the resorts. The same goes for its restaurants, which source almost all of their ingredients from local, sustainable farms and the resort's own vegetable garden on the riverfront.

Accessibility

The main restaurant and bar are wheelchair-accessible, but there are no adapted rooms.

For families

Raya Heritage isn’t the place to bring toddlers. Kids under six aren’t allowed, and the overall hush of the place suggests that management is keen to keep things adult-friendly. That said, older children (and the adults they come with) will appreciate the space to roam, the quiet pool, and the option for extra beds in the rooms.

Anything else to mention?

If all these crafts have inspired you to redecorate your own place, you'll want to drop by Him Gong just across the lobby. This glass-fronted boutique stocks a rotating lineup of locally made homewares, textiles, and hand-crafted jewellery, many of them the same ones used in the rooms. Prices aren’t bargain-basement, but neither are the items: these are handmade, small-batch pieces and antiques you’re unlikely to find elsewhere.