Langham to manage new Bangkok hotel

i By September 8, 2024 No Comments

Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) and Rabbit Holdings, an affiliate of BTS Group, have announced the anticipated 2026 opening of The Langham, Customs House, Bangkok.

The new hotel will be situated in the Thai capital’s Bang Rak District and occupy a complex alongside the Chao Praya River. The centerpiece of the site will be the city’s old Customs House, a heritage building that will be restored to its former glory as part of the project. Accompanying the structure will be a former post office housing amenities and flanked by a modern structure where the property’s 78 guestrooms will be based.

Erected in 1888, Customs House stands as a testament to exceptional craftsmanship with its neo-Palladian design by architect Joachim Grassi. The building features teak floors, a grand central staircase, and four-storey hallway. Once regarded as a gateway to Thailand, the building has a storied past that has seen it hosting royal family soirées and even an event to celebrate the return of Rama V from his travels across Europe.

The Langham, Customs House, Bangkok will honor the Renaissance era of what was then known as Siam by seamlessly blending traditional Thai elements with the building’s Western architectural features. This fusion will be reflected throughout the hotel, from the luxurious guestrooms and river-facing ballrooms to the spa and common areas.

The Langham, Customs House, Bangkok will include an outpost of The Langham, Hong Kong’s three Michelin-star Cantonese restaurant, T’ang Court, a unique destination bar and an outlet dedicated to serving world-class pastry creations. Guests will also be able to enjoy rejuvenating treatments at Chuan Spa, The Langham’s renowned wellness retreat and wellbeing platform.

The Langham, Customs House, Bangkok follows several successful heritage conservation hotel projects led by LHG. Key standouts include The Langham, Boston, a luxury hotel situated in a former Federal Reserve Bank building; The Langham, Chicago, a sophisticated retreat housed in the iconic Mies van der Rohe building; and The Langham, Pasadena, a property steeped in Hollywood history that dates back to 1907. The company has additionally broken ground on a project in Venice, Italy, centered on restoring an old glass factory on Murano Island.

Rabbit Holdings, leveraging its extensive real estate experience under the BTS Group’s MATCH platform, aims to not only create a world-class hospitality destination but to enhance the cultural significance and economic prospects of the Bang Rak area. Langham Hospitality Group, which boasts a solid track record of successfully partnering on such projects, was accordingly selected to operate the hotel.

Kavin Kanjanapas, director of Rabbit Holdings, said, “We are thrilled to appoint Langham Hospitality Group to manage the property. The company’s dedication to creating timeless luxury hotels and demonstrated success in heritage conservation makes it the ideal partner to further our vision to set a new standard for luxury hospitality in the region and honor the rich cultural heritage of Customs House and the Bang Rak District.”

LHG Chief Executive Officer, Bob van den Oord, said, “The Langham, Customs House, Bangkok exemplifies our strategy of incorporating cultural preservation into hotel development while concurrently creating unparalleled experiences for guests and the communities in which we operate.”