Luxury lifestyle brand Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts has raised its flag over the iconic Dhara Dhevi resort in northern Thailand, the first of 20 new resorts the company plans to roll out over the next five years.
The legendary resort, set in 60 acres of countryside on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, is one of the wonders of the luxury travel world; a sprawling complex of 123 enormous villas and suites designed in the style of a Lanna Kingdom village, complete with its own palace, rice paddies, banyan trees and a 3,100-sqm spa with a seven-tier roof of carved teak. Originally managed by Mandarin Oriental, the hotel has attracted well-heeled travellers, including Prince Albert of Monaco, since it opened in 2008.
Nikki Beach will put its own stamp on the destination resort, promising to add some of the brand’s trademark lifestyle offerings, including “exceptional entertainment and world-renowned parties”; we’re thinking blow-up flamingos and Louboutin and bikini combos may be the new norm.
Nikki Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai will be the first of 20 new properties Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts opens over the next five years, adding to its existing resort collection in Koh Samui, Dubai, Bodrum and Porto Heli, and its 13 beach clubs worldwide. The bullish expansion marks the 20-year anniversary of the brand, which began when founder Jack Penrod opened the first Nikki Beach Club in the US in 1998.