The majestic Khao Yai National Park, one of Thailand’s oldest protected sanctuaries, now has a place to stay worthy of its vast natural splendor. The Intercontinental Khao Yai, a sprawling lakeside resort by Bill Bensley, the Bangkok-based architect and designer known for his theatrical approach to global hospitality, spans over 2,000,000 square feet, 5 lakes and a dense canopy of 30,000 trees. The property’s turquoise-trimmed architecture is a wink to the Golden Age of Thai rail travel, so expect suites that resemble railway carts, train-ticket luggage tags and a tea room housed in a vintage saloon carriage on this jungle express.
The Check-In
Towards the home stretch of the two-and-a-half hour drive from Bangkok, concrete sprawl finally gives way to a UNESCO-listed landscape of towering palm flora and the Intercontinental Khao Yai emerges into view. Set against a dramatic, mountainous backdrop, the hotel’s grounds are an electric mix of verdant wilderness and train-themed suites. Hotel check-ins happen at the “ticket office,” a toy-box like building that is chock-full of railway memorabilia and antique leather travel trunks.
The Look
The Intercontinental Khao Yai is a non-stop homage to the railway, whether you’re on board for the property’s trompe l'oeil charms or not. The thematics are an easier ride when it comes to the property’s approach to sustainability, which includes upcycled rail cars salvaged from junkyards around the country. Fans of Bensley's work at The Siam in Bangkok and Bali's Capella Ubud will recognize his signature architectural trademarks, such as the antique-studded communal areas and circus-like black-and-white exteriors.
The Rooms
Spread over three large guesthouses bordering a series of swan-populated lakes, rooms and suites resemble luxurious railway cabins — wall-mounted luggage racks, booth-style couches, clerestory ceilings — but with modern updates such as the occasional private plunge pool. There’s a railcar for every kind of passenger, from cozy cabins decked out in black-and-white paneling to all-white complexes with faux windows depicting hand-painted futuristic city scenes straight out of Blade Runner.
Food & Drink
The hotel's main restaurant, Somying's Kitchen, is an all-day diner with plenty of campy flair, equal parts rural Thai railway station, pleather-chaired American canteen and an English greenhouse. The menu keeps things more authentic by drawing on local ingredients and regional flavors, including zingy pork larb, Korat-style som tum and central-Thai comfort foods in the vein of spicy krapow and fried rice with prawns. Breakfast can be hit-or-miss, either excellent congee and hummus-topped multigrain toast or rather lackluster pastries. By the lake, an inviting railroad dining car doles out afternoon tea sets and coffee from beans sourced from northern Thailand.
The Check-Out
The wilderness of Khao Yai is the central life source of the region. The nearest entrance to the national park is a 30-minute drive from the hotel’s grounds, but the many hiking trails, leisurely 30-minute jungle strolls and full-on mountain treks that snake past salt licks and bat caves are well worth your time. (The hotel can arrange guided tours, if needed.) This is prime wildlife-spotting territory, so you're all but guaranteed to see sambar deer, hornbills, Asian elephants and macaques. Be warned: The gregarious Old World monkeys are known by locals to swipe Iphones right out of the hands of selfie-taking tourists.
