A new addition to the many stylish gay establishments in Chiang Mai, Lavender Lanna Hotel is a huge complex of everything, essentially, homosexual. Formerly the Tokyo Hotel by the Hua Rin moat corner, this landmark building has gone under the knife and been transformed into a gay man’s utopia. Within walking distance from Kad Suan Kaew Shopping Centre, the trendy Nimmanhaemin Road, and other city attractions, Lavender Lanna offers its guests the complete gay resort experience.
The hotel has 110 rooms in total: Deluxe Plus, Deluxe, Superior, Standard and Budget rooms are on offer for prices that will suit most visitors’ pockets. Each room comes with a free buffet breakfast and a 10% reduction on massage and salon services.
The Lavender Deluxe Plus rooms are located on each corner of the hotel and offer incredible views of the city. Each Lavender Plus room is appointed with a small balcony, a large bathroom, a DVD player, a breakfast table, a comfortable seating area, in-room safe, free coffee and tea, and many other special touches. Lavender Deluxe rooms are all on high floors and have a similar design and amenities though are smaller in size.
All other rooms are air-conditioned, have en-suite restrooms with separated shower areas including complimentary toiletry items, offer comfortable mattresses and bedding, vanities and seating areas, include a mini-bar with two free bottles of water per day. Satellite TV with over 50 channels, telephones in each room and free local phone calls, 24-hour room service, laundry service, quick pressing service, daily maid service, wireless access, DVD players and DVDs available on request are all amenities provided to every room. However, only select rooms have in-room safes.
The floor under the reception area is to be the Lavender Cabaret, a finely upholstered show bar with mesmerising lighting and a multitude of comfortable sofas to sit back on while watching svelte males or curvaceous fe-males dance to funky music. You may also retire to the VIP Room, a great place to go for a bit of privacy or with a group of friends. If the shows prove too frenetic, the Lavender Lobby Restaurant upstairs or the large patio outdoors are both areas where you can hang out drinking fine wines, cocktails and other beverages. Happy Hours each day are 3 – 5 p.m. The Lavender Lobby Restaurant is open 24 hours and gay/straight friendly. Adjacent to the restaurant is the Coffee Court, open daily for fresh coffee and snacks.
On the second floor you can treat yourself to an exquisite massage at the hands of a strong masseur who will take the stress out of your life, and back, with his deft hands. Pedicures and manicures are available on request. You may also take advantage of the sauna, Jacuzzi, fitness gym, salt water swimming pool with pool bar and poolside massage overlooking Doi Suthep. The hotel also includes a business centre with free use of computers, high-speed internet and faxing capabilities, a 24-hour doormen and bell-hop assistance, 24-hour hotel car service to anywhere in the city area for a mere 100 baht for a one way trip and special rates on longer trips and airport shuttles for 100 baht each way. Train and bus shuttles will cost 200 baht each way, while bike rental for bicycling the moat and the old city is also available.
On the 11th floor, high above the city of Chiang Mai, commanding a fantastic 360 degree view of the city, is the Lavender Sky restaurant. Not only is this restaurant a gorgeous place for a candle lit date under the stars, but it also doubles as a lawn with a lounging area to catch the rays during the day. Lavender Lanna is hoping that the 11th floor will soon become a meeting place for the gay community and a regular feature on anyone’s list of nightlife spots.
The official opening of Lavender Lanna is November 1st. Unlike anywhere else in Chiang Mai and one of the largest of its kind in Asia, Lavender Lanna is going to take the gay community into another dimension.