Review: InterContinental Khao Yai Resort, an IHG Hotel

Why book?

Set within weekend-trip distance from the Thai capital, this whimsical railway-themed resort by hotel guru Bill Bensley delivers the full Bensley experience without the prohibitive price tag of some of his other projects. 

Set the scene

Some two hours into the three-hour drive northward from Bangkok, the landscape starts changing. As the Thai capital’s seemingly endless periphery thins out and you’ve passed the last of the one-strip highway towns flanking the road, the concrete sprawl of Thailand’s central plains morphs into Khao Yai’s undulating hillscape bedecked in thick jungles and fruit orchards. Just off the area’s main road that snakes past pastiche European-looking country clubs and patchworks of farmland, the Intercontinental Khao Yai emerges from behind a hedgerow of towering trees. Backdropped by Khao Yai’s mountainous spine, the hotel shares a lush estate with five lakes and a couple of blocky condominium buildings by the same developer (which do kind of spoil the jungle fantasy). Dotted around the plot, railway-themed buildings and train cars harbor restaurants and rooms where mainly Bangkokian weekenders swap their hometown’s urban jungle for a nature fix. 

The backstory

Looking at the moss-covered railroad tracks cutting through the property, you’d almost believe an actual train once passed through here. And the lobby, built like an old-timey ticketing booth and a station masters’ sleeping quarters, seems to have been here for ages. But it’s all make-believe: Inspired by the (real) 19th-century Pak Chong Railway station nearby, Bangkok-based hotel designer Bill Bensley flexed his creative muscle and drew up a story around Southeast Asia’s grand railroad journeys of yore. He masterfully blends fact with fiction, from the made-up protagonist Khun Somsak, a local train conductor and railway enthusiast who used his savings to commission the hotel’s Rama V-era architecture, to the actual backstories of the upcycled railway carts that have been saved from junkyards around the country. 

The rooms

It’s the suites you’ll want to book. Set within a garden-fringed enclave at the back of the resort, these might just be some of the most unique accommodations in all of Thailand. Each one takes over an upcycled vintage railway carriage, which means their floor plan spans a rather awkward 2.5 by 30 meters. Still, Bensley and his team managed to turn them into comfy suites, with narrow marble-clad shower cabins, ceiling-mounted luggage racks, and futon-like beds on a slightly raised platform at the cabin’s ends. Interior-wise, they draw inspiration from different Asian railway journeys: some feature swirling wood-carved headboards from Cambodia, and others are furnished with kaleidoscopic Laotian silk weavings and ceramics. While all open to canvas-shaded patios with outdoor roll-top tubs and lounge nooks, only a handful come with a private swimming pool.

But even the standard rooms, spread over three gingerbread-trimmed buildings circling the lake, deliver the railway fantasy. Modeled after train cabins with clerestory ceilings and pleather lounge booths, they range from snug cabins with black-and-white paneling and bathrooms clad in monochrome marble to all-teak numbers with tromp de l’oeil windows looking out over hand-painted jungle scenes. Another perk: full-sized Byredo toiletries in the bathrooms that smell heavenly of lemon and marigold. 

Food and drink

Days start at Somying’s Kitchen, the hotel’s canteen-inspired all-day diner furnished with Formica tabletops and pleather chairs in kitschy Tiffany blue. The breakfast menu spans from Thai congee to avocado toast, while lunch and dinner zero in on northeastern Thai specialties such as spicy papaya salad and zingy larb from stir-fried pork. Taking over a railway cart on the other side of the lake, French brasserie Poirot dishes out chi-chi dinners with morel-topped mushroom tarts, Gillardeau oysters, and boeuf bourguignon. Next door, the jazzy Papillon bar, also set in an upcycled railway cart, specializes in classic Martinis and fizzy spumante drinks.

The spa

Candidly named Back on Track, the spa takes over a railway cart that is half-consumed by the gnarled roots of a ficus tree. Inside, two private treatment areas deliver an intimate space for traditional Thai massages, facials, and full-body rubdowns using all-natural skincare products by Siam Botanicals.

The neighborhood

Khao Yai’s still-wild nature is the region’s calling card and is best sampled at the eponymous National Park in its hilly heart. The nearest park entrance is a 30-minute drive from the hotel, from where hiking trails (from leisurely 30-minute jungle strolls to full-on mountain treks) snake through jungles, past waterfalls, salt licks, and bat caves. This is prime wildlife-spotting territory: you’re almost guaranteed to see sambar deer, hornbills, and macaques, while Asian Elephants often roam along the roads at dusk. The park spans more than 800 square miles, so you’ll need a set of wheels to get around. If you didn’t arrive with a rental car, the hotel can arrange guided day trips.

The service

While not the most switched-on or assertive, the staff is friendly and eager to please. A handful of wonderful hospitality veterans within the team more than make up for the shortcomings of their lesser-experienced (and mostly much younger) colleagues.

For families 

Two words: Train. Hotel. Of course this is a hit with little ones. Some family rooms come with ultra-fun bunk beds, while the kids club (set in, you guessed it, an upcycled railway cart) is a treasure trove of board games, LEGO, and wooden toys. There’s a daily schedule of lakeside treasure hunts, Uno tournaments, and​ Thai dancing classes, and even the spa has gentle, passionfruit-scented treatments for junior spa-goers. 

Eco effort

With the kitchen drawing on locally sourced produce, a ban on (most) single-use plastics, and the use of eco-friendly cleaning products, the hotel ticks quite a bunch of green boxes. On top of that, salvaging decommissioned railway cars from junkyards is an ambitious upcycling feat, and the lush, jungly gardens bring new life to this former plot of fallow farmland. 

Anything left to mention? 

While the national park is stunningly beautiful, Khao Yai isn’t as culture-rich as say, Chiang Mai or Kanchanaburi. Without your own set of wheels, getting around the area is challenging, so unless you’re a birder or devoted wildlife-spotter, two or three nights here is more than enough.