In a leafy suburb , just over the river from the old walled city of Chiang Mai , stands the 137 Pillars House . The original teak house was built in the late 1800 ’ s and served for many years at the Northern office of the East Borneo Trading Company ’ s headquarters . After the dissolution of the extremely successful company , and Britain ’ s withdrawal from colonisation of the East , The teak house laid unused and hidden by the dense tropical grounds until Bangkok born Panida Wongphanlert discovered the property in 2002 . From there the Harvard trained architect went through the process of first getting permission to be on the land and then exploring the property and grounds filled with the mature , old trees . While the house was not the vacation home that Wongphanlert was looking for , once she delved deeper into the history of the house , she felt compelled to share this piece of the past with the world . With the assistance of architects and local conservationists , the 137
Pillars House was restored to its original historical standards and the surroundings developed into a 5 star , exquisitely designed hotel , complete with 30 luxury suites , two restaurants , a swimming pool , library , a quaint bar and high end spa .
Due to the success of the 137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai the Wongphanlert family decided to expand across Thailand and expand into becoming a luxury brand across Thailand . The 137 Pillars Hotel and Resorts ( www . 137pillarshotels . com ) plans to bring the understated elegance of the 137 Pillars House to two new properties , the first opening in Thailand ’ s capital city , Bangkok in 2017 . Located on Sukhumvit Road Soi 39 , the new property will be a mix of residences and suites for the most discerning travellers and residents . To maintain the old-school elegance of the brand , the interior has been carefully selected by P49 Design to feature a warm palette of rich tones , with marble bathrooms and delicate
use of mirrors and glass . The third property , 137 Pillars Estate Phuket , is estimated to open in 2019 on Kata Beach in Phuket , with a mixture of sunset facing pool villas and spacious pool suites .
Overseeing the ambitious expansion of the 137 Pillars brand is Chief Operating Officer Christopher E . Stafford . With more than 34 years ’ experience in hospitality , travel and event management , Christopher is a seasoned professional ready to put the 137 Pillars luxury brand firmly on the world map . Before joining the 137 Pillars family Christopher was the Vice President of Hotel Operations for South East Asia for SilverNeedle Hospitality . Previously he headed the Anantara Resort Group from 2000- 2007 in Thailand and the Maldives , opening 6 properties for the group . He is an avid polo player ( both horse and elephant ) and was instrumental in the creation of the famous Anantara Elephant Polo event , now in its 14th year in Thailand . Chris has also worked
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