SINGAPORE – Eschewing the grand for the petite, Hua Hin’s newest retreat, Hotel Bocage, may be small with just six rooms, but it’s thinking big when it comes to luxury.
Soft-opening in the first quarter of 2017, the hotel has opted for a small scale approach to the number of rooms, but has maxed out room area, privacy, views and sophistication. Sleek open plan rooms and suites with a crisp colour palette of white and grey, range in size from 42 to 75 square meters (452 to 807 square feet). Luxury Italian designer brands have been tapped for the decor with plush beds by Porro, contemporary sofas by Living Divani and freestanding tubs and sanitary ware by Antonio Lupi. Floor to ceiling sliding doors lead to private balconies, overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, in this resort town located just 2.5 hours from Bangkok.
Given its location atop the open-air lifestyle destination development, Seenspace, which opened in December 2016, the hotel abstained from developing a restaurant in-house so that guests can explore the range of restaurants and cafes below. Alternatively, guests may request in room dining, prepared by one of the restaurants. For those who want to explore further afield, the property has partnered with Star Flag, a Mercedes Benz limo service for transfers and tours.
Hotel Bocage also harnesses the latest in hospitality technology with the objective to streamline many elements of a stay and add an extra level of privacy for its guests. These include the option of accessing the guest room from the guest’s smart phone.
“In an area saturated with big resort-style properties, Hotel Bocage is forging a new path when it comes to intimate, uncomplicated stays,” said Grant Healy, CEO of Louis T Collection, the hotel’s management company. “Louis T Collection’s journey started by seeking out unique properties and opportunities for authentic experiences that travellers of today are looking for. This is exactly what Duangrit Bunnag is trying to achieve through the creation of Hotel Bocage.”
The acclaimed Thai architect, Duangrit Bunnag, is the mastermind behind the project. Bunnag’s work has received a number of awards, including most recently “Asia’s Best Building of the Year 2015” for the Naka Phuket Resort and winner in 2015 of The Arcasia Awards for Architecture, an Asia-wide accolade.
“It has always been a dream of mine to create a brand that allows me to have an ongoing relationship with a project. My dream is coming true through our creation of Hotel Bocage,” said Duangrit Bunnag. “I am blessed to be collaborating with partners that have the same heart filled spirit in Louis T Collection, Poro, Living Divana, Antonio Lupi, Design Hotels and Star Flag to make this a reality”.
Bunnag and Louis T Collection have been working on the new development since entering a strategic partnership in June 2016. Through the new venture, Louis T Collection will be collaborating on the development on a number of projects with Bunnag and his design services arm, Brisk.
Hotel Bocage is the second property in Thailand to come into Louis T´s fold. In 2015, the group acquired the Mantra Samui Resort in Koh Samui, which is set to reopen in 2017 following extensive renovations. The company has historically strong ties to the country through its namesake Louis T Leonowens, a 19th gentleman who made his fortune in Thailand, establishing the trading company, Louis T. Leonowens Ltd. The Louis T Collection is renewing this spirit of discovery today.
