Lanna hill house, Chiang Mai Thailand

Press and Testimonials

•  Arndrea Scott, December 2008

  Hi Richard,  Let me start off by saying that we had a wonderful time at Lanna Hill House, David was exceptional at helping to put together a great week for us. Some highlights of the house for us was the large front yard that our son could run around and burn off some of his 20 month year old steam! The staff was amazing at helping keep an eye on him which helped make it more relaxing for me. The upstairs deck off the master bedroom was a great place to relax, have a drink, read a book or even contain the boys where they could play cars while we chilled out. The sala is absolutely beautiful. I took full advantage of it and practiced my yoga and meditation looking out towards the mountains.I hired a yoga instructor who came out and did a private lesson with me and it was incredible.  I highly recommend any guest taking the opportunity and having a class in the sala. It will be an incredible memory for me for a lifetime. Spending Christmas day at the school was amazing.  It was such a special day for everyone involved, we will remember and cherish that day forever. The dogs were definitely our son’s favourite part of the household. Simi is such a sweet little dog, she followed us on walks and was so gentle with Cohen. I would recommend Lanna Hill House to anyone wanting a quiet relaxing place to unwind.   I don’t think we can say enough about David and Pram.  There wasn’t anything David wouldn’t do for us to make our stay special. He is definitely the heart of Lanna Hill House and he made our week more than we could have imagined.  I really feel because of David we were able to experience the true Thailand and Thai culture. We wish you, your family and all the staff at Lanna Hill House a wonderful 2009!

  

•   Leanda Fielding, September 2008

 We all had such a great holiday and are suffering badly from post-holiday blues! We were very sad to leave and would have stayed at Lanna Hill House permanently given half a chance!
 
As parents of small children who love to travel and experience interesting places, we have found it difficult to discover affordable holiday destinations which are child friendly (but not in a resort) and where us parents can also have a rest. We shall certainly be recommending Lanna Hill to all our friends as just such a unique destination. We haven’t been able to find anywhere quite like it in terms of its beautiful location, luxurious house, exquisite food and incredibly helpful managers and staff all of whom we shall miss dreadfully in the weeks to come. They all made the holiday very memorable and I think you should be very proud of  them. I would thoroughly recommend having a nanny- Rem was wonderful. If only we could have brought her back with us. We can’t imagine finding anywhere else in the world like it and we plan to come back someday soon.

• Tropical Living Magazine September 2008 

First Hand Experience

We may be fortunate guests in other people’s homes and admire aspects of them. But what could compare with actually living in a home for a week or so and giving yourself every chance to drink in the ambience? Well, if you land at Chiang Mai International Airport, turn right and drive for some 35 minutes north east into the beautiful, undulating (and comparatively cool) Lanna landscape, you will find the ‘home stay’ to end all home stays! From the main road, and by now far from tourism and indeed most other traffic, you turn up a sloping lane onto a rural plateau which might have been created for a film set. On your left is a beautiful lake replete with little islands, all around are green forested hills and in the centre a villa which is a sort of fusion of British colonial mansion and northern Thai style: 750 super square meters of wood and whiteness. 

A Fruitful Search

Briton Richard Rhodes and his wife Nye drove more than a marathon looking at sites before finding this aptly named ‘Hill of Angels’.  “We saw dozens of plots for sale, but here near Mae On we found one of the most beautiful locations I’d ever seen, and I’ve travelled a lot,” recalls Richard. Having already bought and transformed a tsunami ravaged island resort on Koh Phra Thong, some two hours sailing time from Phuket, Richard and Nye knew exactly what they were doing and brought in top architect Khun Thanasit Thanasanit to help realise their northern dream. “We were pleasantly amazed at the low price of the land, and the skill and quality of northern craftsmen,” emphasised Richard, indicating the soaring teak staircase which takes you to four double bedrooms (three with king sized beds and lovely en suite bathrooms) and a delightful little feature room named The Crow’s Nest. A superb look out post it certainly is, but one suspects that this is a hark back to the owner’s childhood in which attics might just have played a part! Children in clients’ parties will be torn between this novel feature, the playroom and the small pool with a Jacuzzi, of course, plus a ten metre section for the grown ups. 

Apart from the huge living room, library, slightly formal courtyard to the rear and a traditional Thai sala, there are no fewer than nine covered terraces to choose from in the two acres of gardens.

 A Rental Formula

“After completion we considered how best to preserve our new property which was being raved about by everyone who saw it,” says the proud owner. Preservation was vital, as earlier this year London banking summoned Richard back and this coincided nicely with early schooling for his two young children. The answer was a top end rental villa formula with award winning restaurateur David Gordon as manager/interpreter, another British expat with many years detailed experience of this particular part of Thailand and some amazing Florentine recipes up his sleeves. The chef is the famous ‘Thai TV cook’ Khun Tim, and there are four to six other staff depending on demand. The touch of a bell push brings service, and indeed any and all delicious Thai or western meals which may be required.  “Parties of up to ten can spend as much time here as they wish, treating it as their own boutique hotel, or delve into all the varied activities this part of the world offers,” says David. “We learned from our first few parties that more people wished to be left alone in peace than we expected, and that, of course, is fine. However, we can give clients an inside track on activities away from the maddening crowds, things which do not involve rubbing shoulders with tourists and listening to guides reading from a script. Instead of just walking round temples we can give food to the monks and chat to them. Instead of simply riding elephants we can discover how the elephant conservation movement works. There is a nature trail here which touches on no fewer than 17 waterfalls in four kilometres. Bike riding is fun and safe on these smooth country roads and a few minutes away is a golf course just voted third best new course in Asia!” A Community on CallAnd that simply scratches the surface. Car and driver, masseur and child minder, golf pros and rock climbing instructors are on call as required. The owners’ policy is to assist and grow local skills as far as possible, which is why Lanna Hill House supports forestation, disadvantaged hilltribes and even a local amateur dance troupe which can entertain on the terrace or welcome you to their own nearby village. But let’s not neglect those home-to-home ideas! Examine the superb teak, rattan and bamboo furniture, kitchen design (and learn Thai cookery from Khun Tim at the same time) and subtle, beautiful lighting. It seems that Richard, Nye and their team have created the residential equivalent of renting a car to experience it fully before you commit to buying one. Wise and pleasant research indeed! The rental rates vary from 1,500 to 2,600 pounds sterling per week, depending on seasonality.For more information visit www.lannahillhouse.com

• Jacqui Cairns, July 2008

Well what can I say. We had such a great time at Lanna Hill House and I would just love to pick the house up and take it to my final destination it is absolutely beautiful.

David and Kamala could not be more helpful, you are very luck to have them. They have really put their heart and soul into making Lanna Hill House a success. The staff issues will sort themselves out and once the girls have been shown what to do they will be great.

The rest of the staff are very helpful and always smiling and happy. The food was exceptional and catered for my picky children which was great and kept them happy. I will be recommending Lanna Hill House to my friends as it is a rarity to find such a beautiful location, kid friendly and affordable. It was amazing that with 10 of us staying there we were not under each others feet and most of the time didn’t even know the kids were around.

We also loved the bikes that David got us and had heaps of fun riding around the villages. Hopefully we have given David some “fun” family ideas he can pass on to future guests.

Once again, I can thank David, Kamala and the staff for such a great time. Congratulations, I know it will be a huge success!!!

 Review, Citylife March 2008

A stunning colonial style residence in Mae On District of Chiang Mai, Lanna Hill House is a mere 35 minutes drive from the airport beyond Sankampaeng. The site gives a huge amount of information about the accommodation (a charming cross between house, resort and boutique hotel), its facilities, staff, and environs. Not only that, it sits by the Mae Takrai National Park and the web site offers all sorts of local activities, both cultural and adventurous, for guests to sample. The site is very comprehensive and you can spend a huge amount of time learning about the Lanna Hill House itself or its environs. A fabulous looking place to go to get out of it all and immerse yourself in nature and luxury. There is an online booking form

• Lanna @ Home Magazine House review February 2008