CITY SLICKER

Aman returns to its Thai roots for its third civic outpost, sleekly weaving past and present to create an urban pleasure dome

- DAVEN WU

Thirty seven years after opening its first property in Phuket, Aman has returned to Thailand with an urban outpost that feels both familiar and fresh. Occupying a new 36-storey tower in central Bangkok, Aman Nai Lert’s sprawling leafy grounds command particular significance as they occupy the city’s last privately-owned park, established in the early 1900s when the eponymous Nai Lert, an ice importer-turned transportation magnate, transformed rice fields next to the British embassy into his private estate. Three generations later, his descendants have converted the old tennis courts into a millennial pasha’s pleasure dome, creating a rare urban sanctuary amid the chaotic sprawl. With just 52 suites and 34 residences, Aman Nai Lert maintains the brand’s signature restraint in scale. Suites begin at 92 sq m, with long-time Aman collaborator Jean-Michel Gathy translating key architectural elements of Nai Lert’s home into contemporary luxury. The hotel’s triple-layered ceilings and porte-cochère, » for instance, echo the 1915 structure’s distinctive roofline, as do the narrow-planked flooring patterns and teak accents that feature in both the suites and public spaces.