The Langham Bangkok to breathe new life into two old buildings
The old Customs House and former post office building in Bangkok’s Bang Rak district are being renovated by the luxury hotel brand
The Langham Bangkok, a new five-star hotel housed in two renovated Bangkok landmarks, is set to open in late 2026, according to its operator Langham Hospitality Group (LHG).
The restoration of the old Customs House and the former post office in Bang Rak near the Chao Phraya River was started in late 2019 by the LHG and Rabbit Holdings, an affiliate company under the BTS Group.
Renovation of the Customs House, which seamlessly blends traditional Thai elements with the building’s Western architectural features, will house a variety of facilities, such as the three Michelin-Star Cantonese restaurant T’ang Court, a destination bar, a world-class pastry outlet, and Chuan Spa wellness retreat and wellbeing platform.
The former post office, meanwhile, is being turned into a glass building where 78 guest rooms will be based.
This hotel follows LHG’s several successful heritage conservation projects, such as a former Federal Reserve Bank building in Boston, US, and an old glass factory on Murano Island in Venice, Italy.
The Langham Bangkok project on around 13,600 square metres worth 6 billion baht aims to create a world-class hospitality destination, along with enhancing the cultural significance and economic prospects of the area.
“The hotel exemplifies our strategy of incorporating cultural preservation into hotel development while creating unparalleled experiences for guests and nearby communities,” LHG chief executive officer Bob van den Oord said on Monday.
As the Customs House was erected in the reign of King Rama V in 1888, van den Oord said there were challenges in the restoration, including how to elevate the old building to be higher than the Chao Phraya River and ensuring that the building will be renovated in the right way.
“The architects have worked very hard to make sure that our guests can stay in this beautiful hotel and really get a taste of the old Customs House,” he said.
He expects the hotel to attract domestic and foreign travellers in Asia, such as Singapore, Hong Kong and China. However, he said it also depends on when tourism will recover to the pre-Covid-19 level.
Asked about intense competition among hotel operators in Bangkok, he believes that The Langham Bangkok’s hospitality and heritage experience will enable the hotel to cope with this issue.
“I think this [hotel] is going to be the talk of the town, and we really feel that this will redefine hospitality in Bangkok,” he added.
LHG comprises a family of accommodation brands, including The Langham Hotels and Resorts, Cordis Hotels, Eaton Workshop and Ying'nFlo.
The group has 32 hotels in operation that extend across Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. The group aims to operate 100 hotels in the next 10 years.
Most of the hotels under the development are located in Asia, such as South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia as well as in Phuket and Koh Samui.
