Returning to the same hotel can sometimes be like meeting an old school friend after 20 years. You hope the memories survive the reunion.

Thankfully, that was very much the case when I recently returned to Lacol Khaoyai A Chatrium Collection.

In fact, the reunion proved rather better than expected.

Hotels, like people, rarely stand still. Some improve. Some become tired. Others lose their way entirely somewhere between ambitious marketing plans and budget meetings.

Lacol appears to have chosen the first option.

My previous visit left me with favourable impressions. This second stay suggested a property finding its confidence and settling comfortably into its own identity.

The first clue appeared within minutes of arrival.

A hotel lobby is often hospitality’s equivalent of speed dating. Within a remarkably short period, guests form opinions that can take days to reverse. At Lacol, check-in was efficient, friendly and refreshingly free from the awkward choreography that occasionally accompanies modern hotel arrivals.

No lengthy explanations.

No unnecessary paperwork.

No theatrical attempts to explain where the swimming pool is located.

Just genuine hospitality delivered with ease.

That may not sound remarkable, but frequent travellers know it is becoming increasingly rare.

Thailand’s hospitality industry has earned its global reputation through people rather than buildings. Beautiful hotels can be found almost anywhere these days. Genuine warmth remains harder to replicate.

Throughout the stay, staff consistently demonstrated an awareness that hospitality is not simply about service delivery. It is about making guests feel comfortable.

There is a difference.

Whether passing housekeeping staff on a garden path, speaking with reception or chatting with restaurant employees, interactions felt natural rather than rehearsed. Nobody appeared to be reading from a training manual.

As someone who has spent much of his professional life around hotels across Asia, I notice these things.

The resort was operating close to full occupancy during Thailand’s extended holiday period. Judging by the licence plates in the car park and the families gathered around breakfast tables, domestic tourism remains in robust health.

That should surprise nobody.

With international airfares still causing occasional palpitations and global headlines offering little encouragement, many Thai travellers are rediscovering destinations closer to home.

Khao Yai remains one of the obvious winners.

Only a few hours from Bangkok, it offers something city residents increasingly value: clean air, open space and the opportunity to hear birds rather than traffic.

I was reminded of this during an early morning walk around the property.

The surrounding hills were partially hidden beneath low cloud. Moisture clung stubbornly to leaves and pathways following overnight rain. Somewhere in the distance, a rooster was expressing strong opinions about the start of the day.

It all felt wonderfully un-Bangkok.

The air quality alone is worth the drive.

One does not fully appreciate fresh mountain air until one has spent several weeks navigating Bangkok traffic.

Accommodation at Lacol reflects contemporary resort design without attempting to reinvent architecture. Rooms are spacious, comfortable and practical. The emphasis appears to be on relaxation rather than Instagram opportunities, which is probably no bad thing.

Mountain views remain one of the property’s strongest assets.

Fortunately, management seems aware that scenery alone does not guarantee guest satisfaction.

General Manager Silvano Trombetta was frequently visible throughout the resort, engaging with guests and staff alike. More surprisingly, the owner was also present and stopped to chat on two occasions.

That level of accessibility is increasingly uncommon.

In some hotels, locating the owner requires skills normally associated with wildlife tracking.

At Lacol, leadership appears comfortable being seen.

Guests notice these things.

Staff notice them too.

And the results are usually reflected in service standards.

Dining deserves special mention.

The resort’s transparent dome dining experience could easily have become a triumph of style over substance. Fortunately, the kitchen has not been forgotten.

The setting is undeniably attractive, particularly as evening settles across the surrounding mountains. More importantly, the food delivers.

That combination is rarer than many restaurateurs care to admit.

The following morning, we headed into nearby Khao Yai National Park.

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed reserve remains one of Southeast Asia’s great conservation success stories and one of Thailand’s most rewarding nature experiences.

Within a few hours, we encountered hornbills, monkeys, butterflies and an astonishing variety of birdlife.

Then came the elephant.

Standing quietly in open grassland, seemingly unconcerned by the small audience watching from a distance, the magnificent animal provided a reminder of why protected wilderness matters.

Moments like that stay with travellers long after hotel keycards have been returned.

Back at the resort, a tropical storm rolled dramatically across the mountains just as we arrived.

Perfect timing.

For once.

Looking back, what impressed me most about Lacol Khaoyai was not a room category, a swimming pool or a restaurant concept.

It was the people.

Buildings can be upgraded.

Facilities can be renovated.

Service culture takes considerably longer.

On this visit, Lacol demonstrated that it understands the difference.

And that may well be its greatest strength.

 

By: Andrew J. Wood  & Edited by Supaporn Pholrach- © 2026.

Read Time: 5 minutes.

 

About the Author.

Andrew J. Wood has spent a lifetime in travel, though he’d likely tell you it simply unfolded that way. Born in Yorkshire and trained in Edinburgh, he began in London before heading overseas, first to Hilton Paris, then further afield.

Thailand became home in 1991 when he joined the Shangri-La in Bangkok. What followed was a long run through the upper floors of hospitality, with senior roles across well-known hotel groups and, eventually, general manager posts where the responsibility sat squarely on his shoulders.

Alongside it all, Skål ran, giving more time than most, rising through the ranks and earning its highest honours.

These days, Andrew writes and lectures, sharing a lifetime’s worth of experience with a steady, thoughtful, measured, and grounded voice, grounded in the realities of the trade.

 

===============================