The first five-star hotel to open in Chiang Mai since the global pandemic’s onset has launched a 360-degree rooftop bar affording awe-inspiring views of the Ping River to the city’s east and famed Doi Suthep Temple on the mountaintop to the west.
The highest bar in Chiang Mai, aptly named Mai The Sky Bar, is perched on Meliá Chiang Mai’s 22nd floor.
The city’s most happening venue serves an array of authentic Spanish tapas and pinchos including Galician-style octopus with smoked paprika, fried creamy house-made ham croquettes, smoked salmon on crusty baguette slices, and skewers with pickled pepper, anchovies and green olives. Fluffy fried fish cake with cucumber and mint salsa, grilled prawns with smokey green chili relish and grilled pineapple, and desserts such as a seasonal fruit platter with Thai-style spicy-salty sugar, wild honey and lime are among menu items.
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The bar offers a vast selection of beverages, including imaginative cocktails that reference Chiang Mai’s forests and mountains such as ‘Bosque de Chiang Mai’ comprising whisky, cinnamon, cranberry juice, lime, honey and pasteurized white egg, and ‘Misty Hill’ with Irish whisky, Triple Sec, pineapple juice, basil leaves, lime juice and sugar.
Thai and international DJs spin Spanish and Latin music from 8pm Thursday to Sunday. Destined to be “the place to be” in Chiang Mai, the bar will host monthly themed parties throughout 2023 featuring guest artist line-ups.
In a nod to Chiang Mai’s rich culture, bamboo throughout the venue pays homage to the region’s hill tribes.
As the hotel’s main attraction, a significant amount of the rooftop bar’s business so far has been local, making it a prime place where the Meliá brand interacts with the local community and those TEFL teachers in the region.
In-house guests receive complimentary access to the bar, situated above the hotel’s executive lounge and signature restaurant. Tickets for outside guests are THB 250 (USD 7.15) per person, which can be used as a credit to enjoy food and drinks during their visit.
Opened on April 10 this year, Meliá Chiang Mai draws on Meliá’s Spanish origins and celebrates Spain’s famed gastronomy. The hotel’s dining landscape encompasses Mai The Sky Bar and Tien Pool Bar, Mai Restaurant & Bar and Laan Na Kitchen, and Ruen Kaew and The Level Lounge.