urban retreat

phranakorn norn-len โรงแรมพระนคร-นอนเล่น

what happens when a former thai beauty pageant queen joins the green and grassroots movement? she opens phranakorn norn-len (aka p.n.), the "urban retreat," the trendy, rustic, eclectic, artsy, and quirky boutique guesthouse. written up in travel guides, international travel mags and even timetm magazine, this place is the trendiest of it's breed.

my fave features:
- "she's crafty, and she's just my type." p.n. is all about the creative use of old things. every floor hall houses a mural of a different theme, their gift shop is stocked with traditional and indie handcrafts, and their room decorations are bright uses of the traditional thai-country fabrics.- organic rooftop garden. they grow herbs and veggies up top with a loungy sitting area.- organic vegetarian (sort of) breakfast. inventive, simple, sensible portion size. last time i had breakfast, p.n. served mushroom & cheese egg wraps, mango & sticky rice, and green papaya salad. - really friendly service. you can tell the employees like working here.

things i feel "ehh..." about:
- hard to find. virtually no taxi drivers know how to get there. you'd best print out the map from their website.
- rooms are pretty small. like two-queen-beds-slid-next-to-each-other small.- no tvs. i like watching tv. sue me.
- it's pretty expensive. at 2400B a night, you could stay at a really ritzy hotel. but, if you're about the experience and the slower pace, this is your place.

phranakorn norn-len hotel
2400B+/night
46 thewet soi 1, phranakorn district. 02-6288188-90
webby: http://www.phranakorn-nornlen.com/