The story of luxury hospitality brand 137 Pillars Hotels & Resorts began with a 19th-century Thai house built from teak with a rich colonial past in Chiang Mai. The house originally belonged to the son of Anna Leonowens, the famous governess depicted in the musical The King and I, with the number 137 alluding to the number of pillars holding the house together.
The success of the property paved the way for another in Bangkok, consisting of 179 residences and an exclusive 34 suites—which has become a preferred lodging for digital nomads post-pandemic. Armed with an engineering degree, Nida Wongphanlert joined her family’s hotel business after graduation and played a pivotal role in the architecture and interior design of the hotel. Working her way up the ranks, the 31-year-old currently acts as the general manager and one of the family owners who spearheads innovative brand campaigns and events for the brand.
This includes the ‘Have a Blessed Path’ afternoon tea set offered by the hotel, which includes an exquisite collection of lucky charms, a partnership with leading Thai jewellery brand RAVIPA. Another is the 137 Pillars Louie Tour, where visitors can explore the splendour of Bangkok with curated tours from their very own London Cab. In October, a new restaurant Nimitr, nestled on the 27th floor with a view of the city’s skyline, will showcase a menu of authentic Thai dishes from various regions of the country.
What does leadership mean to you?
Since I’ve become General Manager, I think it’s important to lead by doing. We must set a good example for our heads of department. I’d rather do 15 things and fail maybe eight of them rather than do two things and just sustain those two. My heads of department can be more confident and they can also be more creative, and that’s how the achievements can really come. I work along with them, and I think that’s one of the most important things.
What makes a luxury item or brand according to Nida Wongphanlert?
For me, luxury is design, function, and personalised service that is on brand. For me, the word ‘brand’ is very important. You can be expensive and have good design but if you don’t build a brand that goes along with that, I don’t think that’s true luxury. At 137 Pillars, we really pay attention to the brand as well as the price point and the value that our guests can get. The look, feel and brand are what draws me in. The brand is still a very important part of whether I should buy or not buy a luxury product.
What is always worth paying for?
I always think cameras are always worth paying for. I wasn’t into cameras that much but once I got into it, I found that the price is really what you get with Leicas. I use a Leica M6 film camera and I also have a Leica CL Paul Smith Edition. When I go overseas, I love bringing my film camera and taking street photography.
Your drink of choice?
I love Gin Fizz because of the effort––you need to shake it many times before the egg white and the cream really blend with the gin. At our hotel’s Jack Bain’s Bar, I really like Anna’s Flavour, a mix of Iran Balls Thai Gin, Luxardo Maraschino, Lime, and Ma Kwan mainly because it’s gin.
Have you ever had any celebrities visit your hotels?
We just welcomed a Korean actor named Kim Ji Seok, he was in Personal Taste and was the second lead to Lee Min Ho. I watch K-dramas and I know of him, and what I didn’t expect was that we had dinner together and he was super friendly. He even told me when I come to Seoul, I can ask him for help. He had a very down-to-earth personality, which impressed me. He said he’s visited our hotel four times. Rain and Super Junior’s Leeteuk have also stayed with us.
What is the best travel destination for Nida Wongphanlert?
I really like urban cities, so I like Hong Kong. I also enjoy travelling to London. I like nature but when I relax, I don’t want to have to plan to get to other places. For a pure holiday just to relax, I don’t mind just going there for just three nights. I want to explore different restaurants, galleries, and shopping, so that’s why I like urban cities. I liked SoHo and the new West Kowloon Cultural District is really amazing too with the M+ museum. I love congee as well; it was one of the things I missed most during Covid. The texture is just different from Thai ones.
What is always in your luggage?
When I travel lately, I bring my running shoes and my sportswear. Before I go to a city, I search for running routes I can go to. There aren’t really any parks in Hong Kong so you can just run along the harbour. In London, there’s Hyde Park. I’m about to go to Seoul so I want to run along the Han River and along the bridge. Whenever I go to new cities it’s nice to just run around instead of travelling by car and see the city as well.
