The former Narai Hotel site on Silom Road is being reshaped into a stack of lantern-like buildings. Yet some of HATAI’s most interesting spaces will be below them: restaurants, shops, a canal and around 5,200 square metres of public space. The idea gives visitors a reason to spend an afternoon here, as well as a night.
HATAI (หทัย) is under construction at 222 Silom Road in Bangkok. Narai Hospitality Group is bringing Narai Hotel and Six Senses Bangkok into the development, with Heatherwick Studio giving the former hotel site a distinctive new silhouette.
| Project | HATAI (หทัย): hotels, dining, retail and public space |
|---|---|
| Developer | Narai Hospitality Group |
| Location | 222 Silom Road, Suriya Wong, Bang Rak, Bangkok; former Narai Hotel site |
| Opening plans | HATAI: Q4 2027; Six Senses Bangkok: 2028 |
A silhouette that invites a closer look
Rounded forms stacked one above another give HATAI its lantern-like shape. Heatherwick Studio took inspiration from traditional Thai lanterns, creating a building that is easy to recognise from a distance. At closer range, the landscaping and pedestrian spaces between the buildings draw attention back to street level.
That is the part of the rendering worth lingering over. Beside the bold architecture, there is room to move through the site and pause. For someone who enjoys buildings, the chance to explore around them makes a visit more rewarding than a photograph from the pavement.
This is Heatherwick Studio’s first project in Thailand. The hotel plans include a wellness centre, a ballroom and conference facilities, while the public spaces add an open-air market, event areas and a shrine. Alongside hotel stays and gatherings, the market and event areas give people more reasons to spend time here.
Two hotels—and a reason to come for dinner
Narai Hotel maintains a connection with the hotel that previously occupied the site, while Six Senses Bangkok introduces another hospitality brand. Dining and retail give people who are not staying in either hotel their own reasons to visit.
The plans range from a food hall and local eateries to fine dining, with shops and pop-up kiosks alongside them. A quick meal and a dinner worth arranging with friends can belong to the same place. It could become an appealing stop while exploring Silom, as well as a destination in its own right.
Space for the neighbourhood to step inside
The public spaces are HATAI’s most direct connection with the surrounding neighbourhood. Plans include a plaza with native planting, a restored canal and elevated walkways, adding around 5,200 square metres of public space. Restaurants and shops supply the destinations; the plaza and paths give visitors a route between them and a reason to stay a little longer.
For A.D., the interesting prospect is how these pieces will work together. A place to eat, browse and walk among planted spaces has a different relationship with everyday neighbourhood life from a standalone hotel. That is the question that makes HATAI worth following: how will a familiar hotel site welcome a wider range of visitors?
From lantern drawings to Silom Road
Installation of the first façade panels began on 5 May 2026, bringing the stacked lantern forms a step closer to their finished shape. HATAI targets an opening in the fourth quarter of 2027; Six Senses Bangkok has a separate planned opening in 2028.
As the hotels, restaurants and public spaces take shape, the attraction will be both the buildings and what happens between them. Contact A.D. Thailand to explore Silom’s changing neighbourhood and housing choices, or read more in A.D. Journal.