InterContinental Khao Yai Resort

The InterContinental collection is a diverse one, ranging from skyscraping business hotels to something as unique as the InterContinental Khao Yai Resort: a lakeside jungle escape right outside of the UNESCO-listed Khao Yai National Park, designed by the eminent resort architect Bill Bensley, and featuring an extraordinary collection of suites and villas built from upcycled train cars, inspired by the region’s pivotal role in Thai railway history.

This means they’re longer and thinner than just about any luxury-hotel accommodation in the world; some spatial cleverness allows them to pack some serious luxuries into their narrow footprints, and some of them add outdoor dining areas, bathtubs, or plunge pools. There are traditional rooms situated in larger lakeside buildings as well, though even these are styled to resemble train carriages — you have to admire the commitment to the theme.

As you’d imagine from a Thai hotel of this caliber there’s an impressive spa, as well as a small handful of dining venues that range from traditional Thai to French-accented Thai. And while you could easily spend a long weekend here without leaving the grounds, the surroundings are tempting as well — Khao Yai is a popular outdoor-focused destination, with a little something for every taste.