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Published on September 7, 2007

Most real-estate players are overjoyed that Sukhothai Residences, the latest luxury condominium project launched on Sathorn Road, has the guts to charge Bt200,000 per square metre for living space.

That certainly helps them justify high prices for their own city condos, even though they are sold for less dizzy levels than Sukhothai's.

It is not surprising to find, however, that a number of buyers have put down a minimum Bt300,000 as a deposit to secure a place at Sukhothai Residences' 40-floor freehold project.

What is perhaps more stunning is that the floor plans have yet to be finalised. Considering this is post-coup Bangkok, that's quite a feat for developer HKR.

Confidence, indeed, is everything when it comes to doing luxury real-estate business.

It is to the credit of HKR to have the foresight to slap on the hefty premium and market the building as being conceptualised by the same designers who did the Sukhothai Hotel.

HKR has employed Ed Tuttle and Kerry Hill, who designed the interior and exterior of the Sukhothai Hotel respectively about 15 years ago.

To be sure, the Residences basks in the glory of this celebrated property. While the two properties share the same grounds today, the condominium will have its own entrance, which will be from Soi Nanta, while the hotel entrance remains on South Sathorn Road.

The condominium will be built on a seven-rai plot, which was originally purchased some years ago to expand the size of the boutique hotel.

HKR has since decided to use the land for a high-rise condominium instead.

But hotel connoisseurs will immediately notice something amiss in all the sales campaign for Sukhothai, that is both glaring and sad.

All hotels have a history and Sukhothai's appears to be written in a way that some omissions will not escape the well-heeled traveller or any top executives in the five-star hotel business.

The name that is missing here is Adrian Zecha, the man behind the hotel, originally one of three "Beaufort" properties that were built by Zecha and Siegfried Beil, two outstanding names in the hospitality business.

Zecha is best known for creating the Aman chain, of which the Amanpuri in Phuket is considered among the world's best hotels.

He also created the Regent chain in the Seventies, long before the Mandarin-Oriental brand was forged.

Why is Zecha worth fretting about? Now 74, the legendary figure may no longer be so visible but, make no mistake, he is still considered the guru, if not the final word in luxury living trends.

Less educated developers have asked: what makes Sukhothai so special that it can charge Bt2000,000 a square metre?

To be sure, Tuttle and Hill carry weight. But the answer lies with a name that is not mentioned, but one that towers above all the rest.

Itthi C Tan

The Nation