Guests checking into Anantara Chiang Mai are instantly drawn to the old colonial house that sits regally as the centerpiece of the resort. The house is one of Chiang Mai’s oldest colonial era buildings and once housed the British Consulate and included a residence for the consul’s family, a courtroom, offices, servants’ quarters, and stables for four elephants who, back in the day, were the preferred mode of transport to cut through the dense jungle (and during an occasional polo match).

In addition to a constant stream of British citizens coming to pay their respects or seek advice, there were spectacular parties and dazzling receptions hosted in its dining rooms for visiting dignitaries and luminaries.

Today, its delicate old-world bones house The Service 1921, Anantara’s signature bar and restaurant named for the year the consulate opened. Guests come and savior Chiang Mai’s famous high tea and imagine grand garden parties of a bygone era.