The Standard’s new hotel brings signature swagger to Thailand’s silvery sands

Since its 1999 inception in LA, boutique-hotel mega brand The Standard has become renowned for retro, midcentury-modern-inspired interiors, edgy parties and bold architectural moves. Its expansion into Southeast Asia is relatively recent, with five openings in the past five years. The fourth in Thailand, The Standard Pattaya Na Jomtien, opens its doors as a luxury beach resort of ten buildings, oozing sass, humour and creative flair, with signature details at every turn. Featuring a beach club, Esmé, a fine dining outfit, Sereia, and an adults-only spa – named Mmhmmm – it’s a stay that begs full immersion.

Wallpaper* checks in at The Standard, Pattaya Na Jomtien

What’s on your doorstep?

Sprawling silvery sands are the USP at The Standard Pattaya Na Jomtien, and here a distinction must be made: Na Jomtien is the tree-lined, breezy suburb of coastal metropolis Pattaya, which can be spied in the distance over the waves. Opting to locate in the vicinity of a city with a somewhat unsavoury reputation (Pattaya is known for crime and corruption issues) might seem like a maverick move, but if anyone can make an address desirable, it’s The Standard, and Na Jomtien currently has everything to play for.

General manager Jason Macleod explains, ‘We want to redefine the image of the area. Na Jomtien is hip, up-and-coming and spacious, with an electric energy, and there really isn’t any competition yet. We’re the new kids on the block.’ Given that the brand is so well loved by Bangkokians (the capital is just a 1.5-hour drive away), a South Pattaya metamorphosis feels imminent.

Who’s behind the design?

Steered by the chain’s global head of design, Verena Haller, The Standard Pattaya Na Jomtien’s sophisticated white structure with undulating curves is by Onion, the Thai architecture firm also behind The Standard Bangkok and The Standard Hua Hin – the former nestled within German architect Ole Scheeren’s Mahanakhon tower. With Pattaya Na Jomtien, Onion has infused the complex and its four courtyards with a sense of modernist allure.

Between buildings, an architectural walkway, dubbed the S Curve, meanders through light and shadow, the effect as you walk through it changing throughout the day. In their design, including the rippling walls, the architects responded to the ocean. Say Siriyot Chaiamnuay and Arisara Chaktranon of Onion, ‘The moving shadows of skylit structures create ever-changing patterns and colours.’

The standout details

On arrival, guests encounter colourful art installations that contrast with the structure’s bright backdrop. Both the main and the VIP reception desks are backed by wide tapestries created by Yarn Studio, richly textured and in local tones, while the two abstract figures of French artist Chloé Kelly Miller’s Unity of the Double sculpture provide a welcome in the first courtyard. Interior design is conceived by Din Studio, its third collaboration with The Standard’s Thai outposts. From sleek furnishings to quirky light fittings, in the shape of lips, for example, and playful murals, the studio has adopted natural tones with occasional pops of bolshy colour. Perhaps most memorable on the design front are the staff uniforms by Vickteerut, a Bangkok fashion house under the creative direction of Aurapraphan ‘Pang’ Sudhinaraset, designed for ease in upbeat colours.

The room to book

With 161 rooms of seven different types, this is a subjective question. All categories come large, with high ceilings and wide spaces flooded with light, but it’s the Deluxe One Bedroom Suites to angle for. Among these, the Ocean View Pool Suites are perfect for voyeurs who like to see and be seen, with vistas across the suite's own pool towards the beach club in the near distance. Our favourite is the Deluxe One Bedroom Pool Suite, which comes with a high-walled backyard, meaning you can enjoy the room’s own pool and loungers in blissful privacy. Both types of suite have decadent bath tubs, outdoor showers and indoor rain room showers, as well as a bespoke Din Studio sofa to recline on.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Elegant restaurant Sereia specialises in seafood, spotlighting ingredients from Thailand’s eastern seaboard, the regions of Chonburi, Chanthaburi and Rayong. Head of food Khun Matt supports local fishermen, the green lights of whose boats dot the horizon at night. He worked closely with chef Liew to develop tasting menus and à la carte options at Sereia, and the Mexican platters for beach bar Esmé, where elevated CDMX street food is served as sharing plates. Sereia’s centrepiece is a sweeping bar, a magenta island where mixologist Khun Tok leads the bar team; his tequila-based cocktail, Magenta Paloma, is as refreshing as it is colourful – pink, topped with lime green.

Where to switch off

The indulgent spa has embraced the mud bathing renaissance and allotted a terrace specifically to the ancient art. Four concoctions are on offer, the charcoal and tea tree oil-rich ‘Purify’, a dark grey paste, is our favourite. Once you've selected the mud, it's a DIY affair to ‘paint yourself pure’, lathering up in richly scented goop, then reclining on a lounger in the mud terrace. The spa also has ice baths for guided sessions with therapists, who time the chilly dunks that, for the brave, promise euphoria afterwards. The oatmeal body scrub also deserves an honourable mention for being the finest-smelling exfoliant in the kingdom.

The verdict

This is the largest branch of The Standard in Thailand, and once you've checked in, it’s a resort at which to park yourself, with everything needed on site – from the zen spa treatments to tacos and margaritas at the beach bar. It’s also undeniably a hotel for music lovers as much as beach fans, and being such a short drive from Bangkok, it's the perfect sanctuary from city life. As I checked out, I was already discussing my next visit – and how to get my hands on tailoring by Vickteerut.

The Standard, Pattaya Na Jomtien is located at Thailand, Chon Buri, Sattahip District, Tambon Na Chom Thian, Soi Na Jomtien 10 8.