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Published on March 15, 2008

A few metres down quiet Nimmanhemin Soi 3 in Chiang Mai is the newly opened, a small hotel furnished with exquisite bamboo furniture.

The stylish thicket is a clue to the hotel's roots - it sprang from respected home decor shop Gerard Collection whose unique bamboo designs are also displayed in a showroom on the hotel's ground floor. For the past 14 years, Laotian-French designer Gerard Dauplay and his partner Tosporn Panatampon have been promoting the use of bamboo furniture. The result is Gerard Habitat, a  perfect showcase of how to decorate the home in this natural material from floor to ceiling.

Each of the 12 rooms has an LCD TV, a stereo with DVD player plus a fullyequipped pantry complete with microwave, kettle with free coffee and tea, fridge and free mini bar.

Close by are a pack of trendy cafes and restaurants. Room tariffs start at Bt2,900 for a night and American breakfast is served at the nearby Country Cafe.

"Bamboo is often regarded as a material for the poor while teak represents the rich. I want to change that attitude," says Dauplay who has produced several bamboo collections for Armani Casa.

Call (053) 227 272 or visit www.GerardHabitat.com.

reviewed by Pabphim/DAILY XPRESS