Managing Director & Founder
AKARYN Hotel Group
Anchalika Kijkanakorn is the Managing Director and Founder of AKARYN Hotel Group (AHG), Thailand’s award-winning boutique hotel owner and operator, and the recent Chairman of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), a post she was elected to for three consecutive years, the first Asian and the first woman to hold the position. She still sits on the Board of Directors of SLH, where she has been for the last 12 years.
AHG pioneered barefoot luxury hospitality experiences in Thailand through the exclusive all-villa and loft-style beachfront resorts Aleenta Hua Hin-Pranburi and Aleenta Phuket-Phang Nga, before launching the akyra brand through adults-only akyra Chura Samui and art-inspired all-suite concept akyra Manor Chiang Mai.
Under Anchalika’s leadership, AHG developed the Ayurah wellness brand, a medical and holistic health concept, as well as the Italics restaurant brand, a standalone Italian-inspired dining experience with outlets open in Bangkok and at akyra Manor Chiang Mai. The Italics restaurants in Bangkok and Chiang Mai have both won Thailand Tatler Top Table Awards, whereas the Italics Chiang Mai is consistently ranked on TripAdvisor as Top 3 Tables in the area.
In 2016, AHG launched akyra Thonglor Bangkok, an all-suites luxury boutique hotel in the heart of the stylish Thonglor neighbourhood . In 2017, AHG opened its first epicurean beach club, the akyra Beach Club Phuket where sun meets style, cool tunes, good vibes and always great people.
Most recently, AHG unveiled the first Single Use Plastic Free Hotel in Asia when it opens the akyra TAS Sukhumvit Bangkok in June 2018, a 50 suites chic boutique luxury hotel with warm and welcoming Siam Soul Café and cool and urban roof top pool bar and grill, RISE. The hotel has since been featured on BBC News, Times and Forbes Magazines for its pioneer work in plastic usage reduction as well as being one of the best openings in 2018.
Anchalika has been recognized for her marine environment and local community work with school children, two causes close to her heart, through the Pure Blue Foundation she founded in 2006, highlighted by her inclusion in Forbes Asia’s list of Asia’s leading 40 philanthropists in 2015.
Before entering the hospitality industry, Anchalika spent 10 years with GE Capital in various leadership roles in the finance sector, managing teams across Asia, Europe and the United States. She has two young sons and is based in Bangkok.