Chiang Mai
Where to lay your head
Where to lay your head
While Chiang Mai has thousands of hotels and guesthouses spread across a vast area, we’ve concentrated on what we believe are the two most convenient areas to stay: within the Old City walls and between the eastern Old City wall and the Ping River, with a couple of more far-flung options thrown in.
Chiang Mai is a large city and popular with visitors so as you’d expect, it comes with a huge range of accommodation options and a large choice of highly commendable ones too. You'll find literally thousands of hotels in Chiang Mai listed on the OTAs like Agoda, Booking and AirBnb, so if you don’t find anything to your liking amongst our selection, do browse their collections, though be... Read our full review of Where to stay in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai’s old walled city is home to the densest concentration of guesthouses and hotels in the city and there’s a very good reason for this—some of the most crowd-pleasing temples, best shopping and great eating is also within the walls. At times a rabbit warren of back lanes and alleys, you can also do very well in this part of Chiang Mai if you’re looking for a quiet room.
A central but quiet location; organised and helpful staff and tastefully decorated rooms at astonishingly low prices makes Awana our top choice in the niche between budget and flashpacker. It’s not an easy one to find, lying down a narrow alley off already narrow Ratchadamnoen Soi 1. Soi 1 is the first turning on the right you’ll come across if heading down the Old City’s main drag from... Read our full review of Awana House.
The simply but effectively named Bed isn’t so much tucked away as almost totally hidden. Located down a narrow, little frequented soi, behind Wat Chedi Luang, and with the already brief name partially obscured by foliage, you could walk right past without noticing it. This is a good sign we reckon, as they’re clearly confident reputation and word of mouth suffice and it also means that... Read our full review of Bed (Phrasingh).
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There’s commendable attention to detail at the well-run budget Diva Guesthouse possessing probably the best looking 300 baht rooms we came across anywhere in Chiang Mai. Brought to you by the same Swiss/Thai couple who created the hugely successful Julie Guesthouse, the exceptional Diva has been operating from a location at the southern end of Ratchaphakhinai since 2010. This is a good... Read our full review of Diva Guesthouse.
The inconspicuous Ma Guesthouse, hidden away above a hair salon, might not look much from the outside but inside it’s a real budget star. Set at the southern end of Samlarn Road, this tiny guesthouse, with a total of only eight rooms, is almost home-stay style and, at the risk of sounding corny, a bit like staying at your granny’s place. (Though to be fair to owner Ma, a very young and... Read our full review of Ma Guesthouse.
If we recall correctly Huen Phen began life as a speciality Northern Thai restaurant; acclaimed and popular to the extent that they’ve now branched out into the accommodation sector with this small, boutique style mid-range hotel. Perhaps being new to the business, Huen Phen does display a few contradictions, but nowhere is perfect, and with a few caveats we felt the pros definitely... Read our full review of Baan Huen Phen Boutique Hotel.
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There is a pleasant feel to the small, low-key, Chompor Lanna Boutique Resort, with particularly helpful and friendly staff, tastefully decorated rooms and an unbeatable location. The owners somehow managed to find a decent sized plot of land right in the centre of the Old City, yet situated down a narrow back lane, behind the Heritage Museum and between Phrapokklao and Ratchaphakhinai Roads.... Read our full review of Chompor Lanna Boutique Resort.
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Somwang Boutique is a well-situated and well laid-out flashpacker option with very competitive room rates. Last time we looked, Somwang consisted of a few simple rooms around a concrete car-park but under new ownership it’s since received a serious makeover. Two brand spanking new blocks of rooms have been constructed and the car-park converted to a rather enticing swimming pool and garden... Read our full review of Somwang Boutique House.
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It is easy to see why the popular 3 Sis has built up a solid following in Chiang Mai’s accommodation scene with a great location, efficient staff and well-priced, comfortable rooms amply ticking all the main boxes. The 3 Sis is slightly tricky to find as the main frontage on Phrapokklao Road is taken up by their restaurant with B&B only appearing in small letters. The actual hotel entrance... Read our full review of The 3 Sis.
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There is a lot of completion in the boutique, Lanna style, four-star category, but the low-key, unassuming, yet classy Rim Resort gets our vote. Low season discounts and online booking rates make the rooms good value for money and we liked the relatively small size of the resort which conjures a friendly, intimate atmosphere and there’s an attention to detail perhaps lacking in some of the... Read our full review of The Rim Resort Chiangmai.
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This cosy and friendly lodge set amid lush tropical plants on a quiet lane to the western side of the Old City is one of Chiang Mai’s best deals in the flashpacker to mid-range category. We first visited several years ago, not long after they’d opened and the garden setting was still a work in progress but it has since developed into a lush tropical setting and along with the small but... Read our full review of The Twenty Lodge.
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There’s excellent use of limited space at the comfortable and well-designed Vieng Mantra which forms a decent mid-range choice smack in the centre of Chiang Mai. Generous low season discounts make the Vieng Mantra a particularly tempting option for rainy season when you’re getting mid-range standards at flashpacker rates. There’s a well-sized seating area and cafe, restaurant downstairs... Read our full review of Vieng Mantra Hotel.
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Tiny and very cute, Baanpordee has six attractively decorated rooms in a garden setting down a quiet back soi in the centre of the Old City. The guesthouse is directly opposite the more upmarket Chompor Lanna on Prapokklao Soi 12 which runs between Phrapokklao and Ratchaphakhinai Roads, so location has the advantage of being smack bang in the centre of the Old City yet very quiet with only... Read our full review of Baanpordee Guesthouse.
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This simple, attractive and reasonably priced option may not perhaps figure as a first choice, but it does tick all the plan B boxes should your ideal but tiny, boutique first choice lack vacancies. Firstly location is good; at the southern end of Ratchaphakhinai in the Old City and close to the Chiang Mai Gate night market as well as being only a short walk to Tha Pae. Layout is simple but... Read our full review of Chiang Mai Boutique House.
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With a well-placed location, efficient service and reasonable room prices, De Lanna has justifiably become one of Chiang Mai’s most popular mid-range downtown hotels. With three, three-storey blocks of rooms surrounding a well laid out garden and pool area they manage to retain a boutique façade as well as having plenty of rooms (60 in total) without crossing into the large generic hotel... Read our full review of De Lanna Hotel.
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The long standing Julie Guesthouse is a ramshackle, but well maintained and popular old style budget spot in the Old City. Bits have clearly been added, upgraded, knocked down, rebuilt and so-on over the years but you can also tell it’s been well maintained and the eclectic mix manages somehow to create a harmonious whole with a pleasant, friendly vibe to it. Originally opened by the people... Read our full review of Julie Guesthouse.
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Mali’s isn’t going to win any awards for charm or decor but for good sized, clean rooms in a reasonably central location it’s hard to argue with it. To be fair the establishment had only recently changed hands when we dropped by in mid-2017 and the sign outside still has the old name of Western House Hotel, so we’ll assume it’s still a work in progress. There’s plenty of room for... Read our full review of Mali’s House.
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Quiet, laid back, low key and with surprisingly good rooms for your money, Tip Top House is a tempting option in Chiang Mai’s budget scene. It’s much smaller than say Julie or Diva and the location, while still central, is quieter plus they manage to squeeze in a well laid-out little garden. There’s certainly not that classic backpacker vibe to the place and Tip Top isn’t the choice... Read our full review of Tip Top Thai House.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
With a location a stone’s throw from Tha Pae Gate, a large swimming pool, very reasonable room rates (and plenty of them), Top North Hotel ticks a lot of boxes. That said, it is nothing fancy though—there are no boutique pretensions nor Lanna decor, but the rooms are clean and more than adequate, with workable air-con, hot en-suite showers, decent WiFi and functional furnishings.... Read our full review of Top North Hotel.
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While most of the properties covered here are between the Old City’s eastern wall and the Ping River, others are more far flung and you’ll sometimes need transport to get into the downtown area. In return you’ll often get more spacious grounds or perhaps a river view.
Within the Chiang Mai city limits the hugely popular 137 Pillars House is about as plush as it gets—we visited during one of the quietest periods and all 30 of the rooms were full so firstly, if you do fancy a splurge, and to our minds 137 is one of the few spots that warrants it, then make sure you book up a long while ahead. The resort has a slightly unusual location in a clutch of... Read our full review of 137 Pillars House.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Only opened in 2016 the seriously cute little Ban Narai River Guesthouse tucked away on the bank of the Ping River is a great find in the upper budget, lower flashpacker range, and if anywhere fits the cliché “hidden gem” this really is it but that’s against editorial policy so we won’t say that. The extremely pleasant and informative owner/manager clearly recognises he’s onto a... Read our full review of Ban Narai River Guesthouse.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Out of the centre of Chiang Mai, but with an interesting location close to Wat Umong amid the leafy lanes at the foot of Doi Suthep, Ayatana offers an excellent deal in the flashpacker to mid-range. Even prior to being taken over by the Chiang Mai based, cheap and cheerful B2 chain, rates were very competitive and maybe they need to be to attract customers to what is a rather out of the way... Read our full review of B2 Ayatana Premier Hotel.
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A cute, comfortable and friendly little boutique style flashpacker option, Chiang Mai Thai House offers good facilities and an excellent location. Chiang Mai Thai House has been around for a while now, tucked away down Tha Pae Soi 5, but they commendably manage to keep rooms consistently looking bright, clean and fresh. It isn’t a large establishment but is well laid out with good use of... Read our full review of Chiang Mai Thai House.
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There are a number of these cute, hidden away in leafy suburbs, kind of mini resorts around Chiang Mai and we thought De Wiangkumkam was a very good find. As the name implies it’s located within Wiang Khum Kham ancient city—a maze of quiet garden-lined lanes and ruined temples—and just beyond Chiang Mai’s superhighway to the south then but in fact only a 10 minute or so drive to the... Read our full review of De Wiangkumkam.
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Well out of Chiang Mai, the offering by the international Four Seasons chain is about as luxurious as it gets in these parts. The lush and plush Four Seasons has located itself well to the north of Chiang Mai in the Mae Rim district, where they have an entire valley of their own to play with. Rooms are scattered amid luxuriant gardens on hillsides around a small valley in which they’ve even... Read our full review of Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai .
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Still going strong after nearly 30 years, the excellent Galare, with its quiet, yet central, riverside location is still one of Chiang Mai’s best options in the budget to flashpacker range. Every time we pass by we expect to see this long standing guesthouse has gone boutique, doubled its rates or added another three storeys yet, despite its popularity and prime location, the owner has stuck... Read our full review of Galare Guesthouse.
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Though we feel room rates are slightly on the high side, a very good location, great garden setting and comfortable, pleasantly decorated rooms make Karinthip Village an all-round good deal in Chiang Mai’s mid-range category. Karinthip, with its position down a quiet soi off Chiang Moi Road, was established some time ago when real estate in this part of town wasn’t at such a premium so... Read our full review of Karinthip Village.
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Squeezed between Loi Kroh Road and Kotchasarn Soi 3, just off the eastern moat road, the deceptively large, (and we felt oddly named), Raming Lodge is a good address for night owls. We say deceptively as you wouldn’t guess from the frontage they’d managed to fit 84 decent sized rooms into that one narrow block. Raming is five minutes on foot from the Night Bazaar and two from Tha Pae so... Read our full review of Raming Lodge.
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With a great riverside location, pool and good value rooms the Riverside Floral, opened in May 2017, is a very welcome new addition to Chiang Mai’s accommodation scene. There are several hotel choices along this stretch of Charoen Rat Road on the banks of the Ping River; but the recently built Floral Inn seems to have had the initiative to fit comfortably into a compromise mid-standard,... Read our full review of Riverside Floral Inn.
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The conspicuous Amora Tapae Hotel is a large white hotel located just to the north of Tha Pae Gate along the outer moat road, Chaiyaphum. The hotel has slowly crept up in category over the past few years with a series of upgrades and makeovers and while their room rates have too to some extent, it still represents a good deal in the well-placed, classic hotel, style range. ###11801 Most of... Read our full review of Amora Tapae Hotel.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Ignore the Anantara’s austere and charmless exterior, the interior setting is spacious and well laid out—if still a bit austere—while the rooms themselves are excellent. If you are aiming for the higher end but want to be in town there’s not really much choice anyway, especially in this garden style, and we reckon the Anantara’s great riverside setting beats the concrete high-rise... Read our full review of Anantara, Chiang Mai Resort and Spa.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
The clutch of narrow alleyways on the west bank of the Ping is a good hunting ground for us and an excellent riverside spot, close to both Galare and Ban Narai Guesthouses is the more upmarket option of River View Lodge. We say more upmarket but with low season discounts it’s still only in the flashpacker range yet also manages to combine a downtown location with a delightful and peaceful... Read our full review of Riverview Lodge.
The long-standing Lai-Thai just about squeezes into the budget range these days by virtue of low season discounts and online booking rates and is an excellent option it is too in this category. In earlier days Lai-Thai had flashpacker pretensions but with many years, and no make-overs, on the counter it’s looking rather tired around the edges these days and prices have dropped relative to... Read our full review of Lai-Thai Guesthouse.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
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