Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is a large city and popular with visitors, so it comes with a huge range of accommodation options. The large choice of highly commendable places can be bewildering, so here are our top picks. You'll find literally thousands of hotels in Chiang Mai listed on online travel agents like Agoda, Booking and AirBnb, so if you don’t find anything to your liking in our selection, do... Read our full review of Where to stay in Chiang Mai.

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 can walk right past without noticing it. This is a good sign we reckon, as they’re clearly confident reputation and word of mouth suffice to attract custom, and it also... Read our full review of Bed (Phrasingh).

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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 only eight rooms is almost homestay style and, at the risk of sounding corny, a bit like staying at Nan's place. (Though to be fair to owner Ma, a very young and sprightly granny.) Downstairs... Read our full review of Ma Guesthouse.

There is a pleasant feel to small, low-key Chompor Lanna Boutique Resort, which has 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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Popular 3 Sis has built up a solid following in Chiang Mai’s accommodation scene thanks to its great location, efficient staff and well-priced, comfortable rooms. 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 is down the adjacent alley, Soi 8. The location in... Read our full review of The 3 Sis.

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This cosy and friendly lodge set amid lush tropical plants on a quiet lane to the west side of the Old City is one of Chiang Mai’s best deals in the flashpacker to midrange category. We first visited several years ago not long after they’d opened, when the garden was still a work in progress. It has since developed into a lush tropical setting and along with the small but cute,... Read our full review of The Twenty Lodge.

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Tiny and very cute, Baanpordee has six attractively decorated rooms set in a garden 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 the 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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With a well-placed location, efficient service and reasonable room prices, De Lanna has justifiably become one of Chiang Mai’s most popular midrange downtown hotels. With three three-storey blocks of rooms surrounding a well laid out garden and pool they manage to retain a boutique facade as well as having plenty of rooms (60 in total) without crossing into the large generic hotel range.... Read our full review of De Lanna Hotel.

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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. To be fair, the establishment had only recently changed hands when we dropped by in mid-2017 and the sign outside still had 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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Found just a stone’s throw from Tha Pae Gate, with a large pool and very reasonable room rates, Top North Hotel ticks a lot of boxes. That said, it is nothing fancy: There are no boutique pretensions nor Lanna decor, but rooms are clean and more than adequate, with workable air-con, hot ensuite showers, decent WiFi and functional furnishings. ###11153 Top North Hotel is on the eastern... Read our full review of Top North Hotel.

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If anywhere fits the cliche of being a hidden gem, cute little Ban Narai River Guesthouse tucked away on the banks of the Ping River is it, but as using that descriptor is against editorial policy we won't say that. The extremely pleasant and informative owner clearly recognises he’s onto a good thing, with the rooms, we think, a few hundred baht overpriced, so if you think of it as a pricey... Read our full review of Ban Narai River Guesthouse.

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A cute, comfortable and friendly little boutique-style flashpacker pick, Chiang Mai Thai House offers good facilities and an excellent location. Chiang Mai Thai House has been around for a while, 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 limited... Read our full review of Chiang Mai Thai House.

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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 .

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Though room rates are slightly on the high side, a very good location, great garden and comfortable, pleasantly decorated rooms make Karinthip Village an all-round good deal in Chiang Mai’s midrange category. Karinthip, down a quiet soi off Chiang Moi Road, was established back when real estate in this part of town wasn’t at such a premium, so the low-key resort is well spread out with a... Read our full review of Karinthip Village.

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With a great riverside location, pool and good value rooms, 2017-opened Riverside Floral is a very welcome addition to Chiang Mai’s accommodation scene. Several hotel choices lie along this stretch of Charoen Rat Road on the banks of the Ping River, but recently built Floral Inn seems to have had the initiative to fit comfortably into a compromise mid-standard, mid-price category so they... Read our full review of Riverside Floral Inn.

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Ignore the Anantara’s austere and charmless exterior, as the interior setting is spacious and well laid out, 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, especially in this garden style, and we reckon the Anantara’s great riverside setting beats the concrete high-rise blocks around the night... Read our full review of Anantara Chiang Mai Resort.

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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 in this category. In earlier days, Lai-Thai had flashpacker pretensions, but with many years and no make-overs, it’s looking rather tired around the edges these days. Prices have dropped relative to the host of nearby, new... Read our full review of Lai-Thai Guesthouse.

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