We have more and more people planning trips to Chiang Mai. Rather than repeating all of this over and over in email here is a list of a few places around Chiang Mai where you may like to consider staying.
The prices in Australian dollars assume 25 baht = $1 AUD. The exchange rate and the prices themselves will vary day to day.
Contents
Kavil Guesthouse
Located just inside the old city near Tha Pai gate this is a great location to be able to walk around the touristy part of Chiang Mai. It's fairly basic but clean. The owners are friendly and, although there are no TVs in the rooms, there is one in the lobby couch area where you can hang out with other guests and the resident cat and dog.
Price per night:
Small fan room: 180 baht = $7.20
Large fan room: 250 baht = $10
Large aircon room: 350 baht = $14
If you're in Chiang Mai during the height of summer, which is February, March, April, get an airconditioned room. Otherwise, it's not really necesary.
Kavil House is my personal pick if you're going to be in Chiang Mai for less than a month.
@Home Chiang Mai (At Home Chiang Mai)
This is the building Tanya and I currently live in. It's clean, the rooms are huge, have a tv with about 40 channels and they are all airconditioned. It is however near Wat Ched Yod which is about 10 minutes drive from the centre of town. Unless you plan on getting a bike or you're happy to catch song taews (red taxi type things) several times a day the location won't really work for you.
Price per night:
standard aircon room: 550 baht = $22
Price per month:
standard aircon room: $5500 = $220
At Home is my personal pick if you're going to be in Chiang Mai for a month or more. You can find photos of At Home Chiang Mai here.
Tamarind Village
Tamarind Village is a far more upmarket place. It has a central location and beautiful rooms, buildings and swimming pool. Even the driveway is a work of art. Ostensibly constructed in the Lanna style (the Lanna being the main ethnic group around here) everything is beatufully appointed although they certainly charge accordingly.
Price per night:
standard room (peak rate – approximately november through april): 6000 baht = $240
standard room (off peak rate – approximately may through october): 4200 baht = $168
That's right. A night at the Tamarind Village costs about the same as a month at At Home Chiang Mai. It's beautiful but I'm not sure it's worth it. I think it's been deliberately constructed to shut out the rest of the world. There's something a bit potemkin village like about this place. Inside you can't see or hear anything from the city outside and it's like Thailand but really clean and everyone is well dressed and speaks good english. It's like Thailand but not.
Le Meridien
Again, central location and beatifully appointed. Le Meridien is a modern western hotel. Once you're inside you almost forget you are in Thailand. That is until you see the view. It is a very tall building and the room I saw had an enormous window that gave you an excellent view of the city and the nearby mountain Doi Suthep. It feels less insular than Tamarind Village.
Price per night:
standard room (monday through thursday): 3900 baht = $156
standard room (friday through sunday): 3000 baht = $120
If you're going to go upscale go for the the Meridien, sorry, Le Meridien.
These are just a couple of the hundreds of hotels and guesthouses that are all over Chiang Mai. Some of them you can book from overseas but you'll typically pay more for that. Don't be scared to just find somewhere once you get here 🙂
Hopefully this has been helpful for you. If you want more more information about any of these places click on the name below.