asykes1

Does anyone have a preference? Both look lovely but just want to make sure I choose the right one as this is for my honeymoon! Thanks!

MichaelBKK

Tough call. The M-O's design is over the top for some, but they do have these nice pool villas that might be good for a honeymoon. It's also a bit closer to town as well as very near the handicraft factories.

The setting of the FS is a bit nicer, IMO. It seems further away from town than it really is. You'd have to go for one of the residences to get a room similar to the M-O villas.

StanKase

The FS is 30-40 minutes from downtown CM and a bit out of the way to Do Suthop, Lampang, Hong Dong and several hill tribes worth seeing.
Also, unless you plan to spend 75+% of your time at FS why go to CM? There are several lovely hotels with Jr. Suites for $250 in and around CM.

Elainee

The 4s is a special experience. Perfect for a honeymoon. When we stayed there we hired a taxi driver to take us wherever we wanted to go plus do errands for us like laundry, picking up stuff we ordered. We hired the taxi who took us from the airport since we liked him and had his cell phone number so we could get him whenever we wanted him (a bit of notice is nice), not expensive a lot cheaper than the hotel (any hotel) transportation. The s4s is a world-class beautiful resort with the best spa we have ever used.

asykes1

Thanks guys! although now i have to say, i'm more confused than before! We are there for two nights, two days which kinda makes me think the Mandarin is a better choice since it's closer to town and we are time constrained. Would we walk from the Mandarin to town or take a taxi?

That being said, the FS just look exquisite -- the setting is so romantic. I suppose I can't go wrong but would welcome any other thoughts people have...

glorialf

The Mandarin is so over the top and fake it makes me think of disneyland. You can not walk into town from there -- it's about a 20 minute taxi ride. The FS is about 45 minutes from town but to my mind is a much lovelier place.

I have not been there but I have heard very good things about the Chedi Resort which is actually IN Chiang Mai and you could walk or take a tut tut anywhere from it. I'd check it out.

jenskar

I think it really depends on what you want out of your 2 days and nights, where you're going in Thailand before CM, what you want to see and do. CM is a big city, so regardless of whether you stay close or far, you're still going to need tuktuks to get around within some of it. I had envisioned this quaint colonial capital but it's quite sprawling, alot of traffic, and quite noisy.
I would think the service and personal attention you would get at the 4S would be better, it's a smaller resort. The shuttle into CM runs several times a day, so if you want to go in and see some of the town or go to the night market, you can do that. With only 2 days, you're not going to be doing a bunch of day trips around the area.
We spent five days there 2 years ago. I'm not a laze around the hotel property kind of gal, but someone had mentioned to me that the 4S was so beautiful and the spa so special I might want to spend one day just around the resort, and we did end up doing just that. A couples spa treatment at night is really magical, and can cure the most spa resistant spouse of any aversion to being rubbed and scrubbed and wrapped or Thai massage stretched.
Hope that helps.

titikaka

Four Seasons is good & most delicious food. that restaurant is most popular.
http://travelbackpacker.blogspot.com

MichaelBKK

You know, for just two nights, I would think about staying in town. The Chedi is nice, but I'm told many rooms are not very private. I'd have a look at the Puripunn Boutique Hotel.

Also, you didn't say when you're going. The Shangri-La and Le Meridien open soon.

asykes1

Hi guys -- thanks so much for all your thoughts. I am going from Sept 26-29 and am really leaning toward the Four Seasons. Was unaware of the new le meridian or shangri-la -- will look into both as well...

SallyJ

We just returned from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai. We only had dinner at the Grand Lanna (it was excellent) at the Mandarin in Chiang Mai, but we were able to take a golf cart tour around the property. Disneyland for adults did come to mind for a minute, but the architecture is so gorgeous, and the grounds are so spectacular, that I think I would like to stay there next time. It is a really unique and exotic hotel and you really know you are in Thailand, not just a generic luxury hotel that could be anywhere in the world.

shothyme77

we stayed at 4 seasons on our honeymoon and would recommend it hands down! it is fantastic and I didn't mind the short trip from there to town at all. highly recommended!