Chiang Mai Hotel
 

Hi...this is my first posting here. In March I'm going to Thailand for the second time in a year. I really enjoyed my first visit and want to support the Thailand tourism industry...especially right now. This will be my first visit to Chiang Mai. I had come across a hotel that looked great...The 'Rachamankha'...but they are fully booked. I'd like to spend anywhere from $100-$150/night. I'd love something like a 'boutique' hotel, spa experience or high level B&B. The Four Seasons is too expensive. If you have any insight or hotel ideas I'd really appreciate it! One last question...for a first timer (me..with my parents), what should I keep in mind regarding location? Old town, river, nature? Thanks very much!

I would try booking the Rachamanka through Sawadee.com. The hotel had shown up as fully booked when I tried to book a room for december but did get a room through this site. Its an excellent hotel and probably what you're looking for in terms of boutique properties.

FYI..when I called the hotel directly this evening, they said they were booked. I really liked this hotel's website (pictures, description, background, etc.). I did as you suggested and went to the Sawadee.com website and made a reservation request...even asking them if I could be on a waitlist. If this Rachamankha doesn't come through...do you (or anyone else) have any other names to recommend? Thx very much!

I stayed at Tamarind Village and really enjoyed it - found it great VFM. It is probably not as luxurious as Rachamanka. I booked it for US$42/night incl b'fast thru www.precisionreservations.com. IN the past www.ban-sabai.com has also been recoed. Finally, know it is gen very exp but the Mandarin Oriental has just opened in CM so may be worthwile checking if they have some promos going.

Tamarind Village is run by the same people who run Rachamankha. Its nice but I wasnt a big fan of the location which was a bit noisy right by the weekend market..although it looked nice as well...unfortunately, we didnt find many hotels with the same charm as the Tamarind village or Rachamankha...

Update...I did get a positive response from sawadee.com regarding the requested reservation. They had exactly what I wanted at the appropriate price. Just one question...are they a legitimate organization? They request a modest non-refundable deposit now and then the balance two weeks before the stay and then I get a voucher. Anything I should know to protect myself, make sure the voucher comes or that it will actually be accepted upon arrival? Last question to NKS267...I was a little confused by your last post. You say that Tamarind Village was run by the same people, a little noisy, etc...but at the end you say that most of the other hotels don't have the same charm as Tamarind and Rachamankha. So does that mean that you like it (except for the noise) or that you don't like it (because of the noise)? Again, many thanks for your help!

We reserved our hotel through Sawadee and all went well. I knew of a few people who had used them and were happy with their service.

As for my comment re the Tamarind Village...I chose the Rachamankha over the Tamarind village since I didnt like the noise factor at tamarind village...I meant that I like tamarind village except for the noise...and I prefer Rachamankha to any other hotel.

Booked! Thanks nks267 for the clarification. I went ahead and sent a deposit via sawadee.com online pay system. Everything I've received from them (confirmations, booking #'s, rules, etc.) appear to be fine. I just don't understand why the hotel said no availability when I called, why another website I tried (i-escape.com) said nothing...but sawadee.com was able to confirm the room. Anyway, you've been a big help!

Glad things worked out for you. We had the same experience with every other site showing the hotel as booked...when I had called Rachamankha re a room..they were the ones who suggested I go through Sawadee for the best rates and availability....odd! I'm sure you'll enjoy the hotel...