Chiang Rai - Hotel
 

Seeking recommendations for a hotel convenient to the downtown area and airport. Will be coming from Chiang Mai by either private car or by bus/boat. Read on this website boat leaves you off right at Dusit Island Resort Hotel. Has anyone experienced that particular trip? Is the Dusit Island Resort Hotel convenient to the night market? Will only be staying one night before continuing on and need convenience. Suggestions and recomendations?

We tayed at the Dusit island in 2002. It's fine, but not great. We took a tricycle ride into the night market and a tuk tuk back. Both were quick rides. The mist ovewr the nearby hills in the morning was a delight during breakfast.

Dusit Island resort is great but if you just want a decent hotel for the night I use the Little Duck, yes, I know, strange name, but however for $30-40 for a twin with tax and breakfast it's fine, don't go expecting Dusit standards, it's a bit rough around the edges but it is used by tourists and business people so quite adequote but it's perfectly ok for a nice stay, rather novel Tibetan design! Another option is the Wiang Inn, only stayed once, cheaper around $25-30 but again a basic Ok hotel that tourists and local people alike use, it is also handy for the night bazaar.

I think if you're looking at one night and want to be near the downtown area, the Wiang Inn would be your best bet-it's a little less touristed than some of the other hotels in the area, and is quite near the night market (however, Chiang Rai's night mkt. does not in any way compare to C.M's night market, either in variety, size or quality of goods sold). I stayed at the Rimkok Resort in Chiang Rai-which was nice because it was on the Mae Kok river-and you can get a nice room with a balcony that has a river view, with lush grounds and a nice pool-but it is not particularly close to downtown-the Wiang Inn is much closer. (The Rimkok does have a shuttle service to the night mkt. though). The Rimkok Resort, like the other hotels mentioned, is quite inexpensive-around $US 35-45 or so. You can look at photos of these hotels and their rates by typing the names into a search engine.

Like I said however, Chiang Rai's night mkt. isn't anything to write home about, so for one night, you might just want to go for the resort atmosphere instead.

We also stayed at the Dusit - it is the top place in Chiang Rai which isn't saying much. There is a nice pool there and the views from the upper floors are pretty good. Chiang Rai is pretty low key so there is not much difficulty getting around. Rickshaw into town from the Dusit takes 5 - 10 minutes. We took a long tail boat up the Mae Kok River from the hotel - a nice half day trip that included an elephant ride through the rice fields. You can arrange this at the hotel. I've not been to the night market but I do know that is nowhere near as big as Chiang Mai's, which I didn't think was as good as the tour books make it out to be. In Chiang Rae, have dinner at C&C (Cabbages and Condoms) rather than eating at your hotel.

I've stayed at the Dusit also and it was fine. Notvery "thai" but more than adequate. large rooms and not too far from town. I've also stayed at the Wiang Inn and it is definitely less deluxe than Dusit it has a great lofcation and is more than adequate. For some reason it also seems a bit more "thai" or less international than Dusit. Either would be good choices.

we will be in Chiang Rai in October and
are staying at a boutique style hotel called The Legend. It's new and we got a great price through the web.

randig....what website did you find
the Legend? we have one nite in chiang rai and need a hotel convenient to the airport.

we booked through royal exclusive travel co. ltd and got a soft promotion price for half the cost the lengend was listing.
we found them on asiadiscovery.com