Haley0101

Does anyone have a recommendation for a moderately priced hotel in Chiang Mai in November???

I was told to be walking distance from the night market but not on a busy loud street.

I read about the Chiang Mai Thai House and the River View Lodge but I'd love some input from those who have actually stayed there or have other thoughts!!!

Thanks!!! Can't wait.

Kathie

None of us know what you mean by moderately priced. Give us an actual price range and we can be more helpful.

Do you know about www.sawasdee.com ? It's a Thai hotel booking site that many of us use. The prices are good and they include tax and service (17.7%) and often, breakfast. Browse the listings and see what appeals to you.

Haley0101

I suppose I was looking at the prices in the 1-2 dollar signs in the Fodors book and not the Four Seasons!

I will look at the web site but was hoping for some word of mouth recommendations or warnings.

Thanks!

Haley0101

Let me ask a different question. Is there a recommended location or street to stay at in CM. I am looking at the site you provided and there are a lot of great hotels but I do not know the area as I have never been. I was advised to stay walking distance to the night market? What streets should I be looking at? If not what other locations are recommended and why?

Thanks
H

Smeagol

try tamarind village (great location) Baan Orapin or yaang come village resort all get good recommendations.
Beware if yo are in CM during Loy Krathong (which is fab) you will want to book your hotel asap, availability will all ready be limited.
I stayed at the Tamarind Village about 3 years ago and REALLY liked it.

karenmike

For our taste, River View Lodge is far and away the best place to stay in Ching Mai.

2,200 Bhat for a river view balcony room. The grounds around the pool are landscaping delight.

Short walk to the night market. Suggestion: rent a moto, eat at the noodle stall along side Burger King.

We threw up some photos of River View Lodge:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/traveltv/

karenmike

The Diamond Riverside Hotel without balcony, ambiance and a bit beat up is a lot cheaper at 900 Bhat. But, a high floor river view room offers quite a spectacular sight.

citywalks

I like Raming Lodge and Spa (about $45.00 USD) last year on asiarooms.com. Short walk to old city and river. This is a good hotel with nice rooms and good breakfast and very nice staff. Tuk tuks always just outside to take you anywhere.

karenmike

The River View Lodge is located at the end of a quite narrow cul-de-sac walkway, within a couple of minutes of Chiang Mai's China Town (which is a must do adventure) and a stones throw from Black Iron Bridge.

Black Iron Bridge is a narrow one way bridge across the Mae Ping River and offers up great views, and is a quite, out of the way meeting and fishing location, especially in the evenings.

We would often end our evenings there along with other Thai couples.

Check out the location here:
http://www.riverviewlodgch.com/location-map.php

If you want to spend less money and have decided to miss out on the great views but beat up Diamond Riverside Hotel, you can think about the Galare Guest House located in the same quite streets as the River View Lodge, but without the pool - If you can, pay extra for the pool because of the great afternoon cool downs.

We were not excited about staying inside the moat, although there is a lot to do there and many like it best.

Inside, there are night markets and great food, but, surprisingly it's a lot more "touristy" in areas with the abundance of guest houses, bars and eateries focused on visitors.

While the night market is the main tourist draw, much of the area surrounding the night market is quite local stuff and the night market is "complex" (food, crappy souvenirs, cool stuff) enough to hold your attention for a few nights.

If you go to Google Maps:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&cl...-8&sa=N&tab=wl

you'll get a good selection and an idea of the disbursement of hotels in Chiang Mai.

Bottom line, I'm not sure you can ever go wrong in Chiang Mai, the place is that wonderful. So much to do, so much to see and that's just inside the city.

crellston

Has the River View Lodge been totally refurbished of late? Or maybe it is under new management? The reason I ask is that we stayed there in 2006 and were very dissappointed. The rooms and public areas were dire and very dissappointing for the price. The service was non existant and the owners/ managers were simply not interested. IMHO it is likely you would find many, much nicer places in CM for the money.

Kathie

"Bottom line, I'm not sure you can ever go wrong in Chiang Mai, the place is that wonderful. So much to do, so much to see and that's just inside the city."

Wow - do we ever have different experiences of CM, Karen! CM is my least favorite place in Thailand - a country I love. I find it boring after a day or so, polluted (the air has more particulates than Bangkok as they still burn their trash), the traffic is impossible and with no public transport (unlike Bangkok) you'll spend a lot of time siting in traffic. If you want to shop, you pretty much have to hire a car and driver, as places to shop are widely dispersed. Also, shopping there is now mostly the same price or more expensive than Bangkok. And with a few exceptions, there is a better selection of tribal crafts in Bangkok.

Hotels have gotten much better in the last 25 years or so, but they still have odd lapses - a very expensive boutique hotel we looked at had mold growing in the bathrooms, and the bedrooms were stark, the beds like rock. We stayed at Yaang Come Village our last trip when we when to Royal Flora. It's a lovely place. They still have odd lapses (don't use their transport desk, don't go to their "traditional" dinner and dance0, but the rooms were very nice.

Kathie

PS It's useful to have your point of view on the forum. People either love CM - or not. Many of us here are in the or not category.

Smeagol

I REALLY liked CM (but we were there during Loy Krathong which makes it magical) if its in your bones to go just go and enjoy... (take in a cookery school, i did one thru chiangmai cookery school and LOVED it)

ive415

The Imperial Mae Ping isn't a bad moderately priced ($30-$40) hotel near the night bazaar. It's a big hotel with nice pool, small gym, decent rooms close to the action but still quit. But there's really alot of options depending on your definition of moderately priced. Check out agoda.com or sawadee.com where i'm sure you can find something that fits your need.

wlee88

The air pollution in Chiang Mai is serious sometimes in January till whenever the rain starts (usually May) mostly due to the wood smoke from burning of forests and fields in Northern Thailand. So, Chiang Rai also has similar air pollution problem during the same time.

From June to December, the air pollution in Chaing Mai is not bad as that in Bangkok.
http://www.pcd.go.th/AirQuality/Regi...TOKEN=24879241

There is no major public transportation, and taxis are scarce in Chiang Mai, so tuk tuk and songthaew are main transport in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai city is relatively small, so taking a tuk tuk to anywhere in the city takes no longer than 15 minutes. Actually, I think that using a tuk tuk in Chiang Mai is more convenient than taking BTS in Bangkok. For sightseeing outside Chiang Mai, you can arrange a taxi.

Chiang Mai does not have many 4,5 star hotels which some regulars here love, but Chiang Mai offers many nice boutique hotels, B&Bs, and guest houses.
What Chiang Mai makes different from Bangkok is local people. I prefer to stay in B&B or guest houses to experience real Thai hospitality in Chiang Mai while I like to stay at 4,5 star hotels in Bangkok.

There are 3 different areas I have stayed in Chiang Mai - Night Bazaar area, Riverside area, and Inside Moat. I prefer to stay inside the moat.

Night Bazaar area
- the most convenient, but too touristy.
- need to take a tuk tuk or more than 10 minutes walk to the city center (Thapae gate) and Sunday Market

Riverside (opposite side of the river)
- quiet
- walking distance to nice restaurants in riverside.
- need to take a tuk tuk or more than 10 minutes walk to night bazaar.
- need to take a tuk tuk to the city center (Thapae gate) and Sunday Market .

Inside the Moat
- authentic Thai feel, quiet.
- walking distance to Sunday Market and the city center (Thapae gate).
- need to take a tuk tuk or more than 10 minutes walk to night bazaar.

I recommend the following B&B and guest houses in Chiang Mai, where I stayed, or looked into without staying. You can see those reviews in TripAdviser, (Go to Chiang mai hotels, and then click B&Bs/Inns) You may need to make a reservation with the owner directly. They are so popular that they will be booked out easily.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g2...ai-Hotels.html

-- B&B in riverside --

Baan Orapin
- raved by many people, beautiful houses and beautiful gardens.
- walking distance in nice restaurants with a live music.
- need to take a tuk tuk or more than 15 minutes walk to night bazaar.
- need to take a tuk tuk to the city center (Thapae gate) and Sunday Market .
- the rate in November: 2100 baht ($63) for two people (the rate includes breakfast, tax, and service charges)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...hiang_Mai.html
http://www.baanorapin.com/

-- B&B inside the moat --

Pak Chiang Mai (built in 2007)
- located inside the moat (south).
- #1 choice of B&B in Chiang Mai.
- the rate: 1800 baht ($54) for two people (the rate includes breakfast, tax, and service charges)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...hiang_Mai.html
http://www.pakchiangmai.com/

3 Sis Bed and Breakfast (Vacation Lodge) (built in 2007)
- located inside the moat (center).
- Sunday Market is in front of the B&B
- the rate in November: 1800 baht ($54) for two people (the rate includes breakfast, tax, and service charges)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...hiang_Mai.html
http://www.3sisbedandbreakfast.com/V...dge/lodge.html

Baan Hanibah (built in 2008)
- a Lanna style teak house.
- located inside the moat (north east)
- the rate in November: 1250 baht ($38) for two people (the rate includes breakfast, tax, and service charges)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...hiang_Mai.html
http://www.baanhanibah.com/index.htm

Haley0101

Thanks so much everone...so many things to think about! I'll post my opinion of CM when we return!!

Joe_Carpenter

Take a look at guest houses and hotels around Nimmanhemin Road. This is the university area to the North East of the city and, although outside the moat, it is very easy to travel to all the major tourist attractions. Staying inside the moat you are most likely to be rubbing shoulders with other foreigners. I prefer to eat in restaurants where the majority of customers are Thai and where I can enjoy my morning jog running through the university grounds, which has some spectacular trees and floral displays in the gardens. Forget the night bazaar and take a taxi to Baan Tawai, which is a village along the Hang Dong Road where most of the handicrafts on sale at the night bazaar are actually made. Prices are much cheaper and, unlike the night bazaar, no-one hassles you to buy anything.

The Amari Rincome is the best known 4 star hotel in this area, but there are a number of boutique hotels e.g. "Yesterday the Village" and Suandoi. Cheaper hotel options are Doi View, Green Palace, and the Dome. I usually stay at a small guest house called Flora House (about 15USD per night) which is a little bit further out in Chang Khian village. Within walking distance is a very old temple, and market stalls selling a variety of fresh fruit, Thai snacks and a wide variety of cooked food.

SirHalberd

I have used the Montri Hotel several times. They have various priced rooms but all have air, hot water, TV, maid service and with a safety box in the lobby. The Montri is right across the street from the Thapae Gate, at 2-6 Ratchadamnoen Road.

In this area you can walk to restaurants, travel agencies for tours and treks, internet shops, Seven Eleven type stores and even cooking schools. Short walk to the Night Market.

When I was last in Chiang Mai they were having "flea market" sales right at the Thapae Gate where you could get some items much cheaper than at the Night Market.

http://www.hotelthailand.com/chiangm...i/bedroom.html

I always reserved a room ahead of time by telephone from Bangkok or Pattaya.

Good luck.

karenmike

We forgot to add one very important fact about the River View Lodge in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Yes, totally remolded, very beautiful place, but…




In plain view during the evening, from 22.00 – 02.00, this night club blast the music so loud, the windows at the River View Lodge rattle.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/traveltv/3944694927/


Looking at the photos we posted, to us, the River View Lodge is heavenly. But, at 2,200 Bhat, and what should be a deal breaker, is the deafening noise until 2 A.M.

Haley0101

Thanks for the all the info again.
especially about the night club near the River View Lodge.

The absolute for us is it has to have Air Con!