21 Best Hotels in Chiang Rai and The Golden Triangle, Northern Thailand

The Anantara is one of the Golden Triangle's greatest hits, a symphony of styles created by Thailand's leading interior designer and architect, Bill Bensley. Mythical figures line the way to a palatial entrance, which leads into an open-plan, two-floor area encompassing an excellent restaurant, opulently furnished lounge, and the longest bar in northern Thailand. Rooms are luxuriously furnished in indigenous woods and draped with handmade Thai fabrics. Louvered glass doors lead to bathrooms with terra-cotta tubs big enough for a pool party. Beds are equally huge, and seven different types of pillows are offered. Picture windows opening onto private balconies command spectacular views of the confluence of the Mekong and Ruak rivers. Daytime activities include mahout training courses, excursions to the Golden Triangle, boat trips on the Mekong, and cooking lessons.

Set near the borders of Laos and Burma and about a 90-minute drive from Chiang Rai, this property is an unparalleled member of the Four Seasons portfolio, with 16 tents spread around the edges of a riverside bamboo jungle and designed to evoke luxury safaris. The tents are outfitted with en-suite bathrooms, clawfoot tubs, outdoor showers, luxe linens, and a polished colonial-style decor. Some are tucked high along the winding hill paths and others are closer to the main buildings, but all have unbroken views of the Ruak River, the jungle, or Laos's mountain ranges. Facilities include a free-form riverside pool, two open-air spa tents for nature-based treatments, a clubby restaurant serving international fare, and a thatched-roof bar and wine cellar. The real highlight, though, is the on-site Elephant Camp, where guests can experience walking with the gentle giants. Jungle treks, bird-watching, cooking and craft lessons, boat rides, and excursions to the Golden Triangle can also be arranged. Two-, three-, and four-night package rates include all meals (with house alcohol), half-day elephant experience, Golden Triangle excursion, one spa treatment per person, private transfers from Chiang Rai airport, and more. Note that the camp requires a two-night minimum and accommodates children over 12 only.

Large, tastefully furnished rooms, vast bathrooms, secluded terraces, an open-air gourmet restaurant, and unrestricted views of the distant mountains make it easy for The Legend to live up to its name. Furnishings are in an eclectic Asian-fusion style, with the Lanna look of dark woods and stucco walls offset by delicate examples of local Thai handwork. For real seclusion, book one of the villas, which have their own private pools. One of the restaurants is in a garden along the Mae Kok River, the second is on a breezy terrace, and the third—a combination wine bar and trattoria—is inside.

This remarkable resort, a combination of hotel and outdoor education center, is in a beautiful Kok River location with sweeping views of the winding waterway, rice paddies, maize fields, orchards, and mountains beyond. The rooms are modern and the villas have built-in teak furniture. The education center, which attracts young people from throughout the world, is part of the same complex but with separate facilities and grounds.

This stylish resort in the mountains near Doi Ang Khang is now part of the Mosaic Collection. Rooms have all the comforts of the group's downtown digs, with teak furnishings and locally woven fabrics. All rooms have private balconies, many of them with spectacular views of the mountains. The on-site restaurant, Camellia, uses locally grown produce from the neighboring royal project gardens.

This chic and sleek designer property takes a modern approach to local architecture, with terra-cotta bricks framing the mostly teak-wood house and the interior sprinkled with mid-century furnishings. The hotel overlooks the stunning 700-year-old ancient Athi Ton Kaew temple.

Hiding in a quiet soi within walking distance of the night bazaar, this budget hotel has small but clean rooms with hot showers, refrigerators, and air-conditioning. The airy open common spaces are decorated with plants and a bubbling fountain, perfect for recharging your batteries before or after a day out. The owner and staff are kind and attentive.

This quiet guesthouse feels like a hotel, with bright clean rooms that have hot showers, refrigerators, work desks, televisions, and fans or air-conditioning. The knowledgeable English-speaking staff can tell you everything about the nearby attractions, as well as wash, iron, and fold your clothes. Free instant coffee and bananas are provided at the communal space near the reception.

Describing itself as a mini-resort, the Nest consists of two groups of cabins, a mile apart from each other, nestled at the foot of Chiang Dao mountain. Nest 1 has more facilities (table tennis, children's playground, and a pool), but the snug timber-built chalets at Nest 2 offer the same high standard of comfort. This is an "ecologically aware" resort, so rooms have no TV, DVD player, or phone. At night the only sounds you'll hear are those coming from the jungle.

Most rooms at this small, Lanna-style hotel 1 km (½ mile) east of the National Museum directly overlook the Mekong, with sweeping views across its swirling waters to the hills of Laos on the opposite bank. They are, however, more than double the price of rooms looking landward. The comfortable and scrupulously clean hotel is run by a friendly local family. Rooms are furnished in light veneers and pastel textiles.

A large glass-enclosed lobby with high ceilings and a permanent art gallery sets the stylish tone at this riverside hotel. From here, guests can wander out to an elegant terrace with an infinity pool and dramatic views of Chiang Rai. Rooms are a tasteful fusion of Thai and European style, with dark stained woods and pastel silks.

Large and luxurious, this hotel commands a stretch of the Mae Kok River and views of the northern mountain range. While the exterior design is influenced by the graceful Sukhothai style, the interior decor features a modern Asian-fusion style, employing sleek dark woods and fine fabrics with discreet use of Thai traditional crafts. Rooms are large and romantically lighted. Gardens reaching down to the river have an attractive, sinuously shaped swimming pool.

Travelers on a tight budget rank this riverside guesthouse, about 2 km (1 mile) west of the bridge, as the best in Mae Sai. It's certainly among the cheapest. A small garden area, running down to the river, surrounds the main building.

The border hills of Myanmar lie just beyond the grounds of this resort hotel, whose timber-built chalets have fine views of tea plantations and the surrounding mountains. The teak-walled rooms are small but cozy and comfortable, with tiny terraces.

Only the tropical vegetation hints that this highly stylish, modern hotel is in Thailand and not a boutique establishment in central Milan or Munich. Rooms are furnished in a sleek Italian style, with retro-looking primary colors, crisp white linens, and claw-footed, stand-alone bathtubs in some of the suites. Most rooms are grouped around a secluded pool and a large wooden sundeck.

This hotel edges the south bank of the Mekong River, and most of the rooms---which are decorated in northern Thai style, using local woods and fabrics---have unobstructed views to the hills of Laos on the other side. The extensive gardens drop to the water's edge—a pleasant spot for an evening stroll.

Rich hues, warm lighting, and grand Moroccan architectural flourishes set a distinctly exotic tone at this boutique hotel well away from the city center. The North African touches continue in the rooms, which have plush furnishings and heavy velvet drapes.

"Rim Doi" means "on the edge of the mountain," so it's fitting that two extraordinary peaks loom over this peaceful little resort near Chiang Dao. After a day exploring the nearby caves or venturing into the mountains, it's just the place to relax and prepare for the journey farther north. With rooms that rarely cost more than B800, you'll probably be tempted to stay longer than one night.

This bright and modern hostel has room types for every budget, from rooms that share toilets to suites with terraces and private bathrooms. The friendly local owners are happy to make travel arrangements and organize tours of the area and into Laos.

Although it's not a well-oiled machine like nearby resorts from the Four Seasons and Anantara, this small husband-and-wife-run hotel offers laid-back luxury at a fraction of the price. Wake up to birds singing around the lake across the street and a comforting spread of locally sourced coffee, homemade bread, and freshly cut fruit, then take solace in the fact that all the other tourists in the area are at least 15 minutes away.

In the heart of downtown, this sleek, modern hotel is among the best in central Chiang Rai. Spacious rooms are decked out in dark woods and fine fabrics. Public rooms are in "Grand Hotel" style, with fat pillars and well-upholstered sitting areas. Outside is a large pool and spacious terrace. The Golden Teak restaurant serves Thai, Chinese, and other fare. The hotel has a fun, plush karaoke room.