Stop staying in the Old City. Seriously. It’s a theme park for people who want to buy 200-baht elephant pants and eat mediocre Khao Soi. I know every travel blogger tells you to stay inside the moat because it’s “historic,” but honestly? It’s loud, the plumbing in those converted shophouses is usually a nightmare, and you’re going to spend your whole trip surrounded by other people holding Google Maps. I’ve been coming to Chiang Mai since 2014, and the best decision I ever made was realized after a disastrous night in 2018 at a ‘highly rated’ boutique place near Tha Pae Gate. The walls were so thin I spent three hours listening to a German couple argue about a lost GoPro. I ended up sleeping in my clothes on top of the covers because the sheets smelled like old damp. Never again.
The Old City is a trap (with one exception)
Most of the hotels in the center are trying too hard. They do the whole “Lanna style” thing with dark wood and gold accents, but it just feels dusty. If you absolutely insist on being in the center of the moat, the only place I don’t hate is Rachamankha. It’s expensive, but it feels like a monastery in a way that actually lets you breathe. But for most people? Just don’t. You’ll pay a 30% premium just to be near temples you’ll only visit once. Total waste of money.
Nimman is for people who need Wi-Fi and air conditioning
Nimmanhemin is the “cool” neighborhood, which is just code for “this is where the digital nomads and wealthy students from Bangkok hang out.” I used to think Nimman was soul-less. I was completely wrong. It’s actually the most functional place to live if you’re staying for more than three days. What I mean is—actually, let me put it differently. It’s not about the charm; it’s about the fact that I can get a decent espresso and a gym within a five-minute walk without breaking a sweat. The traffic in Nimman moves like cold honey, though, so don’t bother with cars. Just walk.
- The Art Mai Gallery Hotel: I’ve stayed here four times. I actually tracked it—it takes exactly 44 seconds for the hot water to reach the shower on the 5th floor. The rooms are “artist-themed,” which is a bit cheesy, but the beds are the firmest in the city.
- Akyra Manor: This is for when you want to feel like a big deal. The bathtub is on the balcony. It’s ridiculous. I felt like a narcissist using it, but the view of the mountains at sunset is hard to beat.
- Stay with Nimman: It’s basic. It’s clean. It’s cheap. It’s where I stay when I’m paying for my own room and don’t want to think about it.
Worth every penny.
If you have money, don’t be weird about it
I have a genuinely uncomfortable take: I refuse to stay at the Four Seasons in Mae Rim. Everyone raves about it, but the drive into the city takes 40 minutes on a good day, and the guests there are the kind of people who go to Thailand but never actually want to touch Thailand. It’s a beautiful bubble for boring people. If you want luxury, go to the Riverside. The Anantara Chiang Mai Resort is the only big-box luxury hotel that actually gets it right. It’s built on the site of the old British Consulate, and the lobby feels like a giant, air-conditioned lung. I spent 14 nights at a similar high-end spot, the Raya Heritage, last November and tracked my sleep quality—I averaged 8.2 hours a night there versus 6.1 in Nimman. There is something about being near the Ping River that just shuts your brain off. It’s pricey, sure, but at least you aren’t stuck in a rice paddy in Mae Rim wondering why your Grab driver keeps cancelling on you.
I know people will disagree, but I think 137 Pillars House is overrated. The pool is too small for the price you pay, and the service feels oppressive. Sometimes you just want to walk to your room without three people bowing at you.
The part where I talk about coffee
Anyway, the hotel you pick doesn’t matter as much as the coffee shop you choose as your “base.” Chiang Mai is a coffee city masquerading as a temple city. I once spent an entire Tuesday at Akha Ama Coffee just watching people try to take the perfect Instagram photo of their latte art. I saw one girl spend 12 minutes—I timed her—repositioning her croissant. But I digress. The point is, pick a hotel near a cafe you actually like, because you’re going to be spending a lot of time there when the afternoon heat hits 102 degrees and your hotel AC starts making that weird rattling sound.
The hidden gem I probably shouldn’t mention
There is a place called Little Shelter. It’s on the wrong side of the river, the neighborhood is kind of industrial and weird, and there is absolutely nothing to do within immediate walking distance. But the architecture is insane. The roof and walls are covered in these polycarbonate shingles that flicker in the sun. I might be wrong about this, but I think it’s the most interesting building in Northern Thailand. I stayed there during the shoulder season for about $70 a night. It felt like staying in a piece of modern art, but without the pretension of the Nimman galleries. The breakfast was just okay—they tried to do some fusion thing with eggs and local sausage that didn’t quite land—but I’d go back just for the silence. It’s the only place in the city where I didn’t hear a single motorbike at 3:00 AM.
I don’t know if Chiang Mai is still “the” place to go. The air quality in March is a literal crime, and the prices are creeping up to Bangkok levels in the trendy spots. But every time I think I’m done with it, I find myself booking a flight and looking for a room near the river. I guess I’m just as predictable as the people in the elephant pants. Stay at Little Shelter. Or don’t. Actually, don’t—I want the rates to stay low for my next trip.
Stay at the Anantara if you’re rich, or Little Shelter if you’re cool. Avoid the Old City like the plague.
