Best Place to Stay in Chiang Mai • Boutique Hotel
Where to Stay in Chiang Mai
Shortly after I decided to celebrate Songkran, I looked up some Chiang Mai hotels. Soon I realized I was way too late in the game. Many of mid-range Chiang Mai hotels were completely booked. While it was challenging to find a mid-range hotel in Chiang Mai that can accommodate me for five consecutive days during Songkran Festival 2017, I struck lucky with a cute boutique hotel in Chiang Mai with great reviews.
Read my other post – The Complete Guide to Songkran 2019 – to learn about how I determined the best area to stay in Chiang Mai for Songkran.
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Chiang Mai Hotel Review: Gord Nuea Guest House
Quick Overview
- Room Type: Private Room with Private Bathroom
- Facilities: air conditioning, TV, garden, laundromat
- Internet: Free Wi-fi in all rooms and common areas
- Near: Wat Chedi Luang in the Old City
- Rates: $50-65 USD
- Themes: Mid-range, Thai, Boutique
↠ Check availability and rates: Agoda or Booking
Although humbly named “boutique house,” Gord Nuea is a mid-range, boutique hotel in my opinion. This boutique hotel in Old City is run by a kind, middle-aged Thai couple. They were so friendly and kind to make me feel like I was staying in a guest house. But the amenities have met all my criteria and exceeded my expectation. I truly enjoyed the whole experience during my five-night stay. I whole-heartedly recommend this boutique hotel.
Gord Nuea Boutique House is centrally located. Guests can even see Wat Chedi Luang from their balcony.
Location: Walk to Main Attractions in Chiang Mai Old City
Location is the most important factor when I choose a hotel. I specifically looked for a hotel in the heart of Chiang Mai within the Old City. Also, I wanted to stay within the walking distance to Tha Pae Gate for Songkran celebration.
Gord Nuea is located less than 5-min walk from Wat Chedi Luang. It was so close that I was able to see from the balcony. The hotel is also within walking distance to many tourist attractions, including Wat Chiang Man, Wat Phra Singh, Three Kings Monument, etc.
This place is super close to local markets. I walked to Bumrung Buri Market near the moat in the evening to bring back street food and fruits to eat at the hotel. The Sunday Night Market was also very close, which was so convenient because I bought a lot of souvenirs and gifts to bring back home.
Although Gord Nuea is centrally located, it is nestled away from the main street. Regardless of how crazy and rowdy it got during Songkran, I was able to come back to my room for a quiet break.
The Twin Bedroom we stayed. | Image Source: Agoda.com
The meticulously clean bathroom I loved. | Image Source: Agoda.com
The Room: Meticulously Clean and Cozy
Although twin beds were not my first choice, honestly, I was lucky enough to snatch this last available room. The room itself was nothing really big or fancy. However, I immediately felt at home.
Our room was meticulously clean. I’m easily grossed out by hotel furniture and carpet. But here, I didn’t see any hair or spot on my bedding. The wooden floor was sparkly clean with no trace of dust.
The bathroom also was sparkly clean. There was no odor, no hair, no mold, no mildew, no water scum and no spot. It was probably cleaner than my own bathroom at home. Even the towels were crisp and clean. I never thought it would be possible to find such hotel bathroom at the price I paid.
The room was as welcoming as the host. I liked the look and feel of the room with wooden furniture and small ethnic decorations. Again, nothing fancy but I appreciated small details and thoughts put into space.
Out the wooden doors to the hallway, we had our own cute table and chairs, where we ate dinner brought from the nearby market and hung our wet clothes after a day of Songkran water fight. The host was kind enough to put a mosquito repellent every night so the guests didn’t have to suffer from mosquito bites.
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Breakfast with cappuccino | Image Source: Agoda.com
Meals: Delicious Breakfast in Beautiful Thai Garden
Breakfast was included in the room. When we woke up, we went downstairs to the office to select an option from a daily menu. It was not fancy but delicious. For five days, the main dish changed every day. The portion was already generous, but the host always asked if we would need more. Fresh juice, water, regular coffee and fresh fruits were offered in a buffet style. I ordered a cup of cappuccino at an extra 50 BHT.
My favorite part of the meal was that we got to eat in their garden. Before going out to Songkran water fight, we had such a peaceful, calm morning in their beautiful Thai garden. I loved their wooden furniture and swing, decorated with Thai-patterned fabrics and umbrella. This small garden was so serene and peaceful that I seriously wanted to recreate the space in my backyard.
Butterfly Pea tea from their garden changed its color when lemon was added.
Hospitality: Five Stars
As mentioned earlier, the host was very friendly and kind-hearted. And it made the whole experience much better.
Our host was eager to share all the things happening in town even before we asked for it. We initially had booked Doi Inthanon National Park and Elephant Retirement Park tours online, but after hearing about the Songkran parade, we decided to shuffle things around. (I’m glad we did!) He helped us re-arrange our schedule by making a few phone calls. This was a huge help because I wasn’t even sure if we could even make changes with less than 24-hour notice during the peak season!
After water fights, we would be back to the hotel with our clothes soaked in water. It was inevitably to drip water all over their wooden floors and staircases no matter how much water we tried to squeeze out. The host gracefully handed us a clean towel. Although they probably had to wipe the floors multiple times a day, they never frowned upon us.
One afternoon during Songkran, the host made us a fresh-squeezed Butterfly Pea juice, which was straight from their garden. He was excited to show us how this juice changed color when lemon was added. He even had an information sheet about this edible flower; he probably had made this juice for other guests in the past and realized it would be much easier to show this sheet rather than trying to verbally explain in English.
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The Verdict: Best Boutique Hotel in Chiang Mai
Gord Nuea offered everything I looked for in my hotel stay: excellent location, meticulously clean room and bathroom, amazing breakfast, warm welcome by the super helpful host and affordable rates.
Check availability and rates: Agoda or Booking
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