The very best boutique hotels in Chiang Mai, Thailand exude rich cultural heritage alongside luxe vibes

Thailand is a holiday destination beloved by travellers the world over. From the vibrant nightlife of Bangkok to the beaches of Phuket and the Royal stomping ground of Hua Hin, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Those travelling in the north of the country will undoubtedly love staying at one of the best boutique hotels in Chiang Mai and discovering the region’s colourful history and culture. Read on for crash course before diving into the list.

As far back as the 13th century, Lanna was an independent kingdom in what is now known as Northern Thailand. In 1296, the walled city of Chiang Mai became the kingdom’s capital. Only in 1776 did the Lanna region first come under Siam control, and not till 1899 was it fully absorbed into Siam, now modern-day Thailand.

That long, rich Lanna culture is still evident today in Thailand’s second most visited region. Chiang Mai remains northern Thailand’s capital and is an ideal place to experience the history, traditions, and culture. 

The best boutique hotels in Chiang Mai, Thailand

1. Raya Heritage

Perched beside the tranquil northern reaches of Chiang Mai’s Ping River and just 20 minutes from the Old Town, Raya Heritage projects the region’s past character and simple charm with discreet, personalised service and state-of-the-art guest comfort. Renowned interior designer Vichada Sitakalin took inspiration from the artistry and craftsmanship of Lanna’s culture. Handcrafted artisanal touches such as handwoven textiles, baskets, pottery, and wood carvings underscore a style of luxury based on simple, natural beauty and the region’s unique heritage. 

Inter-connected three-storey, low-impact buildings in lush gardens house the resort’s 38 high ceilinged spacious suites. A colour palette of whites and creams gives the interiors a light contemporary twist. The generous 75sq-m Rin Terrace and Huen Bon suites feature generous outdoor river-facing verandas. While the ground floor Kramm suites see the clean palette of whites and creams offset by indigo to striking effect, plus the indoor-outdoor living spaces and private pools heighten the luxury.

Enjoy afternoon tea, including northern Thai-grown natural teas, on Laan Cha’s cosy, outdoor roofed terrace. Gather for sundowners, pre-dinner cocktails or a light meal in the all-black Baan Ta Lounge while gazing out at the river. Signature Khu Khao restaurant offers a menu of delicious, healthy, and original recipes drawing influence from the greater Lanna region. Khu Khao refers to the wicker threshing baskets used by rice farmers in the past and now feature dramatically as impressive light shades. Modern fitness centre, resort pool, and Al Waan Spa round out the facilities. 

If you feel those glorious textiles and other décor elements in the rooms need to come home with you, visit Him Gong boutique adjacent to the lobby for curated crafts, including jewellery, clothing, accessories, and home décor. 

Learn more about Raya Heritage

2. 137 Pillars House

Located just minutes from the Old Town, on the east side of Ping River, 137 Pillars House is ideally situated for exploring all things Chiang Mai. You are sequestered in a quiet side street neighbouring the trendy shopping and dining precinct of Charoenrat Road. With historic Buddhist Wat Ket Karam as a near neighbour, everything is at your doorstep if you can drag yourself away from this stylish sanctuary.

This 30-suite boutique hotel is built around a colonial teak homestead that dates back to the late 1800s, originally the base of a British merchant with a license to harvest and export teak from the region to Europe’s shipbuilding yards. Suites come in five distinctive choices ranging in size (min 70 sq-m) and bed styles, each featuring an outdoor living space with comfortable, handcrafted furniture overlooking tropical gardens. There are high ceilings, a large en-suite dressing room with a walk-in closet, a sizeable bathroom with separate indoor/outdoor garden showers, and a Victorian bathtub. The two Louis Leonowens Pool Suites are the most significant offerings.

Ancient trees separate the low rise accommodation building. The resort’s 25-metre lap pool is ideal for exerting or relaxing, while its green wall is an Insta hit. Modern gym and the in-house Nitra Spa add to the recreational offerings. The historic 137 Pillars House is where you’ll find The Parlour for afternoon tea, Jack Bain’s Bar for classic and contemporary cocktails, and the Michelin plate Palette for exquisite dining. We love the feeling of elegance with the absence of arrogance that this boutique hotel exudes.

Find out more about 137 Pillars House

3. Tamarind Village

Tamarind Village feels like a secret refuge in the heart of historic Old Town Chiang Mai. This charming boutique property takes its name from the magnificent tamarind trees that shelter the hotel in their shady embrace, one of which is 200 years old. Walk down the ancient bamboo-lined lane, and you are in the centre of the Old Town with its ancient temples, quaint shopping streets, and lively weekend street markets. 

The hotel’s 41 guestrooms and five suites are positioned around flower-filled courtyards, providing intimate, relaxed spaces and are decorated with simple yet elegant touches. The hotel’s architecture draws on the past for inspiration, with typical northern Thai features like whitewashed plaster walls set against dark timber beams and thin clay-tiled roofs – distinct regional characteristics. The interiors offer contemporary design and contrast the bold visual patterns of hill tribe fabrics against white bedding and terracotta tile floors to striking effect.

We particularly love The Spa Suite with its spacious accommodation, chic decoration, marble bathtub, and outdoor shower. This Suite’s large private terrace, complete with sun loungers, looks out onto the central courtyard with its massive tamarind tree. A classic elegant haven within the sanctuary of Tamarind Village.  

Overlooking the resort’s pool and pool deck, Ruen Tamarind is a cosy, café-style restaurant offering home-style regional specialities and western favourites. The onsite Village Spa’s extensive treatment menu includes a wide range of massage therapies, facials, scrubs, and wraps, and carefully-chosen packages to rejuvenate and refresh the body and soul.

Learn more about Tamarind Village

4. Villa Mahabhirom

Hidden away behind a black compound wall on the western side of the city is Villa Mahabhirom, a 1.3-acre urbane resort or perhaps even an ‘artiste boutique’ thanks to the striking specially commissioned sculptures through the tropical gardens. In the Thai language, Villa Mahabhirom means villa of great pleasure.

To create the property, 24 100-year-old traditional teak Thai homes were rescued from other regions of Thailand, carefully dismantled, and then lovingly reassembled onsite. Though retaining their original structure and gabled roofs, fourteen of these stilted villas have been carefully renovated to offer modern luxuries, including air conditioning, Italian marble bathrooms featuring the latest amenities, and open-air living spaces with an outlook to the gardens, central resort pool or mountains. 

If wanting extra privacy and added indulgence, we recommended the duplex configured Villa Royale complete with a private salt-water plunge pool and personal garden courtyard. The upper-level bedroom suite comes with either a king or twin beds, while the covered ground level serves as an open-air living room decorated with objet d’arts and antiques from the owner’s private collection.

The other rescued buildings now house the resort’s infrastructure, including spa, restaurant, cocktail bar, library, and lobby area. A seemingly disparate and anachronistic collection of antiques, curios, furnishings and objet d’art provide their own fascination, and make the property one of the most intriguing boutique hotels in Chiang Mai.

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5. Na Nirand

On the eastern side of the Old City is Charoenprathet Road, which follows Chiang Mai’s Ping River curves. In the early 20 Century, this prominent road housed important buildings, including the French and British Consulates and notable government buildings like the Forestry Commission office. The 45 rooms and suites of Na Nirand Boutique Resort now occupy the Forestry Commission land. Overlooking the river in pride of place is a giant 100-year-old Rain Tree planted by the first commissioner.

Designed in the half-wood Lanna-Colonial style, six two-story buildings accommodate guest rooms. The top floor utilises teak in the traditional Lanna style, while white stucco is used for the external walls of the ground floor. Charming handicrafts such as headboards and ornaments incorporating local handwoven cloth add unique character to the guestrooms. Murals reflect local art, and in some areas, floors are decorated with vintage colonial-style tiles. All these elements, along with wooden and rattan furniture, contribute to the feeling of warmth, simplicity, and elegance.

The Colonial Suites building faces the river with its own shared pool. Four rooms in varying colonial décor styling reflect the story of foreign merchants from Myanmar, China, India, and England that constituted the local communities 100 years back. Another pool, long and slim, complete with palm trees, runs through the centre of the resort, with a Pool Bar at one end to keep guests refreshed. Time, the resort’s riverfront restaurant, decorated in an industrial vintage style, offers Thai and Lanna fusion and international cuisine. Its rooftop wine bar provides uninterrupted river views. Spa Na Nirand completes the guest service offering.

Discover more about Na Nirand

6. Rachamankha

Within the original walled Old City, Rachamankha is one of the trendiest boutique hotels in Chiang Mai and is ideally situated for exploring all its treasures, including the city’s oldest and most revered Buddhist temple Wat Phra Singh, a short walk away.

The eleventh-century Chinese vernacular dwellings, from which Northern Thai architecture has its roots, inspires the hotel’s distinctive aesthetic. Co-owner and leading Thai architect Ong-ard Satrabhandhu creates a studied composition of light and dark, open and closed, to achieve a  true sense of place expressing serenity and mystery here. 

The hotel, with just 22 rooms (18 superior and four deluxe) plus three two-bedroom suites, is set in two acres of manicured gardens. Founder and co-owner Rooj Changtrakul supervised every detail of every room, from choosing antique Chinese cabinets and area rugs to flower arrangements. All rooms are fully equipped with every amenity for either work or leisure, with an uninhibited mix of antiques from Europe, Africa, China, Burma, and Thailand on display throughout.

Rachamankha’s restaurant offers dining in the intimate alfresco courtyard or in air-conditioning. Traditional dishes celebrating Lanna, Burmese, and Shan cuisines are prepared in a simple yet elegant style. There is also an extensive wine list. 

The hotel’s large freshwater pool offers respite after a day of exploring, while the spa has a full range of massage services in the open-air poolside pavilion. We particularly love the well-stocked library the owners have created. Guests have free use with books in various languages, daily papers, periodicals, and computers. The collection of design-focused books alone would make for many afternoons of happy reading. 

Find out more about Rachamankha

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