Thailand

On the banks of the Mae Ping River in Chiang Mai, the old Lanna capital of northern Thailand, Anantara Chiang Mai Resort hides behind a high bamboo wall that keeps the market bustle at the door. The work of the late architect Kerry Hill, the resort threads clean contemporary lines through Lanna tradition and colonial detail, all just 4.5 kilometers from the international airport. There are 84 rooms and suites in all: 52 Deluxe Rooms and 32 Kasara Suites. Slide open the floor-to-ceiling doors of a Deluxe Room and a balcony daybed faces the garden or the river, with a deep terrazzo tub and a rain shower each in its own corner. The Kasara Suites more than double the space, their open-plan living spilling onto a private balcony or garden courtyard, with butler service and access to the Kasara Executive Lounge. The most exclusive of them hides a private plunge pool and a breezy cabana, where a floating breakfast drifts within reach.

Dining gathers around the 1921 House, a century-old building that once served as the British consulate. Afternoon tea is set out daily on The Verandah, drinks are poured in a bar drawn from the world of secret intelligence, and dinner is served in The Service, a polished steakhouse and grill. For Thai cooking, riverside Bodhi Terrace plates dishes from the north and south of the country and has ranked among Tripadvisor's top five. Anantara Spa works from traditional Lanna healing, with herbal bathing rituals, synchronized four-hand massage, and modern IV therapies. You might learn a dish at Spice Spoons, spar through a muay Thai session, or board the teak JAO Ping River Cruise and drift past temples and old houses as the sun goes down.

Beside Chiang Mai’s ancient moat and steps from Tha Phae Gate, InterContinental Chiang Mai The Mae Ping transforms the former Imperial Mae Ping into a 240-room sanctuary. Interiors blend Lanna lacquer, teak carving and hammered silver with clean lines; windows frame either Doi Suthep’s forested ridge or temple roofs. Slate-gray pool decks and herb gardens mirror mountain tones, while sky-lit corridors display commissioned local art.

5 restaurants range from Gad Lanna’s market-fresh northern dishes to the 16-floor Hong’s Sky Bar, where dim sum meets sunset cocktails. A spa with bamboo compresses and herbal steam, a 24-hour gym, and curated tuk-tuk tours link night markets and temples. Thirteen venues—including a ballroom for 800—plus limo transfers and eco-minded outings attract culture-loving couples, wellness seekers and executives who value heritage wrapped in urban ease.

This city centre boutique hotel captivates from the moment you see it. Take in the awe-inspiring architecture, designed to reflect Chiang Mai’s ancient walls, before entering the cool and contemporary interior. Akyra Manor is a gem – and made for unforgettable experiences. Here you can unwind in your own outdoor hot tub, set in a private interior courtyard at the centre of your suite. Enjoy a swim in the rooftop pool. Savour innovative Italian cuisine in Italics, the restaurant that’s creating a buzz throughout the city. Then sip classic cocktails and fine wines in the Rise Bar, all while gazing out to the mist topped hills of northern Thailand.

Your luxury hotel makes the perfect base to discover spellbinding Chiang Mai. Tour ancient temples such as Wat Chedi Luang, or learn all about authentic Thai cuisine on a cookery course. Delve into the bustling night bazaars and, if your visit coincides with Yi Peng festival, watch the sky light up with hundreds of paper lanterns. Or journey into the countryside and you could visit one of the Karen Hill tribes in the beautiful Valley of the Three Mists region.

Set amid emerald rice paddies and the soft silhouettes of northern Thailand’s mountains, Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai unfolds as a serene expression of Lanna heritage reimagined through contemporary luxury. Low-slung pavilions rise gently from the fields, their teak accents and tiered roofs harmonizing with the landscape rather than competing with it. Guest rooms, suites, and private pool villas are generously proportioned and richly textured, framing sweeping views of rippling green terraces and distant hills. Meandering water features, quiet garden paths, and a holistic spa program rooted in Thai wellness traditions create a rhythm of restoration, while the infinity pool seems to hover above the countryside. Here, the experience is less about escape and more about immersion, an invitation to move in step with the seasons, the soil, and the unhurried cadence of rural Chiang Mai.

Dining is equally anchored in place. KHAO by Four Seasons draws inspiration from northern Thai recipes and culinary traditions across the kingdom, presenting them in a refined yet soulful setting that transitions seamlessly from breakfast through evening service. Signature curries and regional specialties are elevated with seasonal ingredients, best enjoyed against the panoramic backdrop of rice fields. At North by Four Seasons, open-fire grilling takes center stage, celebrating farm-to-table produce and bold, elemental flavors in a convivial outdoor atmosphere. Rim Tai Kitchen deepens the cultural dialogue, blending authentic Thai techniques with interactive cooking experiences that connect guests to the region’s gastronomic heritage. Across each venue, flavor, landscape, and craft converge, transforming every meal into a nuanced tribute to the spirit of northern Thailand.

Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai is a new 5 Star Luxury Property by AKARYN Hotel Group.  It’s nestled under the foothill amongst shaded woods and just a stone’s throw from the city.  The boutique resort offers spacious selection of suites and 1 and 2 bedroom pool villas and a spectacular 4 bedroom golden teak wood residence with period furnishing and private pool. Highlights include an expansive open air restaurant enveloping the reflection pool and courtyard, upstairs tea room and piano bar, spa and wellness center, library and art gallery in reclaimed golden teak wood period structures.  

Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai features the Ayurah Wellness which offers world class holistic wellness retreats, mindfulness meditation, and tailor made programs as well as wellness cuisine and vegetarian options. Complimentary wellness classes are available for all staying guests.

Chiang Mai's Night Bazaar begins at the hotel's doorstep. The Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel occupies one of the most convenient addresses in the city — deep in the Night Bazaar District, fifteen minutes from Chiang Mai International Airport by car, and within easy walking distance of the ancient moat, Wat Phra Singh, and the lanes of the old city. The exterior blends European colonial references with Lanna architectural details; inside, the recently renovated lobby pairs contemporary interiors with local craft accents without laboring the point. The 383 rooms and suites all feature separate bathtubs and rainfall showers, and on clear days the floor-to-ceiling windows frame the silhouette of Doi Suthep — the gold-tipped pagoda visible from the upper floors like a fixed point the city orients itself around. Room categories range from standard guest rooms to the 250-square-meter Royal Suite on the top floor, which takes in a panoramic sweep of the entire city.

The rooftop infinity pool looks out over Chiang Mai toward those same mountains, and the Pool House bar keeps it well-supplied from morning through evening. Dining options cover considerable ground: Ping Cuisine and Bar handles Northern Thai cooking and international breakfast; Han The Chinese Cuisine focuses on Cantonese and Chinese dishes; Favola offers handmade pasta and wood-fired pizza. Quan Spa runs aromatherapy treatments, traditional Thai massage, and body scrubs, with sauna and hot tub access afterward. The M Club lounge on the 21st and 22nd floors provides panoramic views, all-day refreshments, and evening cocktails for elite Marriott Bonvoy members. Wang Bar, one floor up, adds golf simulators — a genuinely unexpected way to spend a Chiang Mai evening.