The Lotus Hotel

[Surfcrest]

The Lotus Hotel

IтАЩve been to Chiang Mai many times, but this is the first time that IтАЩve had the pleasure of staying at the Lotus Hotel. Having been around for the past ten years, it is not the same Lotus Hotel / тАШAdamтАЩs Apple that existed here before then.

While many tourists stay close to Tapae Gate, the side of town where the Lotus Hotel is located is very convenient for gay tourists. The Hotel is located directly across the street from AdamтАЩs Apple and within easy walking distance of a few other great places to hit at night. I walked to and from the centre of the old city a few times. The Hotel has a large lit yellow sign on Chang Khlan to point you back to the hotel. The hardest part about walking is (as always) crossing the street. They have installed Walk Lights at what once was the hardest part, the Moat. There are baht buses (sawnthaew) running up and down the major arteries and it works the same as it does in Pattaya. Chiang Mai is a very clean city in Thai standards with virtually no garbage to trip over and Th Chang Khlan is well maintained, unlike Tapae Road with the usual hazards of broken sewers, holes and missing tiles.

The Lotus Hotel is one of the first тАЬboutique hotelsтАЩ that I have stayed at that actually lives up to that description. The rooms are tastefully decorated have all those little extras that separates it from just another hotel room. The bathroom is well equipped with all of the various towels that I am used to living with at home. I found the price to be very reasonable with quite a lot more value than the slightly cheaper place I stayed at last time I was I town. I was impressed at how quiet the hotel is for sleeping at night or having a nap during the day. Just across the street and under / beside AdamтАЩs Apple, you can use the Internet for about 15 baht / hour 24 hours / day. The place is full of boys and a few girls playing online games. The noise can be distracting, but headsets are available. The boys can be distracting too, but IтАЩve already mentioned that in another thread.

The staff is very friendly and looks after you very well from the moment they pick you up at the airport to the moment you are away. You can book your stay online and check out the hotel and rooms on their web site. Although there are several other gay / gay friendly alternatives in Chiang Mai, I recommend the Lotus Hotel.

Surfcrest

[pandorasbox-old]

Surfcrest - just like to say thank you for your various Chiang Mai reports. Found them to be very good and informative

Pandora the hotel looks fabulous. And very good prices. Be aware there are 2 lotus hotels the other a mega 690 rooms 13 floors 2wing shopping plaza, monster.This is were I went first and thought Pandora had fallen on its head.

The other looks charming, thanks for that. I might try over Easter. Having a bit of trouble deciding where to go. The American customs officers coming out of Florida day before just shredded and destroyed 2 of my most precious hibiscus plants, after which they stuffed them back into my suit-case and clamped it shut . I mean do hibiscus look like bombs? My suitcase looks like one exploded in it,soil every-where. I will never be able to replace "High voltage" or "Orange Pride" so I might just end up trawling Jattujak market over Easter.

Pandora in case I dont end up in Bangkok again, do you know of any delightful hotels up on the Mai Hong Son route you know up in the those glorious dry mountain forests before you descend down to the small town of Pai? Its a lovely long drive from Chiang Mai. The ones in Pai itself are a bit hippy meets grunge on a budget.

[yaraboy]

Pai...........Go stay at Tha Spa Camping.....5km from town..........blistfully quiet............beautiful views and most importantly hot springs...........even the shower water is thermal

Surfcrest - just like to say thank you for your various Chiang Mai reports. Found them to be very good and informative

I concur Pandora. Surfcrest - I am sorry I wasn't the first to mention how appreciated your posts are. I am hoping to include Chiang Mai in my holiday, and it is great to have up-to-date, firsthand comments. What are the prices like at the Lotus?

Thai spa camping? I will look into that, I suppose they have a web site. I would prefer up in the hills, there is something strangely wonderful about them, and the climate is just so eternally Autumn. I didn't see many people but those I did see were mysterious and shy, there the one minute gone the next. Made me want to run headlong into the trees.
Never found any hotels. Maybe there aren't any.

[yaraboy]

http://www.thai-tour.com/thai-tour/Nort ... /index.htm (http://www.thai-tour.com/thai-tour/North/Maehongson/hotel/thapaispacamping/index.htm)

Cabins are secluded so great for a dirty time....................

They have a shuttle into Pai where there are such joys as more backpackers than Thais and drunken Israelis on motorcycles
Also a few OK restaurants cafes and from what I could see 0% homos

[bucknaway]

I have had good and bad experiences with the Lotus hotel. Nothing so bad that it would change my mind about staying there but bad enough that I am surprised they did not discount the room.

I took a Suite and the place was ripe with the strong smell of mildew. Service was top notch, some glitches with the room but I enjoyed my stay.... but that mildew smell....

[yaraboy]

I would not go back to the Lotus. Overpriced for tiny rooms. Montri was recommended to me

Im Afraid i wouldnt go back to the Lotus either. Rooms are very small and cost far too much, and have to pay extra for breakfast. I found the Novotel great and very gay friendly, no problem with boy staying. Still i like the larger hotels anyway.

Yaraboy that Thapai Spa Camping looks strange. Maybe the pictures were taken when it was brand new, the garden is desolate. Whats that hump in the middle with a weird looking pool is that the hot spring? Is the hot spring water fresh or salty because its in all the showers ?

There are many gay backpackers in Pai they are just young and yes backpackers, a lot are not yet sure of being gay at this age, or don't need the sex industry for excitement. When I was there there was a fantastic music festival on the river, many naked bodies playing in the water,mine included. It was also hot hot hot, weather wise.
There is a small elephant camp near by and the mahouts are woman, I liked this, they appear to be much more gentle with the animals than those men with their little pricks and big sticks. The elephants seem more relaxed and spontaneous. A bit tricky if you dont know elephats well, so dont expect to make much casual contact,unless you stay there a long time. They brought the elephants to the party and they were enjoying the water hugely. Accommodation at the elephant camp looks very basic but most who stay there are very into elephants and tend to be very sensitive souls, I would recommend.

Accommodation in Pai is a bit limited to very reasonable reed hut type hotels, nice enough but I like swimming pools and gardens and good food etc. A little more pampering or whatever. Though these are better than the large tour bus hotels if there is no other choice.

[Surfcrest]

Prices and information about the Lotus Hotel is
available at www.lotus-hotel.com (http://www.lotus-hotel.com)
The price is listed for each room that they display.
I stayed in a gay friendly hotel with a bigger room near Tapae Gate , but there was a big sag in the middle of the
bed, the plumbing in the washroom (shower / tub) was
terrible and I saved a whopping 100 baht...which I
used four fold coming and going from the gay part of
town.

F.Y.I. you never get free breakfast anywhere.
If it appears free, they build it into the room cost.
I think it makes better sense to eat where you please
and to pay for what you get.

Surfcrest

[lonelywombat]

. Montri was recommended to me

What a blast from the past My first visit to Chiang Mai I discovered Montri and its coffee shop

My next trip I stayed there as it was near the wall, and I loved the cakes and expresso

My next trip coincided with songkran and it all seemed so different.

If I go again, I will stay near the night market but if Montri is still there, will be there often.

[jimnbkk]

My bf and I stayed at the Lotus for four nights in February. I agree with the comments posted, especially those about the hotel staff; they're all great. Can't do enough for you!!

My only criticism is the lack of a swimming pool at the hotel. We ran out of tours to take, and we don't enjoy the bars because neither of us drinks, and a swimmng pool would have been a nice place to relax.

We also thought the cost of the room was a bit high for what we got, but all things considered, would probably stay there again.

[atri1666]

I agree with varaboy and donny-darko. It is absolutely overpriced. I stayed now 2 times in Novotel and was very satisfied. Very excellent breakfastbuffet (incl. in the room price of 25тВм/night) and the lunchbuffet for only 195 baht . Never problems with visitors to room and only a few steps to the gaybars around.

. Montri was recommended to me

What a blast from the past My first visit to Chiang Mai I discovered Montri and its coffee shop

My next trip I stayed there as it was near the wall, and I loved the cakes and expresso

My next trip coincided with songkran and it all seemed so different.

If I go again, I will stay near the night market but if Montri is still there, will be there often.

The coffee shop at the Montri used to be JJs which has now decamped and moved up Thapae. The Montri coffe shop seems to be much quieter these days - and the boys are not as handsome :silent:

Eeek no swimming pool at the Lotus, thats no good in my opinion. These tips and such are very helpful, I did a tour of quite few hotels in Chiang Mai and a few said they had pools but when I got there they were horrible little green health hazards. Last thing you need is an ear nose and throat infection on holiday.
I would still reckon the best hotel was the slightly macho but exciting Chiang mai Sports Club. The name is confusing because it is not a club as such (at least private individuals may stay) but a resort where men may go to keep fit. Here, even though the pool is Olympic in size it is pristinely clean and has a fabulously military style sauna/shower locker room. It is a couple of klm out on the somewhat exclusive and green Thanon Mai Rim rd but what with the free shuttle and cheap taxi not a problem, plus the allure of privacy and endless garden/estate.

Cedric,

IF you need a pool, just stay someplace close to The House of Male, they have a nice swimming pool plus other "extras" and its cheap. I recommend staying at PJ Place (Website: http://pjs-place.com).

Thanks JakeNasty, one to look out for in the future,maybe they will build a pool. It looks like it needs a bit of time to mature. For me the price is not so important, that is you get good cheap hotels and nasty expensive ones and the other-way around.

I know there is the "scene" and there is the "scene" but I prefer to keep my distance. Overkill is good for no-one so those "extras' would probably get on my nerves after one day. The pool at the House of Male looks good.