Need recommendation for Chiang Mai Hotel

[homeseeker]

I am plannng a one week stay in Chiang Mai from next week, starting about 8th December. Can anyone recommend a centrally located secure gay friendly hotel. Want a nice room: in-room safe and usual facilities etc. Budget is open but not over priced.
Any suggestions?
Many thanks in advance.

Similar Threads:

• first time in Chiang Mai, any advice/recommendation
• Need Pattaya Hotel/Condo Recommendation
• Hotel recommendation for Malate/Manila
• Any recommendation for a nice hotel with pool ?
• Shanghai recommendation, hotel, gay tour guide

I'd recommend Viangbua Mansion: http://www.viangbuamansion-chiangmai.com/room_rate.htm

Reasonable, very clean, friendly staff used to gay tourists bringing back tricks.

Close to Spirit House for good dinners. Same soi as Adam's Apple & Garden Bar. Reasonably close to Free Guy, New My Way, Circle Pub & Gemini Massage. Not a very long ride to other venues as well.

[BonTong]

This article from a few weeks ago covers the main gay hotel options in Chiang Mai Sun-rising for High Season?

Masuri's suggestion of Viangbua Mansion is good if you want to be in the gay area, or there is the more homely but more expensive Gay Lotus Hotel just down the Soi. Another gay area option is The Mecure.

Be aware hotels in CM are quite full now with the start of high season and many Bangkokonians here to escape the floods. I Heard the Lotus Hotel was almost full this week so book soon!

Problem in making recommendations is it depends what area you want to stay. Gay area is in Chang Phuek; not in the tourist part of town which is centered around Thapae Gate. Plenty of cheap guest house and luxury five star hotels and resorts around Thapae so stay there if you want to be near tourist things and get a tuk tuk to the bars in the evenings.

[newalaan]

Can anyone recommend a centrally located secure gay friendly hotel. Want a nice room

Problem is the request for a centrally located hotel. If you stay in the area where there are a few gay venues you will not be 'central' to the rest of the place such as to the centre of Chiang Mai for the night market and the gay beerbars near there. You have to accept to get anywhere in Chiang Mai you will need to use tuk-tuks all the time, and given that's the case then i think its best to choose a good hotel/guesthouse first, since staying for a week a nice place is important and worry about getting around when you settle on that.

My recommendation would be PJ's Place. It's as close to some of the gay venues as anywhere else but the main thing is that it's a great place to stay. A guesthouse with 4 self-contained rooms with own door to outside garden and one larger two-level unit. For a guesthouse the quality of the room is impressive, lovely wooden furniture, crisp white bedding and towels, nice outlook into lush peaceful garden from all rooms. Everything in the room is in excellent condition, the upkeep and maintenance is first rate, good shower etc.. Nice breakfast cooked to order. Owners Peter(English) and Jiab (Thai) on hand if required with tons of great info on the area. Jiab has a side business of tourist guide if you want to see around the area, but they are not overbearing and leave you to yourself if that's what you prefer.

For years the rooms were Bt1500 but i note from the website (pjs-place.com) the high season price is now Bt1650 per night, I personally still find that well worth the price for the quality and ambiance there. I booked with them just last week for a short visit at the start of the year. Check out the website, the pictures there are true and accurate to the real thing. The complex is self contained and therefore very secure, a bit of a tranquil oasis in the middle of Chiang Mai. Soho bar a very short distance and there is a good mall within easy walking distance at the end of the main road where PJ's is just off. Also that same road has eateries, bars and fairly busy with tuk-tuk's so picking up transport is easy.

[colmx]

I'd recommend Viangbua Mansion: http://www.viangbuamansion-chiangmai.com/room_rate.htm

Thats the second recommendation that i have had this week for Viangbua Mansion... so i think it is where we will stay on my Our CM trip...

PJs place sound great... but its double the price of Viangbua...

And whilst i don't mind playing the "farang price" for things in Thailand... i really object to paying the "gay premium" on a gay establishment....

[newalaan]

PJs place sound great... but its double the price of Viangbua... And whilst i don't mind playing the "farang price" for things in Thailand... i really object to paying the "gay premium" on a gay establishment....

Sorry but I think you are mistaken on this occassion about any 'gay premium' Colmx, I would say there is NO extra cost for being gay or gay friendly, it's 'comfort premium' if you like, what you are paying for is a real quality place with superb ambiance and easy, relaxing, more personal environment. Sure it is a gay couple who run it,but they are just down-to-earth nice guys offering a personal and very high standard of accomodation for a reasonable rate, but there is nothing 'particularly' gay about it. Certainly they do market it to a potential gay custom base but it is really gay neutral. There is gay literature available but also alot of other literature, while it's definitely a bonus not having obvious straights there, it wouldn't bother me that much because the lay-out of the place allows you to go about your day without having to mix, meet or engage with other guests if you don't really want to. In fact apart from saying they are 'gay friendly' once on the website there are no other references to gay anything.

The fact that they were mentioned in gay forums, advertised in gay media was probably what attracted me in the first place but once I found it I returned because of the quality of everything there, from the rooms to the care taken to make you feel comfortable and not for any associated 'gayness'. It's a smaller, more personal place than a hotel, very laid back and in a lovely setting.

I dont know, i suppose also its down to the fact that Chaing Mai is such a long way to go, especially as we drive there and it costs to get there, so I like to have as an enjoyable environment and something a bit more personal in nice surroundings as I can for reasonable cost. When you get up in the morning, open the curtains look out of the lovely bay windows onto a lush lovely garden area, stroll to the breakfast room or get a table set up outside, have the breakfast freshly cooked perfectly to order with the trickle of the fountain stream and the birds in the background, it just makes things a little more special. Often there are no other guests around depending on the time you go for breakfast as there are only 3 other rooms and the double level house, and the personal attention and unhurried attitude is a bonus, especially as i'm on holiday.

At the price I still regard it as value for money as it certainly adds to the overall enjoyment of my visit.

[Khor tose]

My recommendation would be PJ's Place.

I second this recommendation. The quality of service, and the ambiance more then make this a bargain place to stay. The hosts are the best, and they have a tremendous first hand knowledge of the whole Chiang Mai area and the gay scene.

[BonTong]

Whilst I don't disagree that PJ's place is an extremely good place for gay visitors to stay and has a deservedly excellent reputation, it isn't the only place in Chiang Mai and that needs to be kept in perspective regarding other options and price ranges. I would say you do pay a premium price for staying there, not least because it only has a few rooms and is frequently fully booked. And if you're always full why charge less?

To benchmark accommodation in Chiang Mai I'd take the many Thai business hotels as a good starting point. A great example is the B2 chain which have a new branch opened behind Soho guest house (B2 Green). For a clean modern room with basic facilities the going rate in these type places is 350-450 for a fan room and 500-600 for aircon. Work upwards from that as you add amenities and luxury. Compare this type of place with tourist guest houses downtown where you often get a dark damp hole for that price. Sometimes bargains are not what they seem.

Chiang Mai now has so much boutique, luxury and resort style accommodation it is worth spending time shopping around as there are bargains to be had. Here are a few suggestions for places friends like to stay (apart from the gay ones) at various budget levels:

Kantary Hills Hotel - Nimanhemin Road area
The Pub bungalows - Nimanhemin/Huay Kaew area
Manathai Village - Thapae area
Raming Lodge - Loi Kroh Road
Royal Princess - an old favourite at the Night Bazaar
Dome Residence - Huay Kaew Rd near PJs

Or for something extra special try: Ruen Come In (Huen Come Residence)

In fact apart from saying they are 'gay friendly' once on the website there are no other references to gay anything.

Guess you overlooked theirlinks page :8(

[homeseeker]

May I say many thanks to each of your who have kindly replied to my question. I have taken the advice and am now in Viangbua.

The reason for the delay in my reply is that for about 1 week I could not access this web site not on my PC or from an internet cafe in bkk and only after trying a few internet cafes in CM I now can gain access.

DA Boss you really should investigate this problem!

Again I greatly appreciate u all taking the trouble to advise me.

[colmx]

Hi Homeseeker
How did you find the Viangbua?

I have just tried to reserve there for our trip next month... (Jan 5-8th) but they have advised that they only have twin rooms available (and i seek a double)

I know one ex-Pattaya boy that works in CM and he has recommended Imm hotel (which is unfortunately sold out) and M hotel.... oth located at Thapae gate area

Any of the CM experts have any thoughts on the M hotel?
He recommened there as its near mandalay!

Thanks in Advance!