A Real Gem in Chiang Mai (Empress Hotel Chiang Mai)

Member Name: flodombey

Product:	Empress Hotel Chiang Mai
Date:	19/10/09 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Location, level of service, great rooms, good food, price

Disadvantages: No safety depost boxes in rooms

We stayed at the Empress Chiang Mai for 3 nights in September 2009 as part of a three centre break in Thailand (including Bangkok and Krabi). This was booked with Kuoni so I do not know what price they paid for the hotel room we stayed in, the advertised rate on reception however was 3,500BT (approx £70) per night for the same standard of room (Superior).

I notice on their website that they offer lower rates for advance online booking so this would be well worth checking out if you intend to stay. The website address is www.empresshotels.com.

Location
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This hotel is in a great location, quite central to Chiang Mai and within walking distance of the night market which is great in an evening to wander back through. There are plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance too but a lot of the temples you will need to get a tuk tuk or taxi to. Chiang Mai is relatively cheap to get around however so its not too much of a problem.

This hotel is only a 15-20 minute transfer away from the airport which is nice. Chiang Mai seems very small after Bangkok and the city is much more walkable than the capital but picking up a tuk tuk is never a problem if your feet get tired.

On the incline up to the hotel there are a couple of massage places, I went to the Rainbow one for a pretty intense (but worth it) Thai massage and the prices here are very low. There is also a laundrette which washes and presses clothes for very low cost aswell.

Lobby / Check In
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On arrival at the hotel we were seated and given a fruit drink while our Kuoni rep sorted the paperwork for us. The approach to the hotel had left us quite impressed as it is off the main drag (full of restaurants and bars and ladyboy hang outs!) up a sweeping hill and has a grand looking covered entrance. The lobby is equally nice, spacious and contemporary feeling with plenty of seating areas scattered about.

Next to the reception desk there is a group of 4 computers which are available to guests for internet access. You have to purchase a card at recption to get online and it was around 100BT (£2) for half an hour when we visited. Behind this bank of computers is located the cash office which is where you must store all valuables because the rooms do not have safety deposit boxes in them.

We found this a bit of a chore to be honest because every time you want to get something out or put something in (at least 3 times a day for us) you have to go into the cash office and sign a form and then they take your bank-style deposit box out of the wall and you do what you need to while they wait. I understand that this saves them the problem of people complaining about items going missing from rooms but its not the most convenient of methods for the guests - expecially first thing in the morning when there is generally a queue.

The Room
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We stayed in a superior room on the 14th floor which had amazing panoramic views over the city from the floor to ceiling windows. This was one of the nicest hotels we stayed in during our trip to Thailand. I would say it feels like a 4 star although I think it is officially a 3 star.

The room had dark wooden floors, a fancy system by the bed which controlled everything from the lights to the heating to the TV, a large Queen size bed, flat screen TV, a table and a couple of chairs by the window, a bar and fridge built into the wardrobe unit and plenty of hanging space and drawers.

The bathroom had a lovely power shower over a pretty deep tub and felt very contemporary, lots of dark marble and spotlights plus a large surround to the basin so plenty of room for everything.

The room also contained a pair of bathrobes and two pairs of slippers for use during our stay which was a nice touch and again made it feel like a posher hotel than we were expecting.


Facilities
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The hotel has 5 options for eating. We only used the Chao Nang coffee shop which is where the buffet breakfast is served every morning. Our room rate included breakfast and we were very impressed with the range and quality on offer. From european style meats, cheeses and breads through to cereals, cooked breakfast items, eggs cooked to order through to pastries and cakes and a selection of Thai dishes such as phad thai noodles and curried fish with rice.

Coffee and tea are served to your table during breakfast which is a nice touch and waitresses circulate with the jugs, topping up as and when. Juices are available on the buffet section.

The other restaurant options are a Chinese called Panda Palace which was located above ground floor level, the Poolside snack bar, a Brasserie and a Garden Lounge. I cannot vouch for these as we did not use them but the brasserie and Garden Lounge were frequently busy in an evening and seemed very popular.

The pool was directly below our room and although we didnt use it it looked well maintained and was always busy when the sun was out. There are a number of sunbeds around it and also on a further patio area, there were always empty beds when we looked.

Downstairs off the lobby there is a shop selling Thai handcrafts and souvenir items, it seemed quite expensive to us and you can pick the same things up from the nightmarkets much cheaper but for a last minute gift it would be useful.


Staff
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All the staff were very courteous and most of them speak very good English so no problems with language barriers. I had arranged for a birthday cake and wine to be delivered to our room shortly after we checked in and they were easy to arrange all this with from back in the UK.

We found the staff to be friendly and very happy to help, the restaurant staff in particular go out of their way to ensure you are happy and have everything you need. Cash office staff are also very on the ball and try their best to get you sorted as quickly as possible.


Overall
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We found this hotel to be an ideal base from which to explore Chiang Mai and were impressed with the quality of the room, the food and the level of service. For the amount advertised on reception, I think this place is incredible value for money, based on the even lower internet prices I would go so far as to say it is a bargain.

A real gem of a hotel which feels like a 4 star but costs like a 3 star. We would certainly make this place our first choice if we ever return to Chiang Mai and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a central, quality place to stay in the city.

Summary: A great place to stay in this beautiful city.