Still in Chiang Mai.  Today I dropped in on the recently opened Chedi Hotel.  The hotel sits right on the river, not far from the night bazaar.  In fact, it's just a stone's throw from the Anusarn night market.

From the street, the hotel appears rather severe, consisting of a big white box.  Teak slats fixed to the upper floors soften its features a bit, but not much.  However, once you enter the open-air lobby it becomes clear that the imposing exterior is designed to maximize the open space on the inside.

The main building of the hotel is roughly "U" shaped, with the open end facing the river.  The building encloses a very lush green courtyard.  The white and teak them is carried through on the inside of the hotel, joined by lots of green plants and water.  The lobby has sunked conversation pits and the biggest couch you'll ever see.  It strongly suggests the idea of throwing a pajama party.

In the courtyard, a single story building houses the Chedi's trademark spa.  Between the spa and the river is a large swimming pool. It's very long and narrow, making it one of the few hotel pools I've ever seen that is suitable for swimming laps.

Sharing the courtyard with the spa is an old house.  Built around 1912, it was originally used for many years as the British Consulate.  Now fully restored, the house serves as the hotel's restaurant, serving Thai, European and Indian food.  A local reviewer rates the food, and the view, very highly.

I also finally went to see the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Hotel, opened just around two years ago.  The phrase "over the top" is always the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about this hotel.  It was designed to look like a collection of traditional northern Thai temples and royal buildings.  It mixes styles from various Thai cultures but somehow manages to work together as a whole.  There was a bit of an uproar when it first opened, as some people objected to what they saw as the appropriation of religeous architecture for commercial purposes, but all that seems to have died down now.

There is a small collection of boutiques near the main entrance of the hotel, making it a reasonalble place to stop, especially if on a tour of the factories at Borsang.  If making a special trip, be sure to arrange for a taxi or tuk-tuk to take you there and back, since there aren't any taxis hanging around that area.

Posted by michael under Just back from...