Aster Residence

The shaded pool was lovely for a refreshing dip, and underground parking was a real plus. It’s a little way from the old city, but Grab or Bolt makes getting around cheap and easy, and you can hire a scooter too. Being at the foot of the mountain also means cooler air and a welcome break from the bustle. There’s plenty of street food just outside from around 4pm, with other food options earlier, and a 7-11 close by. Alex Akin and Kevin are wonderful hosts. After coming to Chiang Mai every year for nearly 13 years, this is my best find, and we’ll stay here from now on if we can. My only gripe is that the bed was a bit firm for me, though that seems fairly normal in Thailand.

The pool was dirty and seemed unused, and the old furniture smelled like cat pee. The room on the third floor was advertised as having a mountain view, but there was no mountain view. When I came to see a room, the man at reception greeted me with, “Who let you in? That's a problem. I will check CCTV to see who let you in.” I had arranged the viewing with the marketing team for a room they said was available for my dates. The older man at reception first said there was no room, then it turned out that it was available. I don't know if he was having a bad day, but that felt rude and unprofessional.

The area was great for food, with clean air coming down from the mountain, and it was quiet at night. Akin went well beyond what you'd normally expect to make my stay easy and enjoyable. I really liked the calm, family run place and highly recommend Aster Residence. Hope I get to see you all again soon. 🙏🏼😊👍🏼

There’s good value here, and you could live here year round if you wanted. The homepage unfortunately wasn’t accessible, so I had to chase a reservation through Facebook, email, or phone. At night, cool air comes down from the nearby mountain, so I didn’t even need AC. There’s lots of student housing around, with plenty of street food stalls on the road and a 7-11. Getting a Grab taxi can take a while since it’s near the west edge of town.