Royal thapae gate guesthouse

The setting is great, and the staff are wonderful. I’d come back for the location. The bed is hard, though, and the covers aren’t very warm. The hotel’s marketing makes it sound like there’s a party, but there isn’t. The tour desk is excellent, while the washroom leaves a lot to be desired.

For $12 US, it’s a basic place to sleep and wash up, and that price is fair for backpackers. There’s no air conditioning, TV, or elevator, so we had to carry our bags up four floors. Our room wasn’t ready until after 2 pm. The pool is more like a fountain. I was told breakfast is just two slices of white bread and access to a shared toaster. I hadn’t stayed overnight yet, so couldn’t comment on that. There’s plenty of cheap food around, and for about $5 more, you can probably find somewhere better and skip the pool and breakfast.

The hotel is close to the night market and the old city square, which made getting around easy. We booked a white water rafting trip with A PEAK Adventure and had a lot of fun. You can arrange tours at the desk, and a moped costs 300 baht per day with a 1000baht deposit or your passport. It’s a nice, inexpensive place, 450 baht a night when paid at the desk. The staff are friendly, the lobby is lovely, and there’s a pool. The room was fresh and had what we needed. Beds are a little hard, but I didn’t mind. There’s no elevator, so bear that in mind.

The elephant tour booked through the hotel, at Johney Boy Elephant park, was the biggest disappointment. I rented a motorbike and went ahead on my own, so I had time with the elephants before the tour group arrived. They were kept where the garbage was stored, and one was away after eating a plastic bag. The other guests wouldn’t have seen this. I told the hotel they shouldn’t work with the company again until things improve. The staff are very nice, and the place looks good on the website, but the beds were the worst I’ve had so far. The rooms and pool need an upgrade. Free breakfast is tea or coffee and white bread toast, with other options available to buy. For the price, I wouldn’t recommend it. Chiang Mai has plenty of other choices.