Sannot Riverside Garden Resort ChiangMai

The one bedroom suite with garden view was a good size, with a lounge, a separate bedroom lounge area, a large private bathroom, and a generous balcony. The decor was nice, and the full size fridge was stocked on day one with no charge for what we used. For us, the riverside setting worked well: it was peaceful, yet only a five to ten minute ride from Chiang Mai's main tourist areas. We enjoyed the stay at Sannot, and before checkout I would have put it at four stars. The main drawback for me was the focus on Chinese guests. Sannot seems to be owned by a Chinese family who live on-site, and the only TV channels were Chinese ones on a satellite box. The outdoor seating area was simple but lovely, with Chinese board games, novels, and signs. Breakfast was simple and tasty, but the choices only changed for the Chinese option, one different choice per day. The staff were helpful when I spoke with them and varied it for me. They mention a bar, but what we found was a fridge in the breakfast area that wasn't staffed during the day. We found it easier, and presumably cheaper, to buy things at 7-Eleven and keep them in our room fridge. Checkout is what really changed how I felt about staying again. They showed us a photo of a hand-towel from our room and said housekeeping had tried to wash it, but couldn't get a couple of stains out. They asked for 500 THB. They couldn't say exactly when the towel was taken from our room or what cleaning had been tried, and couldn't show that it was definitely ours. We refused the charge. I told them I wouldn't pay 500 THB for a second-hand towel, and that if I had to pay anything, I would keep it. They reacted badly, but eventually backed down. Make of that what you will. Before the accusation, I was about 80% sure I'd stay again; now it's 50/50.

Right beside Ping River, with a lovely garden. The rooms are clean and nice, and the food is very good for an affordable price.

The grounds look good, and the staff are thoughtful. It’s a very comfortable hotel.

The room didn't feel private: from the balcony we could see staff and other guests coming and going, and they could see us. That made the garden room less appealing. If I came back, I'd choose somewhere near the Old City. We saw newly renovated Thai-style boutique hotels at the city gates for half the price and saved them for another trip. We booked this hotel for our longest stay in Chiang Mai, three nights, and regretted it from the first day. Nearly 800 RMB is definitely not cheap here, and there were a lot of problems. I initially felt it deserved only one or two stars, since at least we could sleep and shower. Even after speaking with the owner, that was still my view. I won't go into every detail, as it wasn't only a service issue. The place seemed to be aiming for a boutique resort feel, with Western-style decor, but the overall effect was very bare and simplistic. The lobby had children's water guns, life jackets, and bird's nest, none of which seemed related to a boutique resort. It was spacious, but had no large sofas or refined decorations, and didn't feel luxurious. There was no Thai-style fragrance, the door locks felt like cheap hardware, and the TV only showed Chinese channels, with no international options. Since it's a resort, I can't imagine how overseas guests pass the time; the TV felt completely underused. The big wooden staircase in the room looked more decorative than useful for making the room feel larger, and wasn't attractive or functional. Housekeeping also disappointed me. If clothes were left on the bed or sofa, they weren't folded or put away. They didn't even leave towels in the bathroom, just at the entrance. There's a lot more I could say. I thought about my stays at a 350 RMB hotel in Siem Reap and at the Park Hyatt Siem Reap. Both offered hot lemongrass tea and essential-oil hand towels at check-in. To me, a boutique hotel needs details like that.