Chayana Resort

The grounds and pool were nice, though the pool area felt a bit neglected, and our room was pleasant. The lock on the wood-framed glass door didn’t feel very secure, and there was no safe. During our July visit, we seemed to be the only guests, which made it feel like a cabin-in-the-woods horror movie for a while, though we found that more funny than scary. The staff stayed until 8 pm to check us in and help us, even going to the store to get me beer. We’d driven all day from the golden triangle area and expected to eat at the hotel restaurant, but it was closed and there wasn’t food available for us. That was disappointing, especially at such a remote place where snacks and bottled water would have helped. We had our own water and snacks since we were traveling in a midsize car and I couldn’t picture people riding mopeds or scooters from Chiang Rai Mueng. They pointed us to The Cave a few minutes away, which had good food, probably better than the resort’s would have been. Breakfast was limited and not like the pictures, but they opened everything up and gave us the royal treatment as the only guests. For about an hour after we arrived, a couple of trucks outside the resort had loud karaoke going on, which was annoying. We were told it would stop in an hour, but I couldn’t work out why they chose the street by the resort when there was a performance area up the road. I gave it five stars because they got me beer and The Cave worked out well. I can imagine it feeling like a little village, maybe even a bit cult-like, with around 60 people in peak season. It seems busy in November and December, with music festivals on the resort’s large music venue field, plus weddings and tent glamping. The kitchen seems very open then.