Mae Yom Palace Hotel

The hotel is built almost entirely of thick wood, which is interesting given the city’s history. The pool was amazing and made the stay especially enjoyable. Rooms were very comfortable and the whole place was really clean. Breakfast was nice, with Thai and Western choices, and renting a bicycle was a nice option. The restaurant was good and affordable. A nice stay in a unique city!

Breakfast had a nice variety, and my room was clean, comfortable, and quiet. It’s a functional, no-frills hotel. The one problem in our room was the unstable Wi-Fi: it worked near the door but wasn’t reliable elsewhere.

The staff were very friendly, and breakfast was good. But the room was in very poor condition, with lots of broken things and stains everywhere. The shower didn’t work, nor did the lights beside the bed. With some lights out, the room felt dark and creepy. The bed was very light, cheap, and generally uncomfortable. I missed having coffee facilities in the hotel and had to get coffee at the 7-eleven down the street. It seems this may once have been a really nice hotel, but it isn’t now.

Go for a swim if you stay here, you’ll probably have the pool to yourself. The place has a Twin Peaks feel, in the best way, and there’s a mountain view to enjoy if you can accept its quirks. I like these big old places: rough around the edges, but with fixtures, fittings, and a scale that feel well beyond the price. The rooms are fine. It’s an old joint, so keep expectations modest and enjoy the fact that things mostly work.