Nan Seasons Boutique Resort

We were so impressed with the Residence accommodation at Nan Seasons Boutique Resort. The rooms had plenty of space, felt grand, and came with everything we needed. We tried to find something missing, but couldn’t. The gardens and pace of life in Nan made it feel like a hidden gem, a world away from the capital and its big cities. We came to this relatively unknown northern province after visiting Thailand’s larger cities, and weren’t disappointed. The staff were genuinely interested in us and remembered little details from earlier conversations. Their English was incredibly good, and the service was second to none. Rogier and Kas, the owners, were always easy to reach and happy to suggest places to visit, including off-the-beaten-track spots around the province. We enjoyed dinner every evening, and each meal was close to perfection, with balanced flavours and quality ingredients, like something from a Michelin-starred chef. Breakfast was a treat too, with an à la carte menu and fresh, organic ingredients, a refreshing change from the international hotels of Bangkok. Our only regret is that we booked just three days. That wasn’t enough time to explore or get fully used to Nan’s slower pace. Go explore this part of Thailand and stay at Nan Seasons Boutique Resort, you won’t be disappointed.

The room is horribly cramped and literally stinks. Sewer gas from the bathroom is unbearable, and since there’s no vent, fan, or opening window, the smell spreads into the room. We tried covering the drains, but it didn’t help much. I’m certain nobody fixed the sewer problem in the response, since old systems without traps let gases come back. Local roads or not, there’s noise all night. The room is about 5 meters from a busy road, and traffic is loud through the night. “Set among forests” might be true, but it doesn’t make the place quiet. Look at the map and you’ll see two busy roads crossing there. Anyone saying it’s quiet seems suspicious. The supposed mountain view from our room is actually a busy street and the side of another bungalow. Whenever we dealt with staff, they seemed confused to discover they worked at a hotel. You couldn’t pay me to stay here again.

The location is beautiful, and the staff are very friendly. But the villa by the pool is overpriced: there’s no view, and the kitchen is behind the bedroom wall, so you sleep with a garlic smell. Their breakfast preparation also wakes you up early.

The food was fantastic and the service was great. We stayed three nights in the Mountain View 2 bungalow, in a lovely little garden, and had a partial view of the surrounding fields. The bungalow felt rather small for a couple. At that price, I’d have expected it to be at least twice the size, and there were a few maintenance issues I wouldn’t expect at a resort with this room rate.