Wander |
"Not all those who wander are lost."
Address: 2 Soi 1 Nawatgate Road, Chiang Mai, 50000, Thailand www.137pillarschiangmai.com/en/ Phone: +66 53 247 788 137 Pillars House is a boutique hotel that I have wanted to go for more than a year. The hotel room price is steep but we managed to get >50% off for traveling during the Chinese Ghost Month. I don't recommend traveling during the Chinese Ghost Month if you are superstitious because the hotels are considered to house "yin" in Chinese beliefs. My grandmother always said don't go looking for troubles during the Chinese Ghost Month. It was safe to say that I did not encounter anything unusual during my stay. So why is the hotel named 137 pillars? Because the main dining hall building is made up of 137 wooden pillars. The property used to be owned by Louis Leonowens, son of Anna (yes, as in "Anna and the King"). The decor is more British colonial compared to some of the other hotels that we have stayed in Thailand. Location wise, it is at the fringe of the Old Chiang Mai city. We managed to walk to the night market from the hotel. The area surrounding the hotel is residential, with some gorgeously huge houses (we were peeking over the fence). Nighttime strolls are pretty safe. The local taxis and tuk tuk drivers are not really in your face all the time like Bangkok. You get a sense that people are generally very chill here. (left) The elephant trail. The merchants used to use this road to carry the goods to the river via elephants. We had our dinner in the The Dining Room. I felt that the food geared towards Western guests with dishes like Pad Thai. The ingredients were very fresh but the portion was on the bigger side. The drinks were on par with Singapore's price but ~3 times in size. A got a flaming coconut alcoholic beverage. Like all awesome and considerate Thai hotels, 137 Pillars House offers their own mosquito spray so you can eat your meal in peace. A asked me how I felt about the buffet breakfast. I think it was decent plus. I tend to gear towards food that is lighter in taste, but if you like heavier food you may enjoy their selections. We had our breakfast at the hotel every morning. Would I come back? I think probably no. I still love beaches too much. Plus, the town is really too chill for me. #igotnochill
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Address: 3/250 Soi Mahadlekluang 2, Rajadamri Road, Bangkok, 10330 Thailand www.hansarhotels.com Phone: +66 2209 1234 Hansar Bangkok is 28 km away from Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) and 23 km away from Don Mueang International Airport (DMK). It took us about 30 minutes to get from Don Mueang to the hotel, but our cab driver was definitely speeding. Transportation from airport to the city is pretty easy peasy. The airport cab services will definitely rip you off. We were lucky enough that there were some cabs that just dropped off their passenger at the departure terminal and came by the arrival area to see if they could pick up a customer on the way back to the city. Grab taxi or uber also works here. With good planning, you should be able to use free airport wifi to get yourself a ride and just wait at the terminal. It was late (2:30AM) when we arrived, so I was like nah I don't feel like waiting for the uber driver after standing in line for close to 2 hours at the immigration line (CNY craze). It was really "no bueno." A's sister recommended this hotel as it is hip and eco-friendly. We absolutely agreed! We opted for the urban suite which came with a living area, a nice soft bed, a walk-in closet, and an open concept bath. Don't expect a view in Bangkok. After all, Bangkok is a city. The public transport train system is super close to the hotel. It definitely makes it extra convenient to get to places in Bangkok. Our suite was warmly lit. You can choose your pillow from their pillow menu. I am not a picky pillow person so I did not try out their selection of pillows. Our stay came with a free 30 minute massage at their signature spa: Luxsa. A and I both chose the neck and shoulder massage. It was heavenly. They gave us pre-massage purple tea and post-massage yellow tea. I really had no idea what was in the tea but both tasted fresh. The full 1 hour massage is on the pricy side. I know most people come to Thailand for cheap massage, but a place like Luxsa does offer more privacy and relaxation. The lobby and waiting area is just gorgeous. If we had the time, I would have just brought a book here to read.
The alternative caffeine source would be Elefin coffee, which sells exclusive Thai specialty coffee along with pastries made from organic, local, and farm-to-table ingredients. Elefin has another B&B in Old Bangkok for mainly small groups of travelers. Would love to check them out next time I am in Bangkok. BTW, their coffee is strong. It will wake you up! Check out their website by clicking the image below. Pool bar, come here if you feel like chilling. There is also a gym! Hansar is also a service apartment. If you are in town for business assignment, this would also be a great place to stay.
Overall, I loved my stay at Hansar but Bangkok has so much to offer in terms of boutique hotels. If it is not within your price range, check out other options like Airbnb. |