Rachamankha

Rachamankha

Inside the old city walls of Chiang Mai, Rachamankha sits on more than 8,000 square metres of garden, its low brick buildings echoing the Lanna period architecture that shaped the region centuries ago. Built in 2004 but designed to feel older, the hotel holds just 25 rooms, and its own art gallery displays antiques and objects drawn from the city's history rather than generic decor. Wat Phra Sing, one of Chiang Mai's most important temples, is a minute's walk away, and the Sunday Walking Street Market is two minutes further, so the location does the sightseeing for you. Rooms carry mini-bars, bathrobes, DVD players and indoor fireplaces for the cooler months, and guests can move between an indoor and an outdoor pool, a sauna, and a massage room, or read in the library if the heat outside is too much. The hotel does not accept children under 12, which sets it apart from most family-friendly resorts nearby and makes it a quieter proposition for couples or solo travellers who want the old city without the noise. There's a bar and restaurant on site, plus a concierge, laundry, car rental and airport transfer for 600 baht one way. Wi-Fi is free throughout. This suits someone who wants architecture and quiet over nightlife, who's happy walking to temples rather than being driven to them. It won't suit anyone travelling with young children, or anyone wanting a big resort with entertainment laid on. What Rachamankha has that its neighbours don't is that gallery, and the sense that the building itself is the attraction, not an add-on to it. Inside Chiang Mai's old city walls, Rachamankha pairs Lanna-period architecture with its own antiques gallery and 8,000 square metres of garden. It suits couples and solo travellers seeking quiet over nightlife; children under 12 aren't accepted.