Insider's Tips and Tricks to Chiang Mai Boutique Hotels

All over Thailand’s tourist hotspots like Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Phuket, “boutique” hotels have been cropping up harder than mice on a cheese. You can hardly turn a corner without running into a bed-and-breakfast or tiny guesthouse touting themselves as boutique, charming, and most of all cheap. Strolling around town or Googling up hotels, you are bound to find one or two that are going to look astonishingly reasonably-priced and amazingly luxurious: complimentary treats and meals, opulent design, extra packages at killer bargains. It’s even situated in a fine spot in Chiang Mai. Stop a moment. Did you do some research? The small price and large comforts don’t come without a price. But what could go wrong, you ask? Plenty! If you don’t know where to begin, I offer this checklist to glance through before you make your booking.

1. How's their location? Many small hotels are owned and run by newcomers to the field, who have relatively little capital to invest. This means they will minimize cost on all fronts, including by building on cheaper land-land that is located well away from the tourist attractions and the city center. You don't want to stay at a hotel that's located in the middle of nowhere!
2. Have they been certified by the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) and do they operate with a hospitality license? This doesn’t seem that important to the average traveler—the paperwork and certificates aren’t your business. It’s worth keeping in mind that legitimate, licensed hotels need to pass inspections and follow rules and regulations: safety laws being foremost. There’re officials going through their fire exits, fire extinguishers, climate control, hygiene, even staff offices. So this wonderful hotel may have a gorgeous swimming pool and they offer Thai massage for free, but did you ask if they’ve got fire exits and alarms in the right places? When you start cutting corners, it’s easy to keep going. Unscrupulous owners don’t forego official licenses without a reason. Some properties dodge these requirements by badging themselves as “serviced apartments” and, though these will adhere to safety laws more vigorously, they aren’t a hotel and if you see “four-star serviced apartment” you should know it’s not much more than optimistic—and false—advertisement. Serviced apartments don’t get to apply for stars and don’t meet qualification guidelines.
3. How many staff do you see around the premise? Small hotels cut cost in another area: salaries. Sure, you won't want people to bustle and invade your personal space, but you will want prompt service in the restaurant, the reception, and most importantly the housekeeping. Small staff rosters mean that less manpower will be dedicated to keeping the place in tip-top shape, including but not limited to plumbing, washing out the swimming pool, and more. Did you know how dirty water in pools can get? Trust me, you don't want to. With all those dead skin cells, body fluids, diseases: let's just say you don't want to look at them through a microscope. Best practice is to drain out the water every day and making sure the water going in has gone through disinfectants, but if a hotel doesn't have enough staff you can almost be certain they'll skimp on this.
4. Security. Again, this relates to the problem of limited personnel: how many do they have in their security? Do they have someone to constantly monitor their CCTVs (if there are even any, and are there enough cameras)? This is one more area for which you don't want to accept compromises.
5. How much maintenance do they perform, and how often? Fire drills? Power systems, elevators and drainage are inspected routinely by the authorities in licensed hotels. The ones operating without a license have no such motivation to keep them up to snuff.

There are plenty of trustworthy and officially licensed boutique hotels in Chiang Mai and elsewhere that fulfill all these requirements. Don't let yourself be lured into ones that don't.

For You: Picking Accommodation in Chiang Mai

Recession has affected the entire globe and nobody's gone unscathed; these days--more than ever--it is important to make sure that you maximize the value of what you spend. While that's not always easy thanks to the instability of mainstay currencies and parts of Asia are no longer as cheap as they once were, Thailand remains a destination whose expenses stay reasonable as long as you avoid premium spots like Phuket and Hua Hin: Chiang Mai is frequently neglected in favor of the more expensive southern Thailand, but it's nevertheless an attractive city. Marrying the charm of pre-modernization cities, Chiang Mai is the capital of the north and hardly industrialize. It offers a veritable range of activities from elephant camps to white-water rafting, from digital malls to cottage-industry villages. Fine hospitality and exquisite accommodation are offered at incredibly affordable rates but it's not easy to locate the hotel that's perfect for you with so many choices. This guide looks to suggest the things you might want to look for in a Chiang Mai hotel.

1. You. Going alone, with family, with your spouse? Business or pleasure?  If you are traveling with kids, it’s a good idea to see whether the hotel offers suites or connected rooms and whether the swimming pool is children-friendly. Moreover, you might want to make sure the hotel has enough space for the kids to run around without leaving the premises (i.e. leaving your and the staff’s sight). Some hotels offer baby-sitting services, as well. Traveling with elderly? See if the hotel maintains emergency contact with local hospitals and whether it has an in-house doctor. Look through the hotel facilities. Make inquiries early and come to an arrangement that suits you best.
2. Essential experience. Many hotels fluff things up with spa packages, twenty types of pastas, or seven kinds of mineral water in the mini bar. All well and good, but you might want to consider whether they are really things you need and whether they will have a genuine impact on your Chiang Mai holiday. Do you even like spas? Are you a connoisseur of mineral water? Less is often more and the frills distract more than they add—the frills, of course, being the factor that hikes up the price. You would be better off reading reviews for the qualities you know will enhance your experience: service, comfortable beds, breakfast spread, quality of food. The most fabulous décor in the world is going to be cold comfort if the desk clerks are rude, the housekeepers slack, and the waiters take twenty minutes to get to your table.
3. Local flavors. Many travelers’ first instincts are to go with the tried-and-true: properties that are part of a huge global chain, for example. However, while that approach may be advisable in some destinations, in Chiang Mai it is far from necessary: by and large hotels in Chiang Mai, from three stars upward, are of more than commendable quality. Besides, there are franchised hotels everywhere in the world; wouldn’t you like to try something local, interesting and authentic? After all, you wouldn’t spend all your time in Thailand eating Pizza Hut and drinking Starbucks, would you?
4. Say no to cheap. Unless you are backpacking (or even if you are!), you don’t want to pick an accommodation whose highlight begins and ends with being the cheapest in the area. Warning signs include “hotels” that tout that they have clean rooms with air-conditioning, features that should be taken for granted anywhere. Sometimes the difference in price is no more than a few hundred bahts or ten bucks, and it’s just not worth it to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Going bare-bones tends to mean everything will be truly basic, including but not limited to the plumbing and climate control system. You are here for a holiday and to treat yourself, not for boot camp.

Thailand Temple Etiquette

Are you up for a temple-crawl around Chiang Mai? Great! So am I—there’re entire streets lined to either side with nothing but temples. If you’re interested in Buddhism and Thai architecture, you’ll be in for a treat. Before we get around to where to find those temples and which notable ones you should consider visiting, though, you might want to keep a few things in mind to make your sightseeing as smooth as possible.

1. Temple dress code. It’s not that Buddhists are prudes who hate your bodies or think everyone should cover up from neck to toe, promise. It’s just that you wouldn’t wear bikini briefs to a church, a graduation ceremony, or a funeral either (unless you want to be politely asked to leave), would you? So put on something, they aren’t strict. T-Shirt and jeans, the standard-issue uniform of tourists everywhere, will be fine. Shorts are okay as long as they are of a reasonable length.
2. Leave something. A few coins in the donation boxes or a small bank note or two. Think of it as an admission fee—those lovely roofs and finials have to be maintained, after all, and they can’t do it on empty air. Every little bit helps! Take out some of that cash you were going to spend on a cup of Starbucks and distribute it across several temples. You can still get nice coffee from a non-franchise café (it’ll taste just as good if not much better) for half the price of Starbucks. Some temples have shops attached to them and, usually, if you buy souvenirs from those parts of the earnings will also go to the temple, if you don’t feel like just giving away small change.
3. No entry. Buddhist monks are celibate and certain parts of temples are barred to women. Yes, it’s not a model of feminism, but vacationing in Thailand is probably not the best time for advancing the women's movement cause.
Basic courtesy. Again, monks take their celibacy seriously; this means no contact with women, though in general regardless of your gender you shouldn’t be trying to shake hands with them in any case so men shouldn’t be grabbing at them either. Personal space, right? Likewise, even if you are an atheist or a Christian, please try to respect the icons and representations of Buddha or Hindu deities. No touching, handling, climbing, or creative redecorations. Yes, there really are people who do that and and Thai people tell horror stories about them. Don’t want to be one of those tourists, right?
4. Cameras. Some temples’ halls house relics and antiques, which can be damaged by camera flashes. They will therefore put up signs requesting that you not take pictures. It’s a simple rule, and easy enough to comply with.
   
5. Off with the shoes! This isn’t just for temples but for Thai houses, several establishments and restaurants: take off the shoes. They don’t really want you to track the dirt, mud, and possibly animal droppings onto their nice clean floors and carpets, and you wouldn’t want to walk in those either. It’s a sensible custom. Try it.

Simple, right? None of this is a hard-and-fast rule—all you need is a little common sense and you’ll have as lovely a holiday in Thailand as you could want! Don't forget to make sure you check in at a hotel close to temples for quick, convenient access.