Eastin Tan Chiang Mai

Eastin Tan is about all things stylish and modern. This new hotel, opened in 2015, towers above the busy intersection at the start of trendy Nimmanhaemin Road -- in fact, it's angular glass-and-steel facade looks miles away from Chiang Mai's legendary old city, which is just down the road. A large patio area fronts the hotel, and just around the corner are plenty of hip shops and cafes. Two enormous smiling head sculptures welcome guests , while inside the hotel, decor includes a few avant-garde statues, such as legs coming out of a shopping purse or a giant lower half of a body with teeth riding a skateboard. Artsy details like these give the hotel a nice amount of personality, though it's all restrained and tasteful. The lobby gets plenty of natural light through large glass windows, but save for a few sets of wicker resin and metal sofas and chairs set throughout, the design is minimalist. It's a cool and hip spot, obviously designed with its trendy surroundings in mind, and set to attract a young, urban crowd, including plenty of business travelers. 

Eastin Tan Hotel Chiang Mai sits right on the corner of Huay Kaew and Nimmanhaemin Roads, the heart of Chiang Mai's trendiest neighborhood. Nimmanhaemin and the sois that stretch off from it in both direction are filled with designer boutiques, restaurants, cafes, and bars. One of the city's most popular cafes -- Ristr8to -- is a five-minute walk down the street. The lifestyle Maya shopping mall is right across the street from the hotel and it's around 10 minutes by car to Chiang Mai University and the Chiang Mai Zoo. It will also take about 10 minutes to reach the charming old city's temples and craft markets by taxi. Doi Suthep temple is a 30-minute drive west from here. However, the area is congested, and drive times can escalate in bad traffic. Chiang Mai's airport is a 15-minute drive away.

Eastin Tan Hotel Chiang Mai has 128 rooms, all of them modern and stylish, with plenty of natural light and subtle details that make them a step above many hotels in Chiang Mai. Expect to see on-trend details including elongated pieces of deep-hued abstract art and mid-tone wood-veneer furniture, like the statement headboards above beds. Entry-level Superior Rooms have carpeted floors, while Superior Premium Rooms have wooden floors, and come with kitchens, each with a full-sized refrigerator, a microwave oven, and a stovetop cooking range. Suites are really like sharp apartments, with separate bedrooms and living rooms, the latter of which is furnished with attractive charcoal gray seating, trendy furniture, and bright throw pillows in colors like orange.

All rooms have balconies with wicker resin furniture -- on one side of the hotel these look out at Doi Suthep and the surrounding mountains. Features include flat-screen TVs with cable channels, safes, air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, minibars, and kettles. Rooms also feature spacious bathrooms with both walk-in rainfall showers and bathtubs, along with fancy Japanese toilets that have push button controls for heat and bidet functions. All fixtures are contemporary -- like vessel sinks -- and the gray and white color scheme keeps them bright. It's worth noting that traffic in the area can be bad and several guests have reported noise issues.

Eastin Tan Hotel has plenty of excellent features to complement its sharp rooms. The chic T Station Bar & Restaurant was built to resemble a 1920s American railway station and serves gourmet buffet breakfasts (included in some rates) in the mornings and Thai and Western dishes throughout the day and into the evening. The hotel also has a hip cafe and lounge, the T Cafe, with views out to the street plus cocktails, coffee and tea, and snacks. 

There is a fitness center on the second floor with cardio equipment, free weights, and weight machines, and there are saunas and steam rooms in the locker areas. Just next to the fitness center is a covered swimming pool with a whirlpool. Next to it are a few hanging swing chairs plus lounge chairs. Other facilities at the hotel include several meeting rooms, an underground parking garage, and coin-operated laundry facilities. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.