Central location on same street as Sunday Night Market
Check-out is 24-hours from check-in
All-day breakfast available
Drink Bar has views of the happening street below
Rooms come with spacious balconies, iPod docks, and chess sets
Small pool with adjoining mini pools, some of which have direct room access
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Expensive for the neighborhood
Rooms are dimly lit
Hotel road closes on Sunday for busy market
No on-site parking
U Chang Mai is a smallish boutique hotel in the midst of Chiang Mai's historic old town on the same road that hosts the Sunday Night Market. Rooms have large balconies, king-size beds, rainfall showers, large flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi, and some have bathtubs and direct pool access. Perks include 24-hour stays from check-in, all-day breakfast, and personalized in-room soap choice. There's also a small swimming pool, a gym, bicycles that guests can borrow, and a reading room with computers. The Eat Restaurant does good Thai and international food and the Drink Bar looks out on the happening street. However, the stylish four pearl resort costs a lot compared to many of the properties in the same area and there's no on-site parking.
Scene
Trendy, happening hotel with lively scene during weekly Night Market
The hotel is popular with couples who like the modern and cutting edge vibe and those who want an upmarket stay right in the heart of the most happening area of the old town. Things get particularly lively on Sunday evenings during the Night Market, which takes place in front of the hotel. The entire road is closed to traffic during the market, and thousands of people are out walking, drinking, eating, and shopping. There are great views of the action from the Drink Bar, but it can get crowded. The swimming pool area -- surrounded by parasols and lounge chairs -- is busy throughout the week. However, unlike most hotels, there's no morning rush at the front desk. Rooms are rented out by 24-hour periods and all-day breakfast is offered, allowing for more flexible stays.
Location
Central Old Town location on the same street as the famous Sunday Night Market
U Chang Mai sits right in the middle of Chiang Mai's historic Old Town on its most happening street, the site of the Sunday Night Market. There are dozens of restaurants, bars, and shops around the hotel, and the area is busy day and night. It's a 15- to 20-minute drive from the airport and under 10 minutes from downtown. There's no on-site parking and the area around the hotel closes to motorized traffic when the market is being held. However, the hotel does offer bicycles that guests can borrow for free.
Rooms
Pool-facing rooms with rain showers, luxury beds, and spacious balconies with daybeds
The rooms at U Chiang Mai are set around a courtyard swimming pool. Each comes with a king-size bed with luxury duvets and 300-thread-count sheets, a spacious private terrace with a daybed, a rain shower, a 37-inch flat-screen TV, an iPod doc, a kettle, a minibar, and a safe. Wi-Fi is free in all rooms and throughout the property. Superior and Deluxe Rooms are available; Deluxe Rooms are more spacious, and have extras such as soaking tubs and DVD players. Some also have direct pool access.
Features
Bar with great street views, courtyard pool, all-day breakfast in restaurant, small gym, and spa
The U Chiang Mai's Drink Bar has great views out on the happening Ratchdamnoen Road below, home to the Sunday Night Market. Downstairs is the Eat Restaurant, which serves a buffet breakfast throughout the day and both Thai and international fare for lunch and dinner. The resort has a small pool taking up its central courtyard, with some lounge chairs and parasols. There are some smaller and narrower pools adjacent to the main one that have direct room access and are shared between a few rooms. There is a small gym and an upstairs reading room as well as a small spa.