Review: Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel

In Chiang Mai, there wasn’t a large presence of global hotel chains. The only Marriott option was the Chiang Mai Marriott, which had conveniently just recently been renovated and rebranded from a Le Meridien. It is always nice to visit a refreshed hotel as you know both the property, amenities, and service are going to be at their best. 

Keep reading for my review of the newly renovated Chiang Mai Marriott hotel.

Booking & Check-in

I made this booking using cash but with a corporate rate of 5,000 THB per night, a modest savings of about 1,000 THB per night from the regular rate.  This works out to about $200 Canadian dollars per night, which isn’t bad at all for a 5-star hotel in Thailand. 

I emailed the hotel about two weeks before our stay to request an upgrade and also let them know it was my girlfriend’s birthday the day of our arrival. I was fortunate enough to receive an upgrade almost immediately to a 1 bedroom Executive Suite.

Checking in went well. Our room was ready for us early at 12:00 PM. Hotel staff took our bags and escorted us to the check-in desk. We received a welcome gift choice between chocolates, a local gift, a 30-minute head massage, or 1,000 points (I chose the latter). As we were in an Executive Room, we were already entitled to complimentary breakfast at the Ping Cuisine and Bar, as well as another breakfast offering in the M Club.

We also received an informative sheet outlining our benefits as Platinum Elite with Marriott Bonvoy, including notable M Club lounge access, evening cocktail hour, a 10% discount on food and beverage, and more. 

The lobby at the Chiang Mai Marriott was both modern and massive, with lots of culturally themed decor.

Location

The Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel is located at 108 Changklan Road in the Chang Khlan area. The hotel is positioned to offer a blend of local charm and modern convenience, including the bustling Night Bazaar, which is just a short walk away. The Night Bazaar is a hub of activity, featuring an array of shops, street food vendors, and local crafts.

The area also boasts a variety of dining options, from traditional Thai eateries to international restaurants, ensuring guests have plenty of choices for their culinary adventures. Some of our favorites included:

• Another World (incredible khao soi and psilocybin garnished beverage)
• Boy Blues Bar (live blues and rock music)
• River View Bar (riverside seafood)
• Paper Butter on the roof (hamburgers)

The Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel is also well-connected to Chiang Mai’s historical and cultural sites. The Old City, with its ancient temples like Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang, is a short drive or tuk-tuk away, just through the Tha Phae Gate (west gate). 

Everything within the Old City is quite walkable too. We walked to many destinations, including the Sunday Walking Market along Rachadamnoen Road. And if walking, “Grab”-ing, or negotiating with tuk-tuk drivers isn’t your fancy, the location provides easy access to public transportation, facilitating convenient travel to other parts of the city and beyond. 

Parking

Complimentary on-site parking and valet parking was available. There was also offsite parking available, located within 100 meters of the hotel at the Night Bazaar parking lot.

Room – 1 Bedroom Executive Suite, 1 King

The Executive Suite was massive, modern, and open-concept. Upon entry, you could immediately see the main room area with large windows. To the immediate right of the entryway was a hallway to the bathroom, which also connected all the sides of the bedroom.

The large main room was directly adjacent and open with the bedroom, but also had sliding doors which would be opened and closed to maintain privacy if desired. There was a massive couch, coffee table, television, and a desk with two chairs in this area.

It was my partner’s birthday on the day of our arrival, which I communicated to the hotel staff. They responded with extravagance, not just providing us with a delicious spread of macaroons, a small cake, fruits, and rice crackers, but also placing H.B.D decorations on the window. This was a really nice touch of extra service. 

The mini-bar was well-stocked and well-priced. You really can’t beat a Chang beer for 65 baht or a Red Bull was only 25 baht.

The bedroom was spacious and well-appointed, complete with another couch, another television, two side tables, and a high-quality Marshall speaker.

Even more spacious was the open-concept bathroom attached to the bedroom, which included a jacuzzi tub and double vanity.

The shower room had ample space with a waterfall-style shower head, and a nice sized ledge. The amenities were supplied by ‘thisworks’.

Down the hallway was the separate toilet room and half bathroom complete with its own sink and vanity.

Lastly, can’t forget to mention that instead of a closet, the suite came equipped with a massive storage room. This is where the safe was located and contained ample space for our luggage and clothing.

Overall this is one of the larger suites I’ve stayed in, and everything was immaculate. Along with the service quality, this contributed to a very comfortable stay for us at the Marriott Chiang Mai.

Restaurants & Bars

The Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel has an M Club Lounge, three restaurants, and two bars. 

• M Club Lounge: Located on the 21st floor, the M Club lounge offers complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day, breakfast, as well as an evening cocktail and hors d’oeuvre hour. 
• The Ping Cuisine and Bar: The primary restaurant, serving Chiang Mai and traditional Thai dishes, as well as Western dishes. Open all day from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. 
• Pings Bar: The lobby bar, located adjacent to the lobby and The Ping Cuisine. Open from 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM.
• Pool House: A poolside bar next to the rooftop pool, serving botanical cocktails and mocktails. They have a food menu with light snacks and small dishes. Open from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily.
• Favola: An award-winning Italian restaurant specializing in pizza and pasta, open for dinner only from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
• Han The Chinese Cuisine: The newest restaurant on the property, serving dishes inspired by Cantonese, Sichuan, and Beijing. Open for lunch and dinner from 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

M Club Lounge

I have always had great experiences at Marriott’’s hotel lounges outside of North America, including Marriott hotels in Japan and Copenhagen. The M Club lounge at Marriott Chiang Mai was no exception. 

The lounge here was massive, with two separate levels. It was open 24/7 with coffee, tea, and finger snacks. Additionally, there was breakfast offered from 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM, as well as evening cocktail hour from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM where complimentary beer, wine, champagne, and cocktails were available. 

There were fresh hors d’oeuvres available during cocktail hour. The snacks and desserts were plentiful, and one could easily make a full meal out of the offerings. There was even a noodle bar.

Even during the day outside of the cocktail hour, I found there was a decent selection of snacks, mini sandwiches, and the like. Very convenient when you’re a little peckish in between meals but don’t want to trek out into the Thai heat.

Marriott Bonvoy Elite Complimentary Breakfast 

As breakfast was offered here, we decided to give it a try and take a break from the large and busy spread at Ping on the 3rd morning of our stay. 

The spread here was predictably smaller but consisted of some of the highlight items from the breakfast at Ping Cuisine and Bar. In particular, the pancake and waffle station, al a carte egg station, and the khao soi and noodle station. 

The service here was notably not as good as at Ping’s. One of our egg benedict orders was seemingly forgotten and then arrived cold after we inquired about it. 

Nonetheless, we enjoyed the quieter ambiance and rooftop views from the 21st floor.

The Ping Cuisine and Bar – Marriott Bonvoy Elite Complimentary Breakfast 

The Ping Cuisine and Bar serves up authentic Thai and Chiang Mai flavors as well as international favorites, all day long from breakfast through dinner. As a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member, we enjoyed complimentary breakfast here for the duration of our stay. 

Guide: Breakfast Benefit for Marriott Bonvoy Elite Members

Breakfast was served from 6:30 AM to 10:30 AM. The breakfast was mostly set up as a buffet spread but also had select à la carte options. There were so many different breakfast stations that we were given a map to help us find them from our seating location.

The Asian options including hot dishes, a noodle station, and dim sum, were located in what is usually seating for Han The Chinese Cuisine.

One of the highlights for me was the make-your-own-egg station. The salmon and ham benedicts were great. Also, the pancake and waffle station where you can add your sauces, jams, almond and vanilla cream sauce, chocolate chips, and more.

The breakfast wasn’t flawless. Some items didn’t taste 100% fresh. But there was so much on offer that anyone could find a great arrangement of food to satisfy their taste buds.

Ping’s Bar

Ping’s bar, as implied by the name, is located adjacent to Ping’s Cuisine. It serves as the hotel lobby bar.

We stopped here on the first day of our stay for a light snack and a couple of cocktails. The small menu was well suited for it.

For cocktails, we selected the Mood Cutter and the Khun Toiting, followed by crispy chicken sliders and potato croquettes for shareable snacks.

Everything was delectable. 

Pool House

The Pool House is a poolside bar next to the outdoor swimming pool on the 4th food. Although the pool is only open until 9:00 PM, the Pool House is open later to 11:00 PM.

There is a full food menu which includes casual bites like sandwiches, pizza, appetizers, and desserts as well as a full drink menu. 

Drinks at the Pool House are quite pricey even compared to the hotel room bar. For example, a bottle of Chiang beer is 200 THB from the Pool House, but a can of Chiang beer is 60 THB from the in-room bar. 

Nonetheless, we enjoyed a few drinks here as the infinity edge pool and lounging beds provided great views of Chiang Mai and the surrounding mountains to relax to.

Also, note that the Pool House has a buy 1, get 1 free cocktail special from 8:00 to 10:00 PM.

Favola

Favola is an award-winning Italian restaurant at the Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel. It is open from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM every day.  

We didn’t have a sit-down meal here during our stay, but we did enjoy room service which included a pizza ordered from Favola. It was both tasty and affordable.

Han The Chinese Cuisine

Han The Chinese Cuisine is a Chinese restaurant open for lunch and dinner every day from 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM. 

Han just recently opened and is the newest restaurant on the property. We didn’t eat here during our stay so I can’t comment on more than that.

Facilities

Fitness Center

The Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel had a renovated and well-equipped fitness center with a good selection of cardio equipment, treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, strength machines, and free weights. The free weights and stretching equipment were located in a separate but adjacent room.

The fitness center is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. It also has lockers and a sauna room. 

Outdoor Pool

The Chiang Mai Marriott’s outdoor pool was a highlight of the property. We enjoyed our time spent here in the late morning and during sunset a few times during our stay. 

The pool is a nice size, and has an infinity edge overlooking the city and surrounding mountainside.

The outdoor pool is open daily from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM (although the poolside bar is open later). Towels are provided.

Quan Spa

The Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel has a fully equipped Asian spa called the Quan Spa, open every day from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM by appointment. The prices for treatments are as follows:

My partner had a 90-minute session at the spa, where she received the Office Syndrome Relief, Coconut Head Massage, and Silk Timeless Collagen Facial Mask.

She commented that it was an awesome experience and a high-quality spa. After starting with a warm tea, she was able to choose her own oil from a large selection for the main massage. Along with the warm coconut oil scalp massage, the treatment was very relaxing and put her in a great headspace for the next leg of our trip.

Conclusion

My partner and I loved the Marriott Chiang Mai almost as much as we loved the city of Chiang Mai itself. The property was modern and exquisite. Every aspect of service was impeccable and at the high standard we had come to expect of luxury hotels in Thailand. The M Club lounge and rooftop pool were great features of the property that we made ample use of, and the large upgraded Executive suite had all the bells and whistles to make our stay even sweeter.

 We would love to come back and stay at this property again on our next visit to Chiang Mai.