Neil Aronson (Updated October 2024) These are some of the best cheaper and affordable hotels we have stayed at and recommend for Chiang Mai city. A lot of the places to stay are right in the heart of the city, making it easy to walk around to all the attractions. And just because the prices is good doesn’t mean they are not amazing. Most would cost 4 times more in other countries.
There are hundreds of options, so we are curating the best ones we know from experience. The best part is that you do not need to spend much to stay at ‘resort’ type properties at budget prices.
It can be very overwhelming trying to decide where to stay in Chiang Mai for both new visitors and those of us who have been many times. We have staying in and around Chiang Mai on over 30 visits. My wife and I have found many perfect cheap affordable hotels, but still try to experience new places for a change.
Tip: If you like boutique hotels, check out the alley ways around Ratvithi Rd and Moon Muang Rd Soi 6. The area just east and south of Eurana Hotel. Just walk around and there are many great ones to investigate.
As far a what areas you might want to be in, a lot depends on what you like to do. Do you want a vibrant nightlife scene? Or an area with lots of tourist attractions you can walk to. Or maybe just peace and quiet outside of the city. Either way we have you covered. Take a read of our article on a few of the different areas to stay.
Often getting the best deal on a cheap affordable hotel depends on timing, but usually you should pay between $30-$70 per night. Less for hostels. From my experience in Chiang Mai, location is not so much a factor. Some of our favorite cheap affordable hotels are right in the city center. Allowing you to walk to everything.
Resources
Agoda is the best place to book cheap affordable hotels in Thailand, especially Chiang Mai. They also book flights as well.
Expedia is my favorite place to book flights, hotels, cars, and more. Their group includes Hotels.com and Vrbo for vacation rentals.
Viator is the top choice for activities. Book everything from a cooking class to tours outside the city to places like Doi Inthanon National Park to see some incredible waterfalls.
12Go is the top transportation source for Asia. From busses to trains to regional flights.
Air Asia is the best airline for flying around the region, with flights all over Thailand and Asia.
Mid-Range Affordable And Recommended
I realize everyone is different and has their own tastes for how they want to spend their vacation. However my rule of thumb for staying in Chiang Mai is usually to be in a quiet, nice, stylish, affordable place that I can walk to a lot of things. After all, Thailand is not where you want to hang out all day at your hotel in the city anyway. There is too much to see and do out there. So all of these hotels fit that criteria.
- Eurena Boutique Hotel (Kid Friendly) The entire property was recently remodeled. It is one of the better values, in fact it is strangely inexpensive for what it is. It sits between Soi 6 and Soi 7 in the old city, near great restaurants, coffee shop and bars.
- Somwang Boutique House (Kid Friendly) Small with nice outdoors and pool. Excellent walking location. Our standard room was very big. Staff is friendly. Only 2 parking spots since most people do not have cars.
- MD Boutique (Kid Friendly) Located on Ratvithi Rd, which is central to a lot of things. Close to Zoe In Yellow if you like to party. And great coffee shops all around. Very nice rooms, parking, and the staff was so friendly when we were recently there.
- Bodhi Serene (Kid Friendly) Our top pick. Incredible value for how nice it is. Great location to walk and friendly staff. The pool is beautiful, as are the grounds. The rooms are super nice. We stayed in a standard room which was a little small. However we also have stayed in a 2 bedroom suite, for less than $100, and it was gigantic with full kitchen, dining room, and two hot tubs. Great for two couples or family. Also walk to excellent restaurants.
- Kodchasri Thani B&B is next to Bodhi Serene, on a great street and next to a few of the best restaurants in town. It looks small from the street, but is a larger property. It is one of higher end of the cheap affordable hotels.
- Por Thapae Gate (Kid Friendly) One of my top 3 favorites for location, outdoor spaces and super friendly staff. The breakfast is great, rooms are smaller but very nice. Right on the Sunday Walking Street.
- Amora Tha Phae Gate High rise resort hotel in great location with super rates. All rooms recently upgraded. This was my first hotel stay ever back in 2010. Since then they have really upgraded with a lot of remodeling to the room and exterior.
- DusitD2 Chiang Mai is conveniently located just off the famous Chang Klan Road in downtown Chiang Mai. It is more expensive than many on this list. It is located in the city’s famous night bazaar, with restaurants and hot spots within a stone’s throw. It is also close to Chinatown and the Warorot Market. The style is more modern, so it does not have the old Thailand feel or style.
- Siripanna Villa Resort & Spa (Kid Friendly) features spacious rooms set in landscaped grounds. The resort offers beautiful Thai-style interiors and attentive service. Providing 3 dining options, it features an outdoor pool, fitness facilities, open-aired lobby and a spa. Each room opens up to different sceneries such as the rice field, the old rice barn, the Thai house, the terrace under the old longan tree or the mountain range in the distance.
Villa Thapae is another boutique hotel in the center of Old Town. This small and personal spot is is less than a 3-4 minute walk from Sunday Walking Street and Tha Phae Gate. Beside the fact we like it, other guests online give it a 9+ rating.
Nimmanhaemin Area Hotels
- Buri Suri– In Nimman, is in a perfect location to walk to everything in that area of town. Very nice, and great pricing for they quality you get. The style is European Boutique, with well designed rooms and a great pool and outdoor space.
- Victoria Nimman Hotel is across the street to Buri Suri. Similar to Buri Suri, and has a very popular bar out front on the street. Walk to One Nimman Shopping and amazing restaurants all around.
- The Empire Nimman has modern rooms with private balconies, fitness center, rooftop terrace. Large rooms with views, but no pool. Under-building parking. You can of course walk to everything, shopping, bars and restaurants.
- Hotel Noir is a little more budget friendly for this area. It offers a fantastic location, where you can walk to Nimman Road and MAYA Lifestyle Shopping Center as well as One Nimman Shopping. Along with Wi-Fi they have free bike rentals, and a terrace.
Art Mai Gallery Nimman is an Art Deco style hotel in trendy Nimman. This 80+ room property features accommodations in a boutique hotel well-decorated with art works from the renowned local Thai artists. You have an outdoor pool with a view, a fitness center and massage services. And their on-site tour desk and helpful staff at the 24-hour front desk.
Budget & Hotels
Smile Robotist Hostel This would be your budget dorm style backpackers spot with shared bathroom. Great location to walk everywhere.
Sri-Pak Guesthouse is in my favorite area, which is the northeast corner of the old city on Moon Muang Soi 7 by Eurana Hotel. Walk to alleys of great restaurants, coffee shops and temples.
The Eight Ratvithi House is a family owned guesthouse on a great alley (Ratvithi Rd Lane 1) that has access to everything by foot. There is also a fantastic coffee house next door called Mountain Coffee. During Covid they remodeled and expanded.
Kittawan Home & Gallery guest house lies in quieter area east of the Ping River. 1.8 km from Chiang Mai Night Bazaar and 3.2 km from Tha Phae Gate. It is situated 4.3 km from Chiang Mai Bus Station and features luggage storage space. Free private parking is available and the guest house also provides car hire for guests who want to explore the surrounding area. All units feature air conditioning and a satellite flat-screen TV.
Yindee Stylish Guesthouse is practically right across from The Eight mentioned above. This guesthouse is down a small alley also on Ratvithi Rd Lane 1. Hidden in a quiet alley with friendly staff. The rooms a fairly basic, and has several nice outdoor spaces to hang out.
Changpuak Budget hotel north of the walled city by a few blocks with a nice pool.
Hostel Lullaby Located in a perfect location in the city center. Walk to everything. Free bikes and classes including cooking and yoga. There are lots of communal spaces to hang out, both indoors and out as well. It’s right in the middle of the Old City so it’s super easy to get around from here.
Mad Monkey Chiang Mai is super lively, with lots of things happening every night, from bar crawls to drinking games. Making this a great spring break location. It is more expensive than other hostels. You get a free drink on arrival, which really sets the tone for the hostel. It’s super easy to meet people here. There’s a saltwater pool as well as a bar and restaurant on site as well as lots of common spaces, including a gym and yoga space.
ECO Resort is one of the cheap affordable hotels east of the Ping river over in the trendy riverside area. This area is popular with the younger crowd, and more expensive restaurants along the river like The Good View. Great area for live music.
Mountain Options Near Hang Dong
If you want to get in the mountains away from the city life, but also close to a lot of activities, off route 1096 from Hang Dong is a great spot. Here are some recommended places.
Veranda High Resort – Veranda High Residence is 2 mi from Chiang Mai Night Safari and 4.3 mi from Royal Flora Park. Chiang Mai Airport is 5 mi away. This is a high end option.
Hernlhin Natural Resort is located in Ban Pong, 5.9 miles from Grand Canyon Chiang Mai, Hern Lhin Natural Resort provides accommodations with free bikes, free private parking, an outdoor swimming pool and a fitness center. Among the various facilities of this property are a garden, a restaurant and a bar. The property has a 24-hour front desk, airport transportation, a shared lounge and free WiFi throughout the property.
Royal Train Resort is located in Chiang Mai, 4.2 miles from Grand Canyon Chiang Mai, Royal Train Garden Resort has accommodations with an outdoor swimming pool, free private parking, a garden and a restaurant.
Hug Earth Hotels
These hotels are committed to sustainable practices that help reduce the impacts of climate change. Each certified hotel meets 12 green operation standards, including energy conservation, reducing single-use plastics, and promoting low-carbon tourism activities.
I hope this helps you plan your visit to Chiang Mai. Remember, to get Travel Insurance for your trip as well.
For more on hotels and one of the best areas outside the city for nature, things to do like zipline and waterfalls, read our post on Mae Rim. Just 30 minutes north of the city center, there are things to do for everyone, and some amazing hotels.
