Aruntara Riverside Boutique Hotel

We stayed in a few hotels during our travels across Thailand and this one was by far our favourite. It was peaceful and quiet due to its beautiful riverside setting, you couldn't hear the traffic from the rooms or the gardens. We were greeted with cold flannels, hibiscus juice and a sweet treat wrapped in Pandan leaves. Every day the staff were interested to chat about our plans and what we had seen. The chef was able to provide plenty of gluten free options for breakfast and the food manager remembered how we both had our coffees and brought them out to us within minutes of sitting down. The main town is a taxi or uber ride away ( about £1.50) but there were also plenty of restaurants, massage places and 7elevens etc within walking distance.

Bustling streets of outer Chaing Mai meets the quiet idyllic peace of the Tidal River Ping. Beautiful well kept garden. Gorgeous scenery, wonderful people. Especial thanks to Shang the Restaurant Manager and the staff on reception. Also to the chef who looked after my wife who has allergy to gluten and dairy and to the bedroom cleaners. Thank you.

First, the bad: The food at the restaurant was so bad. The Tom Kha Gai was thin and the chicken was dry and funky. The salad was a few wilted leaves of lettuce and the driest chicken I've ever eaten. I think the chef and the hotel should be embarrassed by the quality of food, especially at these prices. Why run such a quality hotel and then serve food that any one of us could make better than the chef? Second, the good: The staff are great. Professional, polite and friendly. The rooms and spotless and well decorated. The hotel is well-designed, so that it feels private and has excellent sound isolation. Also, the location next to the river makes it feel rural, even though it's close to the city. Really embarrassing work from the chef, but a great stay apart from that.