This week I have been in Chiang Mai, Thailand's Rose of the North, and that means I am taking advantage of one of the country's best bargains - a lovely hotel where you can stay in luxury for a pittance. The Viangbua Mansion is truly a gem when it comes to affordable accommodation.
Just imagine it - a lovely big room with breakfast for only 900 baht a night (that's less than R200 for a room sleeping two people!) And, as you can see by the pictures here, the hotel is no budget affair. Rooms are large, with a separate seating area, a balcony with a view of the Doi Suthep mountains, satellite television, air conditioning, refrigerator, en-suite bathroom with hot shower and a (very firm) big double bed - or two singles. Security is excellent. An electronic key card gets you into your room - and is needed to activate the lift (which only takes you to the floor where your room is located).
And the staff are very friendly and hospitable and certainly treat regulars like old friends. They will advise you what to buy cheaply at the market next door, call a taxi for you, serve you coffee on the terrace overlooking the street (even when the coffee bar staff are off-duty) and teach you a word or two of Thai. They are genuinely nice and certainly not just doing it for a tip!
You can book directly with the hotel. The 900 baht a night rate even includes rates and taxes and breakfast for two! If you stay a week, the rate goes down to 800 baht a night. Whatever way you look at it, it represents incredible value. And the hotel, which also has serviced apartments for monthly hire, does not rip you off with the extras. The mini bar prices are the same as the nearby Seven 11 outlet, with a can of Coke at 15 baht (about R3,50). You can order room service from the restaurant at amazingly low prices.
Here are some examples:
Fried rice with pork or chicken 30 baht
Fried rice with shrimps 40 baht
Rice with teriyaki pork 40 baht
Fried rice noodles with pork or chicken 35 baht
Freshly brewed coffee 25 baht
Cuppacino 30 baht
Bottle of Singha beer 30 baht
Bottle of Heineken beer 38 baht
Coke 12 baht
All the above are priced less than R10 (45 baht at current exchange rates).
The eight-floor hotel is located out of the city centre area, but in a lovely part of town with a big Thai market next door and close to many bars and nightspots. It is near one of the local universities, so there are plenty of young people around, keeping the area lively till all hours of the night. Nearby is a great outdoor garden bar and a fabulous restaurant (which also sells antiques) built around a Buddhist shrine.The hotel also has a big parking area, a gym, a coffee bar and wireless internet access. Check it out on http://www.viangbuamansion-chiangmai.com/
