The Chiang Mai Grand View Hotel, (formerly the Amity Green Hills Hotel), is located on the Super Highway on the outskirts of the city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. On a three week tour of Thailand recently, my parents
and I stayed at the Chiang Mai Grand View Hotel for a week, which turned out to be one of the absolute highlights of our trip.
Chiang Mai Grand View Hotel Staff – From the moment we arrived at the hotel, we knew this hotel was going to be something different. As our tour group bus pulled up, we all piled off and headed into the reception area. We were immediately approached by a hotel employee dressed in traditional Thai dress, who welcomed us to Chiang Mai and presented us all with flowers. We were then all checked in extremely quickly and efficiently, and shown to our rooms.
From that moment on, every staff member we met at the hotel was warm, friendly, polite and incredibly helpful. From the dining room staff to the chamber maids, the bar staff to the doormen, everyone went out of their way to make our stay there something we would always remember.
Chiang Mai Grand View Guest Rooms – The hotel is large with 200 guest rooms in a choice of either Superior of Deluxe. I had a Superior Room while my parents were given a Deluxe Room. Both rooms were surprisingly large.
My room had two queen size beds, while my parents’ room had one king size bed. Even with the large beds, there was still plenty of space for a dresser and chair, small coffee table and two chairs, a TV and stand and three side tables.
The en suite bathrooms were a substantial size and included bathtub and shower, plus a large sink, vanity area and mirror.
My only complaint was, on the Saturday evening, it was well after midnight before I was able to sleep due to loud music coming from a nightclub near the hotel. Hardly the hotel’s fault though and, actually, quite typical in Thailand where noise ordinances just don’t exist.
The Food – Breakfast was included in the room rate and consisted of an enormous buffet breakfast with several tables piled with food. Thai favorites like joke and fried rice were supplemented by an omelette bar, ham, sausage, bacon, fresh fruit, toast, pastries, cereals, several choices of fruit juice and coffee or tea.
With 46 people on our tour, you would expect that someone would be unhappy but I never heard a word of complaint from anyone, just lots of happy faces while they tucked into their breakfast.
We ate several dinners at the hotel, which were excellent, but the piece de resistance was the Christmas Party the hotel threw for us. Being in Chiang Mai at Christmas might seem strange, but, as Thais adore Christmas and go all out to celebrate it, the hotel was decked with gorgeous Christmas decorations and the Christmas dinner was astounding.
Our tour group was given a private room and served a Christmas dinner specifically for us and another tour group in the hotel. Thai specialty dishes shared the buffet tables with mounds of international food and everything was incredible. At the end of the meal, the hotel staff put on a short song and dance show for us, which was lovely, and a band played dance music so we could stay and have fun. Out of all the Christmases I’ve spent in Thailand, this one was by far the most memorable and happiest.
Location – Although the Chiang Mai Grand View Hotel seems like it’s a long way out of town, it actually isn’t. Just ten minutes in a songtaew (small red taxi trucks) to the Night Market and main areas of Chiag Mai, it’s also just down the street from Nimanhemin Road, which is the trendy, fashionable and fun area of the city loaded with cafes, restaurants, bars, art galleries and shops.
The hotel also provides a free shuttle to the Night Market several times a night, so there’s no excuse not to go. Plus, only 15 minutes from the Chiang Mai airport, it’s easy to arrive at and depart from the hotel.
My stay with my parents at the Chiang Mai Grand View Hotel was one of the nicest experiences I’ve had in a hotel in Thailand, and I’ve stayed at many. The price of our room was included in the tour price but, with guest rooms at the hotel normally being around 1,230 baht a night ($37) the hotel is an incredibly good deal.
Check out the cheap hotel rates at the Chiang Mai Grand View Hotel on Directrooms.com.
