Villa Albizia in Chiang Mai

This is honestly the best accommodation we have ever stayed in, anywhere in the world. The house has been beautifully designed & built with love. It shows in every detail, from the gorgeous polished wood floors to the elegant furniture, to the art & decor. Our spacious room had wide doors opening out onto a private veranda overlooking the lush garden and carp filled pond - so peaceful. The bed was extremely comfortable with sumptuous bed linen & all of the furniture befitting of a colonial house. The bathroom is also very spacious and well designed, with a large bathtub & a great shower. Sparkling white towels & lovely toiletries all add to the feeling of luxury. The attention to detail is outstanding. The house itself is utterly gorgeous, Jim (the owner) gives you free access to the upstairs room & library with a veranda overlooking the paddy fields & hills in the distance - perfect for watching the sunset while perusing a book on art or Lanna history. The garden is filled with lush planting & fabulous flowers. The pool is in a tucked away spot, again overlooking the countryside & is immaculate. It also has comfortable, elegant furniture, sunloungers & tables. Jim even surprised us with a little refreshing drink & snack, poolside. The location is great (40 minutes from Chiang Mai), a peaceful spot with lots of places to visit in the area. You can walk or cycle around the picturesque paddy fields to small villages & temples. There is a surprising choice of restaurants & cafes within 5-15 minutes drive away, also very accessible by bicycles. Then, to what makes the stay even more perfect, is Jim himself. He is the most gracious, kind & attentive host, who does everything to make your stay so special. He can give you ideas about what to do & see in the vicinity & beyond & provides the cycles to go & explore. As you can no doubt tell, we loved every minute of our stay & just wished we had booked for longer. We'd go back in a heartbeat and stay a week!

We thought we had already seen some really beautiful resorts on our trip through Cambodia and Thailand. But Jim's "Villa Albizia" exceeded any expectations you may have as a guest! Close your eyes and imagine paradise. A huge garden with small paths, countless corners and plants to discover, a pond, a beautiful pool surrounded by blooming flowers and a magnificent view of rice fields and the hills in the distance. A large, extremely tastefully furnished house with invitingly wide open doors and quiet piano music. It smells lightly and pleasantly of flowers. Jim is the best host you could imagine. He takes care of every detail, conjures up a great breakfast, surprises us with a little refreshment from time to time and does everything he does with passion. When we were his guests during the Loy Krathong festival, he even provided krathongs and sky lanterns for all the guests, took us to the Doi Saket Lakes and we were able to celebrate this festival with him. He made our stay very special and simply unforgettable! Yes, the villa is a little remote for exploring Chiang Mai. But it's worth every extra minute in the cab and if Jim is available, he will take you to the main road. From here, a songthaew (public bus) leaves every 10-15 minutes for 20 THB p.p. to the city. The only downside is that you don't really want to leave the idyllic grounds to explore the area because it's just too beautiful. And we didn't really get to read either, because we were constantly busy admiring and enjoying the beauty of the garden and the views, the at least 15 different species of butterfly and the many birds.

I have travelled the world for decades and sadly find that the changing tides of time have not been kind to the type of old fashioned levels of comfort and beauty I desire, in the places that once I visited. That’s why if your like me and seeking detailed levels of luxury and honest courtesy, then this place deserves your patronage when next your their way.

This place is the most relaxing place I have ever been to. I’ll start off with the stay. Clean beyond expectations. The decoration is modern and thoughtful. Coming out of our room into all of the beautiful greenery was dreamlike and perfect to sit out and watch the sunset. The pool overseeing the beautiful gardens is huge and it’s nice that it doesn’t have all those dangerous chemicals. Jim was a great host. His recommendation for dinning and entertaining both near by and into Chiang Mai were always on point. The tours he recommended were safe, fun and comfortable. We will definitely be back.

It's difficult to do a short review with an experience as incredible as this one we had. Jim, the owner, is a person who makes you feel at home with his perfect hospitality. He is a perfect host! It is a beautiful private house, with great taste, set between rice fields, with lush gardens and decorated with many pieces of art. There are fresh flowers in the room, as well as throughout the house. Breakfast has many varieties of fruit, homemade sweets, and a plate with eggs of your choice, bacon and vegetables. Everything very tasty and well presented. It's a hidden paradise in our opinion We will return for sure, thanks Jim, it was really an honor to meet you Rui Portugal Casal