It is said that “manners maketh the man” and after a week of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok we were certainly glad to be welcomed by Khun Dao, her impeccable manners and the amiable team to the Gallery 99. Manners made this hotel welcome just right.
A thai townhouse with a ten out of ten location (edge of the Sunday night market, round the corner from the seven & infinite restaurants). You’ll be treated on arrival to its dinky courtyard pool, cute cozy lanterns dipping in the breeze and a reception packed with cultural curios and a refreshing local drink.
The team are knowledgeable about Chiang Mai of course but also act as wonderful concierge with taxi, appointments, left luggage and 24hour reception always, always, with a smile and a wai.
The room (ours a corner with street and courtyard view) was spacious, colonial style with a four poster bed and more storage than you could ever need. Tiny local details to the room, tea from the region, a lanna style bed runner, shutters and (I think) local bath tiles all added warmth and a sense of place.
To lift the room a little I’d like to see some more pillows on the bed on arrival and slightly nicer branded amenities in the bathroom but at the incredible price of the room it really can’t be faulted. Let me be clear - you will not find better service and location for the price. (And If you’re not trying the bathroom sachets from the local 7-11 you’re missing out anyway! )
We used the little A/C gym - treadmill, spin, weights and the pool - loungers, towels, option for shade and Laundry Room - coin op washer & dryer. Whilst In town for 10 days (Doi suthep 22k run) it had everything we needed.
The hotel is quiet. It’s peaceful - once you enter those tall, tall doors you are hardly aware the whole city is on your doorstep.
We skipped breakfast - the menu looked bland, basic and a little overpriced besides all of Chiang Mai was laid out before us to eat. We noticed some other hotels had independent branded cafes in their lobby spaces which could be a way to lift the breakfast offering here. The courtyard area is so cute at 99 it seems a shame there is not amazing food to take advantage of in your own hotel.
No bother. We will be back as soon as we come to Chiang Mai again. Huge kudos again to Dao for her exceptional English and welcoming us to the hotel. She really cares about her guests and if she wants a future career in hospitality with her attention to detail I’d trust her to manage the place.
Our score : 99% perfection :)
