De Naga Hotel, Chiang Mai

A relatively frequent visitor to Chiang Mai, I am always keen to check out new hotels, especially the many boutique hotels which have recently opened. I selected the De Naga, largely on account of the excellent reviews on some websites. Unfortunately, I did not pay attention to the more recent reviews, and found the hotel did not quite live up to expectations. Nestled in a quiet soi very close to Tapae Gate, the De Naga is in an ideal position for exploring the old town, and the Night Market is just 15 minutes walk away. Plus there are plenty of coffee shops and restaurants nearby if you do not wish to dine in the hotel’s two eateries. Decorated throughout in Thai-style, on first impression the deluxe rooms with their deep red spot-lit wall behind the bed look lovely. I requested and received a room with a large bed which proved extremely comfortable. The bathroom was small although it could have done with a much smaller basin and more shelf space for toiletries etc. Water pressure was excellent for showers, but it took a long time to fill up a bath. The breakfast buffet was adequate but lacked variety. On the plus side, though, eggs are cooked to order. The hotel does have some other drawbacks. I found the service efficient rather than genuinely friendly. Some of the front rooms on the 2nd floor (basically the Ground Floor) may be a little noisy as guests must pass by outside going to and from the lobby. A major drawback for me, the pool is tiny with only 5 sun beds. If you wish to swim, this hotel is definitely not for you. And if you plan on getting a tan, you will have to work out when the sun actually hits the pool and then get there early. Rather surprisingly, the room doors are not self-lockable – so you must always remember to physically lock them going in and out. And I do wish there had been just one comfortable armchair in the room to complement the basic one at the desk!

The De Naga is a modern hotel with well trained staff. They also run a training program for youth looking for work and this adds to the personal attention in the restaurant. The hotel is designed as a Thai style building with covered walkways rather than air conditioned corridors. The bathroom was very large and modern and everything worked.

We got a very good price for deluxe room during low season and found out that the hotel is provided good services. The room was fully equiped with LCD television, DVD player and internet wi-fi. The hotel is very close to Sunday Walking Street on Rachadamnern Road. We might not stay there if we didn't plan to go to Sunday night street.