8 Hotels in
Mae Rim–Mae Sa, Chiang Mai
That We've Reviewed

If the picture in your head is waking up high in the hills, cool air around 25°C, mist drifting over the vegetable terraces, then sinking into a hot mineral-onsen bath looking out over the Mae Rim ranges, Onsen @ Moncham is the place that does it well enough to earn the top score on the list, 9.6 · it's a 5-star Japanese-style ryokan up in the hills near Mon Cham, and the real draw is a natural mineral onsen from the Pong Yaeng source, not a heated tub filled from the tap, with 24 suites, many with an onsen tub in the room · it suits couples and honeymooners wanting quiet and a full hillside view · the honest caveats: it's up in the hills, far from the city, you need a car, the entry-price rooms use the shared onsen, and it's the top of the price range among the boutiques.

If Onsen is the hillside-and-onsen side, Raya Heritage is the riverside side finished with craft, which is why it lands at number 2 with a score of 9.3 · it's a luxury resort on the Ping River that calls itself an artisanal resort, where every woven textile, basket and ceramic in the room is handmade by northern-Thai artisans, not factory décor, and it was the first Chiang Mai hotel to join The Leading Hotels of the World · there are 33 suites, designed by BOONDESIGN · it suits anyone who loves design, culture and riverside calm · the honest caveats: it's on the Ping River in lower Mae Rim, not up in the hills, so you don't get the full mountain view like Mon Cham, and it's at the high end of prices.

If the budget's there and you want a legendary luxury resort that frames the northern countryside in a 5-star luxury setting, Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai is that landmark, score 9.1 · it sits in the middle of the Mae Rim Valley on 32 acres that are still actively farmed, so you open the pavilion door to green rice terraces, buffalo grazing in the distance, and thin mist over the peaks · there are 98 pavilions, villas and residences, with a spa and a full set of activities · it suits big celebrations, honeymoons and families wanting top-tier service · the honest caveats: it's the highest price on the list, about 30–40 minutes from the city, so you need a car or the resort transfer.

If you want a Japanese hillside atmosphere that's utterly private, at a lighter price than the luxury resorts, Mori Natural Farm is a small Japanese-meets-Lanna farm stay that does it well enough to score 9.0 · it's up in Tambon Pong Yaeng, Mae Rim, near Mon Cham, and you slide open the door onto a fresh green organic vegetable garden with thin mist over the ranges · the standout is that there are only 4 private houses, each with a large hot soaking tub, a yukata to wear, and a fresh Japanese breakfast · it suits couples and anyone wanting quiet and privacy · the honest caveats: with only 4 houses you have to book far ahead, it's up in the hills far from the city so you need a car, and it's a simple farm stay, not a luxury resort.

If you want nature, cool air, and a taste of Hmong culture at a light price, Hmong Hilltribe Lodge is the best-value option on the list, score 8.5 · you drive north from the city via Mae Rim for about an hour, climbing the Suthep-Pui range to around 825 metres, and step out of the car into air clearly cooler than in town, with wooden bungalows lined around a garden and rice terraces, and mountains rising in layers · it suits budget travellers and anyone who likes simple, natural surroundings · the honest caveats: the rooms have no air-conditioning (because the air is cool year-round), no TV/phone, in a rustic style, and it's mid-valley far from restaurants, so you need a car.

If you want a private villa by a hill stream, the sound of water and birds instead of traffic, at a price more reachable than the luxury resorts, Proud Phu Fah Hip & Green Resort is the small boutique eco-resort that suits that group, score 8.4 · it's on the Mae Rim–Samoeng road, near Mon Cham, at around 1,150 metres, with villas spread through a lush green garden by a stream, focused on privacy and blending with nature, with around 20 rooms/villas, some with a jacuzzi · it suits couples and honeymooners wanting a romantic hillside atmosphere · the honest caveats: it's up in the hills on the Mae Rim–Samoeng road far from the city, so you need a car, and it's a small resort focused on nature rather than a full set of facilities.

If you want a relaxing wellness-in-nature atmosphere but don't want to drive far up into the hills, Jirung Health Village is the closest option on the list, only around 15 minutes from the city, score 8.2 from a big base of 670 reviews · it's a holistic health resort in Mae Rim, spread across more than 30 rai, with a pond, lotus flowers, white horses, goats, buffalo, and an organic vegetable garden grown for the kitchen, built around the idea of healing by being close to nature, with a Thai-style spa, a yoga room, a sauna, and Lanna-style villas · it suits the wellness-minded, families, and anyone wanting to stay close to the city · the honest caveat: it's in lower Mae Rim, not up in the high hills, so you don't get the cold air or the full mountain view of Mon Cham.

If you want to stay in a flower garden in the Mae Sa Valley, cool air, at a very light price, Mae Sa Valley Garden Resort is an old resort many call a paradise for nature lovers, score 8.1 · it's not a smart hotel block but bamboo-and-wood Lanna cottages spread through a garden over 10 rai wide, where you wake and open the balcony door to flowers in full bloom and the sound of a small waterfall, with cool air the city doesn't have, and 45 rooms/cottages including large family houses · it suits budget travellers, families and garden lovers · the honest caveats: it's an old resort, the wooden cottages are simple rather than new and smart, and it's in the Mae Sa Valley far from restaurants, so you need a car.