Tamarind Village sits on Ratchadamnoen Road in the middle of the walled old city, and its appeal is how effortlessly it places you among the sights. The hotel is built as a low, leafy compound with a pool and gardens, in the manner of a village rather than a tower, and it is rated as a four-class property. It offers an outdoor pool, a spa, an on-site Thai restaurant, free breakfast, free parking and free Wi-Fi, which is a generous list for a hotel at the centre of the temple district.
Location and walking
The hotel lists the Sunday Walking Street about seven minutes away on foot, the Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Center and the Three Kings Monument about five, Wat Chedi Luang about eight and Tha Phae Gate about nine. That makes it one of the easiest bases in the city for travellers who want to leave the car behind.
On Sunday evening the market passes close to the property, so the atmosphere outside is lively while the courtyards and rooms stay a calm retreat. Ask for a room away from the road side if you are a light sleeper.
The stay
The compound style is the point. Instead of a big lobby and corridors, you move between garden paths, a pool and a restaurant, and the pace of a stay here is slower than at a central city hotel. Free breakfast removes a daily decision, and a spa is useful after a day on temple floors. It suits couples, culture-minded travellers, and families with older children who are happy to walk to the sights, and it is a very good all-round choice at the upper-middle of the price range.
Good to know
Check-in begins at 2 pm and runs until 11:30 pm, and check-out is at noon, which suits late arrivals. Rates rise in the cool season from November to February and are highest around the Yi Peng and Loy Krathong festival in late November. Book early for that week.
Pair the stay with the old-city temples walk, a cooking class on a quiet morning and an evening at the Sunday Walking Street. Compared with riverside resorts, the trade-off is that you are in the centre, so you hear a little more of the city, but you save time on every outing.
Why stay here
- ✓Garden compound in the old city
- ✓Outdoor swimming pool
- ✓Spa
- ✓Thai restaurant on site
- ✓Free breakfast
- ✓Free parking
- ✓Free Wi-Fi
- ✓Walk to Wat Chedi Luang
Good questions
Where is Tamarind Village?+
It is on Ratchadamnoen Road in the old city, a short walk from Wat Chedi Luang and the Sunday Walking Street.
Is breakfast included?+
Yes, free breakfast is listed among the amenities.
Does it have a pool?+
Yes, there is an outdoor pool in the garden compound.
