Bodhi Serene, Chiang Mai — Hotel in Chiang Mai Province

We stayed at the Bodhi Serene for five nights in June 2024. The hotel was very quiet, as we were entering the low season according to the locals.||The hotel is gorgeous and set in a great location with plenty of restaurants, bars, and cafes all within walking distance. There is also plenty of sightseeing nearby, including many temples that are easily accessible on foot.||We booked the two-bedroom suite for our family of four (two adults and two kids aged 14 and 11). The suite is an excellent size with two full-sized bedrooms and two full-sized bathrooms. It also includes a large living space/lounge and a kitchen. My only criticism is that the kitchen is almost pointless since there is a stovetop but no cooking utensils, pots, pans, etc. We ate out most of the time, but we have a daughter with coeliac disease and sometimes prefer to cook to ensure she’s not at risk of an allergic reaction when eating out. We were also disappointed that the master bedroom door was jammed wide open and wouldn’t close, negating any sense of privacy. We asked for it to be fixed twice; they tried, but it wasn’t able to be fixed during our stay.||The hotel pool is lovely, and there is a bar/small restaurant right next to it. However, it was sometimes hard to get a drink as the bar wasn’t always staffed. The bar/restaurant closed at 7 pm, so keep that in mind if you are planning a night in or have small kids who need an early dinner.||Breakfast is pretty basic, but we’re not huge breakfast eaters, so we didn’t mind. My 11-year-old enjoyed the pancakes. We had some difficulties explaining that our 14-year-old can’t eat gluten, despite having a Thai translation, but that’s on us. They did their best to help, and as far as I’m concerned, we were in their country, so there was no expectation that they speak English!||We hired a driver for four hours to take us to Wat Pha Lat (highly recommended) and Doi Suthep, which are about a 50-minute drive out of town. We also stopped by the main attractions Wat Chedi Luang (back in the city centre) and Wat Phra Singh. The cost to hire a driver is about 300 baht per hour, which suited us because it is far cheaper and allowed me to choose the temples I really...

The location is excellent, quiet yet close enough to walk to the action, and the hotel itself is quite pretty. The outside could be spruced up a little. Rooms are nice enough for the price you pay. First room had plumbing issues as every time next room flushed, i could hear it flushing in my room. Staff were responsive to my enquiries pre-arrival. I was able t check in a bit earlier which was a nice touch. I was unfortunately placed in a room between two parties who were friends with eachother and were running up and down outside to each others rooms, jumping up and down doing a dance party, nonstop knocking on eachother doors and slamming the heavy doors til gone 11pm on a Weds. Despite me ringing reception to ask them to deal with it, I ended up having to go and speak to the guests myself as the chaos continued. I asked to be moved the next morning when the door slamming continued the next morning and was moved downstairs and across from my original room, much quieter but unfortunately backed onto the restaurant so couldn’t use the balcony as it smelled of cooking and overlooked the staff entrance. Was not given a clothes aired at either room - I asked for the first room and gave up with the second room. Would have been nice to have been offered an upgraded room near my friend given the troubles, but I would have had to pay so I didn’t bother. The staff entrance door into the hotel was worryingly left open constantly so anyone could have walked in from the street into the hotel through that entrance. Breakfast is very basic here. People say in other reviews that you can ask for things that are not on the menu…we asked for more pancakes at 8am (which had been served the previous day, so clearly on the menu) and were told initially that there were no more. After some discussion with various colleagues we did eventually get them. On the final day, I was chased up by phone to vacate the room even though I was still within the timeframe to vacate. The stay was just ok, but it wasn’t the most expensive hotel so there you have it. You get what...

I stay in Chiang Mai for about 10 days a year to write reports, marketing plans, and to get some down time. I've stayed in other CM hotels but Bodhi Serene is my choice. If you read through the review you will see several complaints, which are valid to a point. But the good far outweighs and downside. The hotel courtyard where breakfast is served is beautiful. The breakfast is adequate, but has much more than I usually eat at home. You can get buffets at the larger famous hotels, at three times the price or more, and your room will probably be less attractive.. The location has several good restaurants nearby, even a great vegetarian restaurant. You will rarely pay $10 for a very good dinner. If you worry about sleeping my choice is always two singe beds in a room. I don't care where you stay or what you pay, a king size bed will sink in the middle. I stay in the same twin bedded room every stay, they are the best value in the Bodhi. The pool is large enough for a decent swim, unlike in most hotels in ChiangMai which are usually tiny. Chiang Mai is a center for Thai massage. The area is safe with a sign often posted that extra sexual services are not offered. You can find that outside of the city walls if that's your thing. Inside the city wall is really about the quiet majesty of incredibly beautiful temples and art, many are centuries old and very comforting and comfortable for a visit. .The downsides: Not much storage space in the rooms which is fine for two or three day stay, but who wants to live out of a suitcase for a longer stay? The Internet is unpredictable, usually on, but does drop. You can see the reason by looking at the telephone poles outside the hotel. The cable system is a mess. Mosquitoes can be a problem in the rainy season, so it's essential to add repellent, which can be bought at the 7-Eleven just across the street $1.50. If you are looking for comfortable stay at a mid range price the Bodhi Serence is an...