Sripoom House — Hotel in Chiang Mai Province

I stayed as a female solo traveller for nearly 3 weeks at the Sripoom House 1. ||||Initially I wanted to stay at the Triple Palms House right opposite and more modern and upscale, but they were fully booked on certain dates, so I walked into the Sripoom House 1 and booked directly with the owning couple.||||I guess the saying goes “you get what you pay for” and this certainly applies to this guesthouse. Therefore one has to be careful with feedback, because the rates are on a budget level, so please do not expect international standard hospitality service, training, cleanliness and memorable interior design when choosing to stay there.||||Simple guesthouse can sometimes still mean charming with a love for details and personal touches, but if you do like this kind of ambiance you will not be too happy at this guesthouse and I would say, pay a bit more and look elsewhere (my personal recommendation a few steps from there is the very typical thai guesthouse called “Baan Hanibah”, where I had stayed a few years ago).||||I personally think the Sripoom House 1 would for example suit travellers, who after having being on the road for a long time, having stayed at far too many hostels and now want to find a place a step up from hostel life, still at a reasonable rate, but with a private, good size and quiet room, a small balcony (I was kindly given room 301 at the corner by the owner which even had a mountain view and I appreciated the large fridge too), hot shower, AC and internet and who do not mind that the rooms are very outdated, a bit dark and lack any kind of loving touches (there are also no amenities such as a kettle to make a cup of tea or coffee, however there is some hot water at the reception, so you can help yourself).||||The guesthouse would also be ok for people who are out and about most of the day, simply need a quiet, safe (at night you can only get to the floors with your key card) and reasonably clean place to stay and use their travel budget rather on excursions or other activities.||||I personally have also chosen this guesthouse because of its location. It is just so central, tucked away in a quiet lane, but only a 10 minutes walk from Thapae Road and the Sunday night market and its just so easy to walk around from there. Its quiet and it has a residential feeling. A 4 minutes walk and there is also a market for fresh produce, where many cooking schools take their students for ingredient shopping. ||||Around the same area, every evening locals set up their mobile kitchens and for between 30-50 BHT you get some simple, but delicious and fresh meals (just do not expect a culinary romantic dining set up). There is also a 7/11 and small Tesco shop, a pharmacy, etc. 20 meters from the guesthouse there is a friendly gentleman who rents out bicycles (50 BHT per day) which is also a good and quick way to get around (check out the JJ organic farmers market on a Sunday, it has a good vibe. By bicycle it is about a 10-15 minutes ride. Around the Thapae Gate area there is also a good and super friendly massage school called Sabai De Ka where I took a day massage workshop. It was great to learn a new skill (your partner will thank you too !). ||||What I disliked the most about the guesthouse was the very unreliable internet connection (I had to work, so was dependent on it) and nearly every morning I had to go down to reception and ring the guy out of bed and ask him to re-boot the system. ||||Once this was done the internet speed was absolutely fine, but its just not pleasant to feel like you are disturbing somebody who works there every day, because of the internet problem, which is surely not the fault of any guest.||||Regarding Housekeeping, the young lady was friendly and she surely worked hard, but she seemed to be the one who nearly did everything from cleaning rooms to doing the laundry, so one cannot really blame her that on some days the rooms were done, on others not, bed sheets only sometimes changed (I would suggest ask her if you want this to be done) and in general housekeeping service was, how shall I call it, “flexible” so keep a good sense of humor and take it lightly (a general good advice for anybody travelling on a budget). I had my laundry done several times (washing, BHT 30 per kilo) and clothes always came back ok and smelling very good.||||Would I personally come back to this guesthouse ?. Probably not, especially not for a longer stay, because after a while, I was craving a more charming accommodation choice and especially in the old town area there are lots of choices, but I simply did not take more time before I made the booking. I also do not think it would be an advisable "romantic" choice for a couple. || ||For longer staying guests, I would suggest, book only a couple of nights in advance and when you arrive just wander around the areas you like and when you spot a place that appeals to you, just walk in and ask. Its far easier to negotiate in person than doing everything online or writing emails, as many people do not write english very well and many places are very small and family run too.||||Would I recommend the guesthouse to other travellers ? See my comments at the beginning.||||It all depends what is important to you. For some it might be sufficient, for others it might not be the right choice. ||||However, if you decide to stay there, be realistic, you cannot expect 5 star service and amenities at such budget prices. ||||The owning couple is nice though and even kindly invited all guests for a Christmas dinner. They also have a friendly cat...

Since this hotel has been under the management of a new owner, the soul of this old family home has disappeared.||The place remains well maintained and pleasant even if some services such as drinks (water, coffee and tea) or toilet paper and towels have been limited to a welcome set.||The employees are absolutely dedicated to customer service and ensure the smooth running of the hotel.||The boss is absent so the staff does not take any initiative. Orders are given remotely and the entire business is based on the submission of these young Burmese workers.||It is important to note that this hotel delegated to subcontracted management is the investment of a financier whose venal mind does not care much about customers.||Prices have doubled and attempted scams are now the current policy of this money factory.||I strongly advise against staying at Sripoom House and denounce the dishonest practices of this establishment.||What a human tragedy and what sadness to see the sabotage of a place that was previously so charming and welcoming !||However, this central district offers many advantages. Authentic, popular and increasingly touristy, you can enjoy all the good addresses from this rental.||Given the abusive prices charged by this new manager, I invite you to find better quality accommodation in the many neighboring hotels.||Warning! All comments published before June 2024 do not concern the current reputation of the establishment. Do not fall into the trap of this tourist scam !||There is only one way to fight against this traffic: boycott!||May this warning message allow you to stay in the best possible...

We initially only booked for two nights as we had previously booked hotels and found them to be nothing like the description online. However what is described and the pictures you see are the actual hotel. As we were so impressed with the value and faculties we ended up staying for a total of 6 nights, we were probably influenced by the excellent location close to bars and restaurants but peaceful room :) It's a no frills hotel, but most importantly it's clean, has comfortable big beds, there's air conditioning and the family who run the guesthouse are helpful and friendly. There is free wifi and we re fortunate enough to be in the room with the router, so excellent connection. There is a reasonable laundry service on site, which provides excellent and convenient clothes washing. I would definitely stay...