Guesthouse Name: The Royal Guest House
Address: 5 Kotchasarn Rd Soi 4, Old City, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
I stayed at The Royal Guest House in Chiang Mai. I booked it for its location near the east wall of the old city area. It’s outside the moated area, but about 10 minutes walk from Thapae Gate (the main gate of the old city). The online rate was 390 THB ($12.90 USD) per night, so a great deal for a private room.
The Royal Guest House is down a small alley, though you won’t have any problem finding it as it’s in a big building with a bright red and white paint job.
The guesthouse is on a substantial block of land, with enough room at the front to have its own car park.
There is a spacious open plan reception, and the common areas had the vibe of a hostel. Here you could mingle with fellow travellers or sit in the little cafe area.
After checking in I went up to my room on the 5th floor. If you use the British/Australian method of counting floors it is the 4th floor. Either way, there is no lift so I got a leg workout going up and down to my room.
I got a double room with a private bathroom. The room was spacious and the bed was comfortable. It had a ceiling fan, and windows on the outside and hallway, so air could easily circulate. This is an old building, but they at least built it with air circulation in mind – something this is not considered in new buildings in the age of air conditioning.
The furnishings give away how old the room is, and the walls could use a paint by now, but overall the guesthouse seems to have kept on top of maintenance. Everything worked and was kept in good order.
Another thing about these old places is they they often only have one power outlet, so it’s always handy to travel with a powerstrip in these situations.
The bathroom was also old but in good order. It just could have used some more place to place toiletries and hang towels.
My room had a balcony with a spectacular view of Doi Suthep. I love the sunsets in Chiang Mai.
Not only is there space for a car park, there is also enough space for a swimming pool. This is something you would not find in a cheap guesthouse inside the old city.
There is a free breakfast service available of toast and coffee. It was too crowded when I checked so I went out. It’s there if you are on a backpacking budget.
There is free wifi at the guesthouse, and I picked up different signals from my room and had no problem connecting.
Overall this was a good place to stay for a cheap guesthouse in Chiang Mai. If you are just looking for a cheap no-frills place then this works.
Book The Royal Guest House online or search for more hotels in Chiang Mai. And if you are new to Chiang Mai then read my guide on which area to stay.
