four seasons or mandarin oriental

we will be in chiang mai in january for our honeymoon (for 5 nights). i cant decide between the four seasons and mandarin oriental. they book look amazing. it seems to me that the four season has better scenery around it, but the mandarin is closer to the city. not sure which one is a better overall experience. please help. thank you

four seasons or mandarin oriental

While I don%26#39;t think you can go wrong with either one, my own preference is for the Four Seasons. It is a large property with a great aesthetic. The MO feels a bit overdone in the public areas, while the FS is a bit more serene.

Whichever you choose, do plan to spend a good deal of time in the resort itself, enjoying all it has to offer. If you plan to be out sightseeing from morning unitl night, you might consider a less expensive option, as it would be a shame to spend such a lot of money on a place to sleep.

four seasons or mandarin oriental

We just stayed at the Mandarin. It was absolutely breathtaking, and the pictures of it on the web site don%26#39;t even begin to do it justice. There are two gorgeous swimming pools - - one an enormous resort-style pool, the other an infinity-pool overlooking the rice paddies. The rooms are enormous, but not at all pretentious or overdone. The craftsmanship throughout the property, especially of the spa, beggars belief. The hotel%26#39;s sensitivity to the Lanna culture and architecture of Northern Thailand is particularly commendable. The grounds are incredible: a veritable floral museum of Northern Thailand, together with working rice paddies. Another real plus: the day tours available through the concierge desk were excellent value. One day, we took a tour to Doi Suthep (don%26#39;t miss it!), followed by the old markets of Chiang Mai. The hotel provided a very luxurious van, with a driver and English-speaking guide, for pretty much the entire day. Every time we stopped, the driver provided cold drinks and towels. Another day, we took a trip to one of the elephant camps, where we rode and fed the elephants and watched their baths, and then rode bamboo rafts down the Ping River, and then visited the royal orchid conservatory. Again, our guide was excellent.

I%26#39;d have a hard time thinking of a better place for a honeymoon!

I am sure the Four Seasons is wonderful, too. In fact, we struggled, as you are, to pick between the two. One observation: the Four Seasons is much farther out of town, so if you want to see Chiang Mai itself, you are in for a bit more of a ride, and your trip from the airport will be farther.

We stayed at the Mandarin last December and also visited the Four Seasons. Our conclusion is that the Mandarin is by far a better choice. Location is close to the night market and the hotel provides complementary nightly shuttle. The rooms are beautiful and have more unique local flavor, and the intricate woodworking is stunning. Services is discreet and classy. They don%26#39;t nickel and dime you. The Four Seasons is nice too. However, the rooms and villas are not as impressive. I just can%26#39;t think of one category that Four Seasons is better. You can read my detailed review under the hotel review. Want to point out one more thing, Mandarin has an average of 5.0 traveler rating. I don%26#39;t recall any hotel has that perfect score.