Aruntara Riverside Boutique Hotel

This hotel may have been small as advertised but it was anything but small in its charm and service. It lacked absolutely nothing in beautiful attention to detail and top notch service. The grounds and facility were clean and beautifully represented the culture of Chiang Mai. A true test of their excellent service was in the uniqueness of my situation. Unfortunately, I had fallen in Bangkok on my first day in Thailand and was confined to a wheelchair while at the Aruntara. The genuine concern and attention I received was incredible and really, beyond the scope of their job requirements. The staff ensured my comfort by finding a suitable room and helping me navigate getting around the hotel. My circumstance demonstrated how far they went to help me have the best stay in a difficult situation. They arranged for a safe, clear path when the ambulance took me to appointments, helped unpack and put together my wheelchair and adjusted accommodations for our unexpected longer stay. I spent a lot of time in the restaurant as I wasn't able to do any sightseeing. The staff there was respectful and attentive during the hours I spent there. If they were being tested on how to deal with a customer with unique needs, they passed with flying colours! In all, the facility is beautiful and the staff is friendly, welcoming and very accommodating to ensure you will enjoy your time there. Thank you for putting a smile on my face every day during a challenging time for me with my health challenges.

First, the bad: The food at the restaurant was so bad. The Tom Kha Gai was thin and the chicken was dry and funky. The salad was a few wilted leaves of lettuce and the driest chicken I've ever eaten. I think the chef and the hotel should be embarrassed by the quality of food, especially at these prices. Why run such a quality hotel and then serve food that any one of us could make better than the chef? Second, the good: The staff are great. Professional, polite and friendly. The rooms and spotless and well decorated. The hotel is well-designed, so that it feels private and has excellent sound isolation. Also, the location next to the river makes it feel rural, even though it's close to the city. Really embarrassing work from the chef, but a great stay apart from that.

A lovely hotel just outside of the old town, which you can reach by taxi quite cheaply & home by red taxi which you flag down. Remember to barter prices even for cabs. |Back to the hotel. It is situated next to the river and is a quiet location. Breakfast is served for 4 1/2 hours with a good choice of foods. Some cooked fresh on your request. The reception staff have been excellent. They helped bring luggage in for us on arrival and have arranged taxis for us and made sure we are getting in the taxi we ordered! An added bonus is afternoon tea, a complimentary mix of little treats to keep you going. Water is plentiful and the mini bar in the room have prices similar to local bars. Room are cleaned daily & are comfortable. Slightly worn in places hence a 4 rather than 5 but generally really happy in our stay here.

Room was excellent and the view was amazing - the Ping river flows right by and you just sit there watching it. We got the Junior Elephant room and the balcony of this room overlooks a lawn and garden and river is just beyond that. Thank you also for providing the mosquito repellent cream. The service is excellent be it the front desk or the room service or the spa. However one suggestion is to have more coffee machines at breakfast - I saw a customer getting mad at the employees for no fault of theirs. There were only two employees and only one coffee machine which was very slow and could only be operated by the employees. So please have one or two coffee machines which the customers can use on their own! Also it would be great if charging outlets were next the bed!

Aruntara is a quiet haven wherein we retreated to when we were in Chiang Mai. |My husband and I have been to Chiang Mai before and before we decided to stay within the old city but Dec. 2024, we decided to be away from the noise and be by the riverside and we found Aruntara perfect to what we needed. |-Our deluxe room was very spacious and immaculate. |-Breakfast was on point with very good selection.|-Being by the riverside is absolutely beautiful and relaxing. Quiet which was what we needed. |-Pool is great if you needed it but we were so relaxed and read our books that we really didn't want to do anything else..except for having a beer or gin and tonic.|- Restaurant was good with Thai and Western options. A great go to when we decided to stay in. ||What made our stay more memorable was the staff who were warm, friendly and very helpful. We know that we have found a secret paradise in Aruntara hidden in Chiang Mai and we will definitely be staying here again! ||HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

We stayed in a few hotels during our travels across Thailand and this one was by far our favourite. It was peaceful and quiet due to its beautiful riverside setting, you couldn't hear the traffic from the rooms or the gardens. We were greeted with cold flannels, hibiscus juice and a sweet treat wrapped in Pandan leaves. Every day the staff were interested to chat about our plans and what we had seen. The chef was able to provide plenty of gluten free options for breakfast and the food manager remembered how we both had our coffees and brought them out to us within minutes of sitting down. The main town is a taxi or uber ride away ( about £1.50) but there were also plenty of restaurants, massage places and 7elevens etc within walking distance.

This is a hotel with lots of old-world charm. Service is impeccable. But there are all sorts of steps throughout the property that were not pleasurable for someone with a bad knee facing upcoming surgery. The breakfast buffet was good but the restaurant's offerings for dinner were much better. The pool area is small but provides wonderful outdoor scenery on a canal. The hotel offers complimentary snacks and fresh fruits most afternoons.

The hotel was so peaceful and chilled. Great base for exploring local area and markets. Staff super helpful and food great. Clean and zen like! Beautiful grounds which back onto the River Ping. Would recommend. Novelty having the bath overlooking the bedroom.