Originally Posted by
UASPG
In my opinion, the best urban area for tourists to stay in Chiang Mai is Nimman. I think that the best hotel there is the
U Nimman Chiang Mai .
The old part of the city (where the InterContinental, Marriott & Melia are located) is pretty depressed and might stay this way until the AWC projects (which include Lannatique) are completed.
Bangkok Post: AWC lays out expansion projects for Chiang Mai
well...if you prefer a lot of restaurants and pubs nearby, then the area around Nimmanhaemin road might be your preference....the Chiang Mai university is in this area, so a lot of young locals hanging around there...
the old town (the square between the 4 old gates) has a lot of guest houses and some boutique hotels for those who like nearby temples, ancient walls and local markets
what you call the old part of the city is more the part between the old town and the river Ping; for those who like to be close to the night market and the bar street Loy Kroh or stay at the river. There are probably the best hotels of the town (except some of the high end hotels up Mae Rim, but that's definitely out of town). Beside the mentioned InterContinental, Melia...I do not know about a Marriott but there is a Le Méridien, which belongs to the same group, also an Antara and Nakara Boutique hotel, both high end directly at the river, both high end...a Shangri La a bit south of the area and also a Movenpick directly at the night maket