Le Meridien Chiang Rai, Thailand [Master Thread]
#46
Join Date: May 2005
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE, Alaska MVP Gold, Bonvoy Titanium, IHG Diamond
Posts: 158
Thanks! Your great trip-report about this property is a large part of what inspired us to make the trip to Chiang Rai (from Chiang Mai) to stay at this property and check out the area. The hotel looks beautiful and the complimentary breakfast looked fantastic!
It appears that the Grand Deluxe rooms are available to be booked for our dates...so we are hopeful. The standard rooms certainly don't look too shabby though!
It appears that the Grand Deluxe rooms are available to be booked for our dates...so we are hopeful. The standard rooms certainly don't look too shabby though!
#48
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Silicon Valley
Programs: AA:PLT&3MM, HGP:DIA, SPG:GOLD
Posts: 1,896
Bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
yes, we did. the staff at the lounge in chiang mai set it up for us (and the front desk staff in chiang rai changed our return date). i can't remember the cost, but it wasn't a lot of money...i think 250 baht, about eight bucks.
it's a true VIP bus, air conditioned and they give you a bottle of water and a little snack, and have thai/bollywood movies playing for your entertainment. i'd do it again that way in a minute.
it's a true VIP bus, air conditioned and they give you a bottle of water and a little snack, and have thai/bollywood movies playing for your entertainment. i'd do it again that way in a minute.
#49
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Silicon Valley
Programs: AA:PLT&3MM, HGP:DIA, SPG:GOLD
Posts: 1,896
Good question, I don't think they are finished or at least they weren't projected to have been finished yet, so I doubt anyone has stayed in them.
If you are a Platinum and they're finished you'll no doubt receive an upgrade into them.
But if they aren't finished you'll still receive a lovely room. I was genuinely nervous/displeased when I learned before my stay that these rooms weren't ready. I thought it might color my entire stay, and questioned whether I really wanted 5 nights there without an upgrade to a larger room.
Well the Grand Deluxe rooms weren't ready, but I had a lovely room on the top floor in the main building looking straight out over the pool area towards the river. It was large, stylish, and comfortable. And I was utterly pleased.
And as a Platinum you receive complimentary breakfast. It's my favorite breakfast in all of Starwood -- the service is outstanding, the coffee was very good, the buffet had a large variety and switched up its prepared to order foods daily. But what set it apart was that staff would bring around various dishes that weren't on the buffet for you to try throughout your time in the restaurant.
And more generally the food on-property (I didn't try Favola, the Italian restaurant, and had no interest in doing so -- other than that the pool menu is from that restaurant and certainly fine). The main restaurant which also provides room service, and is where the buffet is housed, was really excellent. Very good Lanna-style Thai food as well. Good selection of choices, very high quality, not a lowest common denominator approach to food so prevalent at resorts. Food here is sort of the anti-LM Khao Lak
Enjoy your stay and please report back!
If you are a Platinum and they're finished you'll no doubt receive an upgrade into them.
But if they aren't finished you'll still receive a lovely room. I was genuinely nervous/displeased when I learned before my stay that these rooms weren't ready. I thought it might color my entire stay, and questioned whether I really wanted 5 nights there without an upgrade to a larger room.
Well the Grand Deluxe rooms weren't ready, but I had a lovely room on the top floor in the main building looking straight out over the pool area towards the river. It was large, stylish, and comfortable. And I was utterly pleased.
And as a Platinum you receive complimentary breakfast. It's my favorite breakfast in all of Starwood -- the service is outstanding, the coffee was very good, the buffet had a large variety and switched up its prepared to order foods daily. But what set it apart was that staff would bring around various dishes that weren't on the buffet for you to try throughout your time in the restaurant.
And more generally the food on-property (I didn't try Favola, the Italian restaurant, and had no interest in doing so -- other than that the pool menu is from that restaurant and certainly fine). The main restaurant which also provides room service, and is where the buffet is housed, was really excellent. Very good Lanna-style Thai food as well. Good selection of choices, very high quality, not a lowest common denominator approach to food so prevalent at resorts. Food here is sort of the anti-LM Khao Lak
Enjoy your stay and please report back!
#50
#51
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Singapore
Programs: SPG
Posts: 4,002
Dear members,
I would like to inform you that the ground floor of the Grand Deluxe wing has been opened on 1st November and so now have 8 of these rooms available.
This would mean that if there is availability, Platinum guests might be upgraded to these rooms.
Here is a sneak peek on the Grand Deluxe room:
Grand Deluxe rooms offer
66 sqm of contemporary, chic accommodation super location adjacent to the pool and spa.
State of the art media hub allowing guests to play digital movies and music from their PC or MP3
42 TV and DVD player
Exclusive Cinq Mondes bathroom amenities
Modern bathroom with separate bath and rain shower
Private dressing room
[email protected]
Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd
I would like to inform you that the ground floor of the Grand Deluxe wing has been opened on 1st November and so now have 8 of these rooms available.
This would mean that if there is availability, Platinum guests might be upgraded to these rooms.
Here is a sneak peek on the Grand Deluxe room:
Grand Deluxe rooms offer
66 sqm of contemporary, chic accommodation super location adjacent to the pool and spa.
State of the art media hub allowing guests to play digital movies and music from their PC or MP3
42 TV and DVD player
Exclusive Cinq Mondes bathroom amenities
Modern bathroom with separate bath and rain shower
Private dressing room
[email protected]
Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd
#52
Join Date: May 2005
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE, Alaska MVP Gold, Bonvoy Titanium, IHG Diamond
Posts: 158
Stayed here last week...what a great hotel! Although all properties were very nice, this was definitely our favorite out of the 3 Le Meridien properties we stayed at in Thailand (Chiang Mai, Bangkok).
Was given a Deluxe River view room on the top floor on check-in. After seeing this room, I decided to inquire about not receiving an upgrade to the Grand Deluxe rooms. The hotel mentioned that only ground-floor Grand Deluxe rooms were available at the time, as those on the higher floors were still being finished (as per the above post). We decided to opt for the upgrade despite the lesser view. The room had a direct walk-out to the pool area.
Loved the room overall. They are huge! Bigger than many "suites" that I've seen at other hotels. Great walk-in-closet/dressing room and large washroom with a very nice shower and tub. Very nice extra touches such a fruits, deserts and chocolates left in the room each day....wish we could have stayed longer than 2 nights!
Was given a Deluxe River view room on the top floor on check-in. After seeing this room, I decided to inquire about not receiving an upgrade to the Grand Deluxe rooms. The hotel mentioned that only ground-floor Grand Deluxe rooms were available at the time, as those on the higher floors were still being finished (as per the above post). We decided to opt for the upgrade despite the lesser view. The room had a direct walk-out to the pool area.
Loved the room overall. They are huge! Bigger than many "suites" that I've seen at other hotels. Great walk-in-closet/dressing room and large washroom with a very nice shower and tub. Very nice extra touches such a fruits, deserts and chocolates left in the room each day....wish we could have stayed longer than 2 nights!
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DCA
Programs: AMC MovieWatcher, Giant BonusCard, Petco PALS Card, Silver Diner Blue Plate Club
Posts: 22,294
I have a tremendous fondness for this resort, have highly recommended it to several folks who have all returned happy.
#54
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 11
Airport to LM - Chiang Rai
We are booked into LM-Chiang Rai, arriving on New Year's Eve, 2009. A few weeks ago, we wrote the hotel to ask about transfer from airport to hotel, but did not receive reply (probably because we booked our room through travelocity). Any advice from Flyertalk travel gurus will be most appreciated.
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DCA
Programs: AMC MovieWatcher, Giant BonusCard, Petco PALS Card, Silver Diner Blue Plate Club
Posts: 22,294
We are booked into LM-Chiang Rai, arriving on New Year's Eve, 2009. A few weeks ago, we wrote the hotel to ask about transfer from airport to hotel, but did not receive reply (probably because we booked our room through travelocity). Any advice from Flyertalk travel gurus will be most appreciated.
#56
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: San Mateo, CA
Programs: AA - LFT GLD 1MM, UA - 2P, SPG - LFT Plat, Hyatt - Plat, HH - Gold, Avis - CHM
Posts: 413
whats the latest on airport transportation from cnx? is taxi or hotel chartered transportation the best? are there any airport buses?
#57
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BKK/NRT
Programs: BA*G, UA1K, SPG-P, HH-G, GP-D, IC-RA
Posts: 783
I was at this hotel for 3 nights with my family. We took a taxi from the airport for 200 baht. Hotel transportation would cost 600 baht for the 10 min ride. No buses from the airport.
We were assigned a regular room on the 4th floor the first night. Having read this thread, I requested for a grand deluxe room the next day. The reception lady told me "Yes, there is one room available." I don't think the grand deluxe wing was even half full. The impression of the hotel would have been much nicer if the larger room were offered without having to ask for it.
Anyway, the grand deluxe room was spacious and very nice. No chocolates though. They offered free breakfast and 2 glasses of drink at the bar as P benefits. Even though Champagne was not on the free drink list, they still let me have it, which was great. I also liked the breakfast noodles bar and a wide variety of Asian food. Yes, as OP mentioned, their coffee was good! The Italian restaurant by the river was so good that we had dinner there 2 nights in a row. The hotel is great when one wants to relax in a quite, rural Thai atmosphere. We definitely want to return to this hotel soon.
We were assigned a regular room on the 4th floor the first night. Having read this thread, I requested for a grand deluxe room the next day. The reception lady told me "Yes, there is one room available." I don't think the grand deluxe wing was even half full. The impression of the hotel would have been much nicer if the larger room were offered without having to ask for it.
Anyway, the grand deluxe room was spacious and very nice. No chocolates though. They offered free breakfast and 2 glasses of drink at the bar as P benefits. Even though Champagne was not on the free drink list, they still let me have it, which was great. I also liked the breakfast noodles bar and a wide variety of Asian food. Yes, as OP mentioned, their coffee was good! The Italian restaurant by the river was so good that we had dinner there 2 nights in a row. The hotel is great when one wants to relax in a quite, rural Thai atmosphere. We definitely want to return to this hotel soon.
#58
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: UA*G, *wood Gold, Hyatt Pl, IC plat.RA.
Posts: 106
Brilliant Hotel and Staff
I'm staying at the hotel now and upgraded to the Grand deluxe room. I must say the room, staff and hotel in general are brilliant. The facilities are wonderful, the room is spacious and well located.
They are having a Starwood conference here with a few bigwigs so the GM is busy with these people. However She still has the time to greet every incoming guest, and we asked her a question about the local restaurants and even though there were 40 Starwood people milling in the lobby, she spent the time to explain how to get to one of her favourite local restaurants. I we very impressed.
This is a great hotel, if you are considering going, I really think you should.
Also the 2 of the main sights in the area are the white temple and the black house. They are nothing like anything you've likely to have seen before and something really worth seeing.
They are having a Starwood conference here with a few bigwigs so the GM is busy with these people. However She still has the time to greet every incoming guest, and we asked her a question about the local restaurants and even though there were 40 Starwood people milling in the lobby, she spent the time to explain how to get to one of her favourite local restaurants. I we very impressed.
This is a great hotel, if you are considering going, I really think you should.
Also the 2 of the main sights in the area are the white temple and the black house. They are nothing like anything you've likely to have seen before and something really worth seeing.
#59
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: California, SMF
Programs: UA, AA, AS, DL, BA, HA, WN, SPG-PL, Hyatt-Dia, HH-Dia, Marr-Pl, US Mint/VR(retired)
Posts: 945
It may be worth your while to rent a car. It will save big $$ going to the Golden Triangle. We usually rent from Budget Thailand and drove up from Chiang Mai. That may be too hectic for most people, but the driving on the main road around Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle is pretty mild.
#60
Moderator, El Al and Marriott Bonvoy, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ*G, Mar LTT, Hyatt Glb, AA LTG, LY, HH, IC, BA, DL, UA SLV
Posts: 12,012
It may be worth your while to rent a car. It will save big $$ going to the Golden Triangle. We usually rent from Budget Thailand and drove up from Chiang Mai. That may be too hectic for most people, but the driving on the main road around Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle is pretty mild.
Last edited by yosithezet; Mar 30, 2010 at 11:27 pm