bp888

+1. In fairness, LMCM is a hotel in the middle of a busy city. LMCR is right by a river in a relatively remote rural location. Totally different atmosphere. Excellent services in both places belie their lowly SPG categories.

JFKSFOLAX_friend

I have been all over the world several times. If I had a machine that could transport me to one place that I have been in my life (and I could pick the weather/time of year), I would return to LMCR. I just loved it.

Of course, it was empty when I went. But, I loved the breakfast, infinity pools. I did one of the day trips/tours which was soooo well done.

jimrhit

I hear you .. I've only got time to do one place (short stopover), so I chose Chang Mai. I am planning a 4-5 week trip back through Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong for the Honeymoon .. so we'll be hitting Chang Rai at that time.

I have no idea how to get myself to Plat by then .. not really a big mattress runner and rarely do I actually get to a Starwood Hotel as I'm always stuck away from Starwood properties when in mainland China.

SkyTeam777

How far is Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai?
Also, what is the cheapest/safest way to get to the LM Chiang Mai from CNX airport with luggage?

seanthepilot

CNX Airport to Le Meridien Chiang Mai:
Easiest 120 THB Airport car - pay driver upon arrival at hotel
Also Meter Taxis (appx same price as above)

Or, if you're feeling lucky, flag a tuk-tuk/songtaew down after they drop a fare at departures, for 80-100THB.

From Chiang Mai city bus station to Chiang Rai city bus station, the Green Bus co. is listing 2 hrs 45 mins as travel time. That should give you a good idea.

DHAST

Had a 4-night stay at the LMCM ending Dec 22. The physical property is an absolute steal at Cat 2 rates. Good location, plenty of F&B options within a short distance of the hotel.

As gold member, got upgraded to a lounge-level room but no privileges. Paid 1500 SPG points each night as an instant award.

Had dinner at Favola's restaurant. Although high for local prices, it wasn't too bad compared to Western prices -- most entrees were around 400 THB IIRC.

The physical lounge is awesome. Very nice unobstructed views over CM. One can even see Wat Doi Sup (spelling) at night in the far distance. The food offerings at the Plaza Athenee's lounge were better -- PA features a different restaurant's offerings each night, so the offerings are completely different, whereas the LMCM lounge offers mostly the same thing with little difference.

However, the LMCM had better beverage choices -- they at least had a few mixed drinks available. Worth the upgrade if one enjoys a few glasses of wine -- the import taxes make them a bit expensive otherwise.

Service was disappointing. Not bad, really, but disappointing when held to the high Thai standards. The hotel knew we were there on our honeymoon (they said something to me at check-in) but didn't do anything. The lounge staff never acted like they recognized me as a returning guest, whereas the PA would bring me my favorite drink the moment I sat down.

We had a chat with a manager (she was working her way around the lounge and came by to chat) who was quite friendly. However, when my wife told her how much she liked th PA's honeymoon setup in the bathroom (without realizing what it was) the LMCM manager said "it's the honeymoon setup." Not offered to us.

When people tell me that the Thais have the highest level of service (and there's a 10% service charge built into all transactions) I do look for the details, and the finer points just weren't here. But this won't stop me from making at Cat 2 redemption here in the future.

k_sheep

I stayed here mid-Dec for 3 nights as a splurge at the end of a tour, as a mix of paid and C+P. I found the service very average - when checking in I had to struggle with my luggage the whole time. There was no one at the door, or walking around the lobby. Took quite a while to check in, despite there being 3 staff members at reception and no other customers.

As a gold was "upgraded" to a corner room on a low floor (not even the SPG floor). Was offered a late check out, but I was flying out early so didn't take it up. The room itself was very nice - usual LM standard. The minibar had not been checked closely and several items were missing or had broken seals so I had to ring that in to make sure I wasn't charged for it.

As is often the case, there were very few accessible power points. The bathroom was stunning - huge, with choice of 2 shower heads. Housekeeping was great, everything was cleaned thoroughly and they gave me extras without asking of the toiletries I used daily.

So a mixed stay, but given the fantastic location, I'd do it again

mario33

The entire lounge is either black, grey or mirror; more like a nightclub than a lounge.

.. it just shows how ignorant they are.

Yes, the Thais are capable of providing a very high level of service ( at upscale establishments) but I find the Indonesians to be more consistent in delivering good service across the board.

Pros : fantastic location, nice view, good chance of upgrade to Jr Suite for plats.

Cons : disappointing service, very poor maintenance, poor food offering in lounge (fried rice/noodles serving for breakfast is a joke), below average food at both Favola & Latest Recipe, few recreational facility

Richard1148

Can somebody tell me what the cost is for the breakfast buffet? Also, if they have instant awards, how may SPG points is it? Thanks.

SanDiego1K

I got a list of instant awards from the hotel manager. At the moment, points awards can only be used for the boutique and the spa. There are no awards for food.

SanDiego1K

We came here for two nights after three nights at Le Meridien Chiang Rai. The Chiang Rai experience was so great that anything would have suffered in comparison. LM Chiang Rai is a destination hotel, whereas LM Chiang Mai is a solid city hotel. There is not much of a sense of place in the hotel itself, but certainly it is great to have a comfortable property from whence you have immediate access to the night market, to restaurants, and to inexpensive massage places.

We did not get the lounge check in, the cold towel, the fruit juice, or the fruit plate in the room that others report. However, and of greatest importance, we had an upgrade to a lovely suite, very well shown in seanthepilot's pictures up thread. All the rest is incidental when we get to stay in such comfort. Also, the Hotel Manager was very personable and hospitable.

We drove from Chiang Rai. The hotel arranged for Budget to pick up our rental car at the hotel. This was accomplished within about 30 minutes of arrival at the hotel.

We ate breakfast in the restaurant rather than the lounge. We had afternoon tea in the lounge. We were given a plate of tiny treats to share. The two days had entirely different dishes. The evening appetizers were predominantly breads and some cheese, with very little else.

Thank you to the person who posted the tip about laundry. This stay was midpoint in our trip, and ideal to get everything fresh again. The laundry charges

- 20 baht for 1 kg for 24 hour service (or perhaps early morning drop off of 8am, pick up at 8pm)
- 100 baht for 1 kg for 4 hour service

We really enjoyed a meal at the Riverside Restaurant. Food was very well prepared at a good price, there was a wide range, and it was atmospheric to sit along the river.

mario33

To be fair to the hotel, I stayed at the exact same room again but the numerous scratches & scuff marks on the furnitures are now gone.

As for the frequent comparison on FT between this hotel and the LM Chiang Rai, there is nothing in common between the 2 properties apart from the similarity in name ; would you compare the LM Kuala Lumpur with the LM Khao Lak ? Perhaps the Shangri-la down the road would be a more appropriate comparison, I almost ended-up staying at the SL which looks very much more impressive with an urban resort setting, but the thought of loosing out on my starpoints & upgrade at the LM persuaded me otherwise

tncjoey

Just a quick thumbs up to the LM Chiang Mai.

Earlier this week booked 3 nights (w/points) for two connecting rooms at 3,000 points each. Submitted a request through spg.com chat that one of the rooms be upgraded to a suite. Within 12 hours of booking, I received an email from the reservations manager confirming the upgrade to Junior suite.

The reservation is not until late June/Early July. Wow.

Keyser

how much did it cost????i'm a little undecided whether to take a taxi/bus or drive myself....

Keyser

my current plan is to fly into chiang mai, spend one night here & then head over to chiang rai for 3 nights....would the people who have stayed at this property recommend an extra day here????