To make a long story short if you are coming here to stay long term then you will end up in condo which you will rent for a minimum term of 3 months, or you will stay in a serviced apartment on a monthly basis. After you get to know the city you may decide to rent a house. At that point in time you will have either a motor vehicle or a motorcyle for personal travel.

I decided on staying in a hotel for 3 weeks and then checking out the accommodations in person before I made my decision. Pictures can be deceiving and you have to see the accommodations in person or rely on someone who knows. So I checked out the accommodations which I viewed on the internet and some were as advertised and some "were not". Location was great, price was good, it had everything from restaurant, entertainment, laundry, motorbike rental, pool, internet on site and in room, massage and spa, and that was all that I needed to convince me.

My selection was a serviced apartment. Although I was happy with my stay there I did spend more than I had to because I stayed in a hotel for 3 weeks. I needed a service similar to what I provide now. Someone who would recommend accommodations after checking them out in person and book these for me, or someone who had accommodations available that suited me. Keep in mind that many of the "Best Accommodations in Chiang Mai" do NOT HAVE functioning websites. I visited serviced apartments that were very nice and booked "solid" - yes, in fact they had a waiting list. So I suppose if they are that busy that they do not really need a functioning website. At least that is what I make of it.

Now after living here for two years I know the city well and I know what is a good place to stay and what isn't. If I had to make the decision now I would stay in a condo that someone has checked out for me, and booked for me, and when I arrive I would want to go directly to the condo. Why search around, why waste money on a hotel room that costs much more and offers less in terms of space, quiet, privacy, and facities.

Now you may be curious about the differences between a Serviced Apartment and a Condo Apartment:

Well, it comes to several factors. One being noise. If you stay in a serviced apartment the tenants will more likely be staying there shorter term and tend to create more noise than someone who is living here long term. This is my personal observation.

Next I would say price. The condo will be lower priced than the serviced apartment. This applies to both small and large serviced apartments. Some of the serviced apartments get very pricey when you upgrade to a larger unit or suite.

You will be more likely to be able to cook in a condo versus a serviced apartment. Even a smaller condo could have hot plates, microwave and a sink whereas you will not see a kitchen or kitchenette available in serviced apartments until you move up to the suites which as I said are pricey are downright expensive for what you are getting. I am not much of a cook but now and then I get a craving for potato salad and I will cook up some items I particularly enjoy. Also it saves me money over dining in restaurants.

And another factor is that a condo is taken care of better than a hotel room. There are some hotels here with impressive lobby's but the rooms are old and rundown.

So whether you are coming to Chiang Mai for a day, week, month, year or more we have accommodations for you from bungalows, condo's, houses, serviced apartments, and special rates on hotels. Just send us an e-mail with the date of arrival and departure, and a few details as to what you want and what budget we have to work with and we will recommend the best that we have or can find.

I did the best I could in terms of finding acommodations when I first arrived in Chiang Mai, and you can do better. Forget the hotel, or the serviced apartment and go for a nice condo which can be $200 U.S. a month with everything included or $1,000 a month. By the way we have a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 3 balcony Presidential Condo which we recommend. How on earth can we recommend a condo priced at $1,000 a month? Well if you have two families or even three couples who want to stay here a month and live like royalty then this is it and that comes to less than $400 U.S. a month for each couple. Sounded expensive but it isn't. Can I get a deal on a monthly rate at a nice hotel. NO!!