Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai

Style

Frangipani fantasy

Setting

Sacred Doi Suthep

However hectic the streets of Thailand’s second city may get, you’ll be sure to feel far from its flurry at Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai, a holistic hideaway on the edge of the Doi Suthep mountains. Each of the centuries-old teak dwellings have been lovingly restored, and now house one- two- and four-bedroom residences, some dressed in cream hues, others in dark mahogany accents, and all with hand-cast ceramics and traditional tribal tapestries. But it’s outside where the placidity really peaks: meditation, yoga, breathwork and sound-bath sessions are all set up around the frangipani-fringed pool and, over at the spa, masseurs tailor treatments based on personalised palm reading. There’s no need to rush out, Chiang Mai’s hustle isn't going anywhere…

Facilities

Rooms

44.

Checkout

Noon; check-in is at 3pm.

More Details

Rates include an à la carte and buffet breakfast.

Also

All of the communal spaces are fitted with ramps for wheelchair users, but unfortunately none of the rooms have been adapted for those with limited mobility.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Wellness and fitness centre, concierge, and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: TV, minibar, yoga mat, tea- and coffee-making kit (with local beans), free bottled water, cotton bathrobes and pyjamas, and custom essential oils.

Our Favourite Rooms

Aleenta’s rooms are stylistically similar, dressed with tribal tapestries and hand-weaved furnishings; but if you’re looking to bag something extra special, we’d suggest the Four-Bedroom Golden Teak Villa, which is not only primed with a private pool, fully equipped kitchen and plenty of restful spots, but also set in the hotel’s 100-year-old teak outpost.

Poolside

You’ll find the outdoor pool, open from 8am till 10pm, nestled behind the garden’s manicured frangipani and bamboo trees.

Spa

Ayurah Spa (open 9am to 7pm) is Aleenta’s holistic haven, set in a two-storey teak building just beyond the central courtyard. Once you’ve had a pre-session palm reading, your personal wellness guide will tailor a programme of ayurvedic and Thai treatments to their findings. There’s also a decked-out fitness centre, where you’re welcome to book in for private training, yoga, tai chi and meditation classes.

Packing Tips

Comfortable clothes if you’re planning on hiking the Doi Suthep trails; otherwise, your chicest city get-up will work well.

Children

Welcome; there’s no kids’ club or crèche, but extra beds can be added to all rooms for THB1,100 (free for under-sixes).

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Bag a spot under the frangipani trees in the courtyard.

Dress Code

Lightly toned linens will contrast well with Aleenta’s teak interiors.

Hotel Restaurant

The Garden Restaurant is set in one of the hotel’s 200-year-old teak dwellings, where head chef Kittipong Thepka has concocted three extensive menus, each with dishes made from locally sourced and organic ingredients. Starring northern Thai specialities, the authentic menu is a fan-favourite for its gaeng hung lay (a traditional pork curry); the wellness-focused menu offers vegan and vegetarian alternatives to these traditional dishes; and the western menu takes the classics and gives them a slightly more modern spin.

Hotel Bar

The dimly lit 1892 Bar is just above the restaurant and connected to a garden-facing terrace. Mixologists shake and stir cocktails any which way, just so long as they’re based with traditional Lanna spirits and hand-strained syrups. Live piano players perform every Friday and Saturday, and there’s an izakaya-style menu that’s filled with light bar bites.

Last Orders

The Garden Restaurant serves from 6am until 10.30pm (breakfast ends at 10.30am), and the 1892 Bar pours between 4pm and midnight.

Room Service

Dishes can be delivered to your door during the Garden Restaurant’s opening hours.

Planes

International flights will land in Bangkok, where you’ll need to catch a 90-minute connecting flight to Chiang Mai. From there, the hotel is just under a 15-minute drive away, and private return transfers can be arranged for THB900.

Automobiles

You’re unlikely to need a car in the city, but if you do decide to rent a set of wheels, there’s free parking at the hotel.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Once you’re ready to leave Aleenta Retreat’s calming gardens and explore further afield, we’d recommend starting with the Doi Suthep mountains – they are on your doorstep after all. On your way to one of the many hiking trails, stop off at the 13th-century forest temple of Wat Umong Suan Phutthatham, built in honour of the so-called ‘mad monk’ who used the chedi’s tunnels to meditate. Head east if you’d rather visit the Old City – famed for its Lanna-style architecture, ancient temples and flavourful fare – and the craft-focused Kalm Village (the Elephant Rescue Park is also nearby, and well worth a pitstop). If you’d rather be within walking distance of the hotel, bustling Nimmanhaemin Road is flanked with boutiques and up-and-coming cafés. For those with accompanying little Smiths, the Chiang Mai Zoo is just a little further north, and the Mae Sa Waterfalls make for a scenic day trip.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .