Oasis Baan Saen Doi Spa Resort

Situated in an upscale gated community, this resort could easily pass for one of the many replicated traditional Thai style homes that make up the neighborhood, with its red-tiled pagoda roof, white walls, and low-rise profile slightly hidden by foliage. Immense carved bronze plated doors lead into the lobby, which has a finely polished wood floor and elegant rattan furniture, including a long sofa smothered in embroidered cushions. As there is no front desk here, it feels more like visiting someone's fine home. A tapestry hangs on one of the white walls above a piano, and a Persian-style rug sits beneath the coffee table. The only hint of this being a hotel comes from a small tourist information table stocked with sightseeing and tour brochures. Other common areas, like the hotel's restaurant, are equally elegant and tasteful, with elements of local flavor sprinkled about, like lovely paintings, flower garlands, colorful cushions, and other artifacts. Overall, the resort has a tranquil atmosphere and exclusive feel about it, though with many features at an off-site community clubhouse that's open to the public, it's not quite up to its own luxury claims. It attracts both couples and families who don't mind being a bit removed from the main tourist areas in exchange for peace and quiet.

Oasis Baan Saen Doi Spa Resort is located outside of Chiang Mai, about a 20- to 25-minute drive to the downtown area and the old city. The resort is in a tranquil gated community with tidy quiet streets, no traffic, no speeding, plenty of parks, and a real aura of exclusivity. The biggest issue with staying here is the lack of outside facilities as well as the distance to town. There is a large supermarket, an outdoor market, and plenty of restaurants a few miles down the busy highway outside, but it's too far to walk, although the resort does have free bicycles for guests to use. The property also runs a free daily shuttle into town, but one really needs a car to make the most of things. It is a fantastic spot, but best suited for those who just want to relax and enjoy the spa and pool, or else have their own wheels. The airport is about a 20-minute drive from the hotel.

There are only 11 rooms here, and they're all spacious and elegant, with tasteful decor that conjures up traditional Thai style. Polished wood floors are paired with teak and rattan furnishings, while decorative touches like paintings of ethnic hill tribes and embroidered cushions lend a bit of local flavor. Other variable accents include bamboo headboards, miniature bell-laden lamps, and decorative geometric panels. Despite the mostly modern veneer and tranquil white-and-wood color scheme, some rooms look just a bit dated, like the Deluxe Room that we visited. 

Modern amenities include large flat-screen televisions, stocked minibars, safes, and tea- and coffee-making facilities, plus some of the upper-level categories add iHome systems. Rooms also include bathrobe and slipper sets, and free Wi-Fi. The entry-level Deluxe Rooms don't have quite the same pizzazz as the more luxurious quarters, but (all but one) have rainfall showers in their spacious bathrooms, along with large mirrors and plenty of toiletries. Corner Suites offer more space and have living areas as well as large terraces, while Luxury Suites add whirlpool tubs. Some of these are poolside units and share a large private swimming pool. The Presidential Pool Villa is composed of the Deluxe Room, Corner Suite, and Luxury Suite, and has a fully stocked kitchen with a microwave, toaster, espresso machine, full refrigerator, as well as a separate dining room. 

On paper this hotel ticks most of the boxes of an upscale property, but in reality, many of the features -- like the pool and restaurant -- are part of the gated community's clubhouse, which is open to the public and not on-site. That fact aside, one of the highlights here is the spa, which is well regarded by almost all visitors. It occupies an entire large luxury house with five elegant treatment rooms, and offers a wide range of massages, facials, baths, and other treatments. The outdoor swimming pool is situated in a clubhouse used by the gated community. It's located across the street from the hotel and can be used by non-hotel guests as well. It's a large, well maintained pool surrounded by a sundeck with loungers, plus there's a kids' pool. There are also tennis courts available at the clubhouse.

For dining, a free breakfast is served in a small room at the main resort building -- it's an a la carte set-up that gets decent reviews from guests and includes options like banana pancakes. Fine dining is available at Saenkham Terrace (in the clubhouse building), an upscale Thai restaurant serving authentic northern Thai cuisine as well as other Thai dishes. The restaurant has beautiful large northern Thai paintings as well as colorful ethnic hill tribe embroidered cushions as part of the decor, but its real appeal are the views from its wall of windows, which overlook the owner's organic rice paddies and mountains in the distance. There is also a pleasant cafe downstairs, with rattan chairs and traditional fish traps hung from the ceiling. Tea, coffee, and alcoholic drinks are served here.

Other facilities at the resort include plentiful parking, free bicycles for guest use, and a free daily shuttle into Chiang Mai, which leaves in the morning and comes back in the early evening.