InterContinental Chiang Mai Mae Ping

For top-notch conference and meeting facilities, you'd be hard-pressed to top the InterContinental Chiang Mai Mae Ping, the hotel is full of various business guests and groups, and there is a bustling atmosphere in the lobby. This is also due to the hotel being popular with Chinese tour groups; the InterContinental Chiang Mai Mae Ping houses the preserved suite "museum" of one of China's most famous singers (who died here several decades ago) and legions of Chinese come to pay homage to her memory. Large families take advantage of the several swimming pools and kids playground, so there is the mix of both the conference crowd and the wet bathing suit crowd coming in from the pool. The hotel isn't very elegant, and while the its status as one of the city's oldest hotels makes it a landmark and well-known favorite, interiors could use an update.

The InterContinental Chiang Mai Mae Ping is in a perfect location. Set right downtown in the heart of Chiang Mai, it is minutes from the Night Bazaar and plenty of dining and drinking options. It's also not too far of a walk to the gates of the old city. The hotel gets a nod over its nearby downtown competitors in that it sits on a quiet leafy street away from the traffic and noise that can be prevalent elsewhere. The airport is a 15- to 20-minute drive.

The rooms at the InterContinental Chiang Mai Mae Ping have nice enough style, with recognizable Lanna northern Thai design elements in the cushions, pillows, and bedspreads. Amenities include free coffee/tea making facilities and free Wi-Fi, but the rooms themselves are on the small side for this area, unless one shells out for a Royal Suite, and they do look a bit dated. The rooms do all come with shower/tub combos (rather than just showers), and the upper-floor rooms have views over Chiang Mai. The rooms are a bit of a letdown after the imposing exterior and grand lobby.

The InterContinental Chiang Mai Mae Ping is blessed with an abundance of facilities. The hotel features two swimming pools (a smaller adult-oriented pool on the second floor, and then a larger family pool downstairs), and there is also a spa offering massage services. The mirrored fitness center is spacious and adequately equipped, but the machines are older models. There is a kids' playground located in the abundant green space in the back of the hotel. The hotel also shines when it comes to drinking and dining, with Japanese and Chinese restaurants on the premises, a lobby bar, and even a beer garden set up outside during the cool winter season.