If you want to avoid the crowds and tour buses and get a feeling of true Thai hospitality, I highly recommend this small boutique hotel. We have been traveling to Thailand for business for almost 20 years and are always looking for a place to feel pampered and welcomed at the end of a long (hot) day. If you are heading for Chiangmai for the night market and the crowds, stay in town. Although the hotel is about a 10 minute taxi ride into the city center, it is just across the road from the well know Mandarin Oriental hotel so there is variety if you have a long visit and want to walk to other places to eat or shop.

The hotel was just a year old when we arrived but felt like it was built in true Lanna style years ago. You are greeted by a bubbling turtle fountain in the courtyard, and a gentle greeting from one of the friendly staff members. Jaree, the hotel manager performed the check-in procedure, then escorted us to our Deluxe room.

The room was spacious and light filled and updated with all the appropriate furnishings necessary to either relax or work. For me a work desk and an Internet connection are a must, and both were provided in the room in addition to a computer in the library if you needed it. Our room also had a flat panel TV and DVD player (free movie selection in the library), a Jacuzzi tub big enough for two to relax comfortably, separate shower and commode. No detail was missed as far as international 5 star standards are concerned.

If you are require a gym or nearby place to take a morning run, this may not be the best hotel for you. There is a lovely lap pool, but no other facilities for exercise. Although the hotel is in a quiet neighborhood just off the main freeway, once you leave the street your morning run, you will be on a major highway with the accompanying traffic and pollution. Besides…unless you are out and back before 6 am, it’s too hot to jog!

There is one difficult noise issue, and that is the healthy neighborhood rooster population. It may (probably will) awaken you each morning, but the staff is happy to provide ear plugs if that will help. That’s one of the drawbacks of a rural hotel site, but after the first morning we were not bothered by it.

We enjoyed dinner one evening in the dining room. My rack of lamb, and my husband's duck breast were executed to perfection. Service by the friendly staff was impeccable. We were glad to have a cooked to order breakfast instead of the usual buffet of breads and fruit.

We would definitely stay here again, and recommend it highly!

To be put simply, this hotel is fabulous for three reasons: the size, the aura, and the staff.

The size: The Bann Tazala is a small hotel with eight rooms. However, don't equate lack of rooms with lack of quality! The limited space allows each guest to feel as if they are the only guests present. Chain-smoking guests, noisy neighbors, and loud parties are all avoided in this exclusive lodging. Each guest feels as if this hotel was built for them alone.

The aura: A bit of Old China comes alive in this hotel. The architecture and interior have a Chinese flare that creates an exotic twist for guests. Each room is beautifully furnished and unique in design. Furniture, paintings, rugs, etc. all fit the style of each individual room and it is quite evident much planning was put into decoration. Even the French restaurant (fabulous food!), seems to fit right into the scence and further enhance the romance and peaceful aura of this hotel.

The staff: As others have commented, the staff at the Bann Tazala are simply amazing. Various staff members have offered to aid me in Thai lessons, teach me Thai dancing, and show me around Chiang Mai. The owners themselves invest much time and effort into their hotel with laudable results. They are both highly approachable and more than willing to go the extra mile in making your stay one for the memory books.

If you are ever in Thailand, avoid the crowds of Bangkok and come to the beautiful city of Chiang Mai and stay at the Bann Tazala.

What a delightful visit! We very much enjoyed our time at this lovely luxurious hotel! the room were so comfortable and well appointed. We especially enjoyed the Bedding and large Jacuzzi tub. Finally, the staff were fantastic.. helpful, courteous, and kind. We will most certainly recommend this hotel to friends.

Woah! That is more than at Farang Ses. Bann Tazala Restaurant. Exquisite French cuisine is served in Bann Tazala Restaurant's intimate and inimitable setting. Richly decorated with warm bold colours and accented with elegant Oriental object d'art, this sixteen seat restaurant is suitable for small groups or serious romance. Imaginative cuisine, although limited in range, is alluring and constantly evolving. Highly recommended are the Tazala Salad, a combination of green salads, salmon and marinated coriander; Clear Guinea Fowl Soup with Goose Liver which comes with freshly baked bread and Grilled Tenderloin of Beef with Goose Liver Sauce. Lovely French food - limited seating, limited menu - in nice intimate setting and not bad price at all (1200 for three courses). Wines started at less than a thousand I think.

We wil come back soon. Thanks again.!"

Subject: Bann Tazala, ChiangMai
Location: Chiangmai, Thailand
Title: Pleasant and Luxurious But Finer Points lacking

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Bann Tazala is certainly a five star 'boutique hotel'. But being so new it obviously has forgotten some of the small finer points which make up the five stars!Some they can help and some they can't.There is also a basic noise factor which they will have to deal with pretty quickly as well as a too limited menu in the restaurant.

Its location is opposite the new Mandarin Oriental super luxury resort hotel. It even shares the same car park area and apparantly the same owning family. That obviously means that its considerably far out of town and although Chiang Mai is a small town it does make it inconvenient for local tourism. That being said, however, for excursions outside the city and even for wondering around the grounds of the magnificent Mandarin Oriental hotel and its temples etc... its perfect! If you have a car with you its also pretty close to the superhighway which circles Chiang Mai.

The rooms are all different and nicely decorated with artifacts and 'antiques' giving each room a special flavour. Our average size room was all white with very small windows and no view whatsoever but absolutely beautifully done up with a very plush Sealy mattressed bed,goose down overstuffed pillows which were great, LCD flat panel 42" TV, dvd player (they have a library of free dvd's), free stocked mini bar and of course all the usual 5 star amenities, bathrobes etc.... However sorely lacking in extra towels and no bath mats for the toilet which is seperate. The floor being marble it can get rather cold overnight. On occasion over the 4 nights we were there they forgot to put fresh towels in the room and not once, repeat not once ,over 4 nights were the sheets changed. This is an oversight which bothered us greatly.

Staff are lovely and friendly and very helpful and they responded rather quickly to complaints. Standard of English was good.

The restaurant food was of an excellent standard but the menu which was very limited had only International food...no Thai food at all! Same applied at breakfast. Their free buffet contained what one would expect in a 3 star hotel but not a 5 star...which no choices of a hot breakfast except for a variety of eggs and bacon , no fruit salad, etc...

Physically the place is long and narrow and the long walk from entrance to rooms is annoying. But to give them their fair dues they have made the walk as pleasant as possible decoration wise. The pool seems to be more for decoration than for swimming and is unheated.

The major problem is the roosters and animals somewhere near by. They start your waking up procedure at 5 am and don't stop. It drove us mad .If we had wanted to stay on a farm that would have been great but not in a semi urban 5 star boutique hotel! SHUT UP!