Review: Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi (soon to be Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai)

On arrival I was immediately welcomed into the (slightly) overwhelming Lanna-style main building, which houses the lavish lobby and a number of drinking and dining options, all with great views of the surrounding gardens and pool.

Although the entire property is beautifully decorated with great attention to detail, my favourite feature of this hotel definitely has to be the rooms. Spread over about 60 acres, guests have the choice of walking, borrowing one of the hotel bicycles or jumping in a golf buggy to make their way across the property to the Oriental’s rooms and villas.

The hotel has over 18 different types of rooms and private villas, but for me the simple Colonial Suite is the perfect choice. The spacious rooms — split between a living area and a bedroom — are great for single travellers, couples or friends, and are especially suited to families with young kids as a number of the suites are connecting. If you’re looking for something a bit bigger and travelling with older children then one of the Grand Deluxe Villas is an excellent option, with bedrooms and living space spread across two floors and a private outdoor pool and dining area to be enjoyed.

The hotel is currently changing management and moving away fromthe Mandarin Oriental Group to become simply the Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai. That said, the majority of the staff will remain and the hotel has no plans to make any big changes, so we will definitely be keeping a close eye to see how things progress!