Ben Guesthouse

Jan 2024. I will be passing through Chiang Rai next month and I wanted to stay here again. I checked to see if the noise issue had been resolved but they were not willing to engage and confirm it was no longer an issue.

This is a mixed review because of one long stay guest behaviour (plus 10 years).

The guesthouse is extremely well managed and maintained. The manager is very very polite and check-in was done well as we wanted to checked out the two different rooms, wooden old style and the more modern brick building.

We booked the night before via phone and paid B750 as it was high season. There were five guests the first night and maybe three on the second night. The normal rates are B500 for the wooden and B600 for the brick building.

The is a swimming pool which is very, very clean.

I don't think the room (brick) is worth B750. There's a kettle, but because of the positioning of the sockets behind the TV it cannot be easily plugged in and the socket fittings are very loose (both rooms) and we ended up using a socket in the walkway. No cups or coffee are provided in the room. In the morning free instant coffee is available at the restaurant. The shower was decent and the bed comfortable.

The internet was very quick.

Here comes the big negative. There is a long-term (+10 years) guest on the third floor and he enjoys playing films on his laptop with a speaker attached. At 8:00 p.m. I approached him politely and asked if he could use headphones or turn down the volume and he replied using expletives that he lives here for over 10 years and ......

Because the guest house is so well run and the manager was so polite I mentioned it to her the next morning. She gave no indication as to whether this was the first such complaint about the long-term guest or if she was already aware of the issue. She was very professional.

In my opinion the room is good value at B500 plus what you feel access to a swimming pool is worth. I would stay here again if the room was priced at B500/B600 and if the manager could confirm that the issue with the long term guest had been resolved (head phones).