Best Hotels in Chiang Rai 2026: What to Book and What to Skip
Chiang Rai is a small city and its hotel market reflects that honestly. There are no luxury chains of the Bangkok variety and no infinity pool properties overlooking rice terraces. What exists is a solid range of riverfront and garden hotels at mid-range prices, and a set of reliable guesthouses in the city centre for travellers who just need a clean base.
The good news is that Chiang Rai is genuinely affordable at every tier. Properties that would cost twice as much in Chiang Mai deliver the same quality here.
How to Choose Your Location
Location matters less in Chiang Rai than in most Thai cities because you can cross the entire centre by tuk tuk in 15 minutes. The main decision is between city-centre convenience and a river or garden setting.
Riverfront properties on the Kok River north of the centre are the most pleasant bases for a multi-night stay. City-centre hotels near the night bazaar suit travellers arriving late, leaving early, or staying only one night before continuing north.
Quick-Glance Comparison
Hotel | Tier | Rating | Price From | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hop Inn Chiang Rai | Budget | 9.0/10 | $23/night | Night bazaar access |
Blue Lagoon Hotel | Budget | 8.8/10 | $29/night | Pool, breakfast included |
The Courtyard Chiangrai | Budget | 8.9/10 | $25/night | Design pool hotel, free airport pickup |
Kokotel Chiang Rai | Mid-range | 9.3/10 | $43/night | Families, airport access |
Laluna Hotel & Resort | Mid-range | 9.0/10 | $51/night | Garden bungalows, pool |
Hotel Selene Chiang Rai | Mid-range | 9.2/10 | $49/night | Central, breakfast |
The Riverie by Katathani | Boutique | 9.6/10 | $122/night | Best pool, river views |
Mora Boutique Hotel | Boutique | 9.8/10 | $117/night | Highest rated in city |
Le Meridien Chiang Rai | Boutique | 9.3/10 | $156/night | Largest rooms, full resort |
🟢 Budget
Hop Inn Chiang Rai
⭐ 9.0/10 Great · 148 reviews · "Great value for money" · "Easy to get around"
Hop Inn sits directly near the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar, which makes it the most practical budget base for travellers spending evenings at the market and leaving early for the temple circuit. The rooms are straightforward and clean, the price is hard to argue with at $23 a night, and the location removes every logistical complaint about getting around the city centre. It is not a resort. It is a reliable base that does exactly what a budget hotel should.
📶 WiFi: Free throughout
🏊 Pool: No
☕ Breakfast: Not included
💳 Price from: $23/night (approx. 800 baht)
✅ Free cancellation
👤 Best for: Solo travellers, short stays, anyone prioritising night bazaar access
Blue Lagoon Hotel
⭐ 8.8/10 Very Good · 172 reviews · "Clean pool" · "Great swimming pool"
Blue Lagoon is the best budget option in Chiang Rai if a pool matters to you. At $29 a night with breakfast included, it delivers amenities that most budget hotels in this price range do not attempt. The pool is consistently well-reviewed and the breakfast takes care of the morning before the temple run. For a city where budget accommodation usually means choosing between comfort and convenience, Blue Lagoon manages both.
📶 WiFi: Free throughout
🏊 Pool: Yes
☕ Breakfast: Included
💳 Price from: $29/night (approx. 1,000 baht)
✅ Free cancellation
👤 Best for: Budget travellers who want a pool, couples on a tight budget, 2 to 3 night stays
The Courtyard Chiangrai
⭐ 8.9/10 Very Good · 48 reviews · "Great new hotel" · "Clean, nice pool, close to everywhere"
The Courtyard is the best-looking hotel at this price point in Chiang Rai. The black-framed glass architecture and outdoor pool give it a design-led feel that most hotels twice the price do not bother attempting. At $25 a night with free airport pickup and a bicycle rental included, it removes more logistical friction than any other budget option on this list. The location near the Blue Temple puts the city's main attractions within easy reach without paying the premium of a night bazaar address.
📶 WiFi: Free throughout
🏊 Pool: Yes, outdoor swimming pool
☕ Breakfast: Not included
🚗 Airport pickup: Free
🚲 Bicycle rental: Free
🍸 Bar & Restaurant: On site
💳 Price from: $25/night (approx. 860 baht)
✅ Free cancellation
👤 Best for: Design-conscious budget travellers, couples who want a pool without mid-range prices, anyone arriving by plane who wants a free transfer
Book The Courtyard Chiangrai →
🔵 Mid-Range
Kokotel Chiang Rai Airport Suites
⭐ 9.3/10 Great · 580 reviews · "Delicious breakfast" · "Easy to get around"
Kokotel has the highest review count of any mid-range hotel in Chiang Rai at 580 reviews, which at a 9.3 score is a meaningful signal rather than just volume. The family room configuration makes it the strongest mid-range pick for groups or families, and the airport proximity removes the transfer stress at both ends of a trip. The breakfast is consistently called out in reviews as one of the better hotel spreads in the city.
📶 WiFi: Free throughout
🏊 Pool: No
☕ Breakfast: Not included in base rate
💳 Price from: $43/night (approx. 1,500 baht)
✅ Free cancellation
👤 Best for: Families, groups, travellers with early flights or late arrivals
Laluna Hotel and Resort
⭐ 9.0/10 Great · 327 reviews · "Delicious breakfast" · "Clean pool"
Laluna is the mid-range pick for anyone who wants a garden resort feel without boutique pricing. The Superior King Bungalow with garden view is the standout room type: a freestanding bungalow in a garden setting with a proper pool that reviewers consistently praise. Breakfast is included and described as genuinely good rather than the standard hotel spread. At $51 a night for a bungalow with breakfast, it represents the best value in the mid-range tier.
📶 WiFi: Free throughout
🏊 Pool: Yes
☕ Breakfast: Included
💳 Price from: $51/night (approx. 1,750 baht)
✅ Free cancellation
👤 Best for: Couples, anyone wanting a garden resort setting at mid-range prices, stays of 2 nights or more
Book Laluna Hotel and Resort →
Hotel Selene Chiang Rai
⭐ 9.2/10 Great · 130 reviews · "Great stay!" · "Delicious breakfast"
Hotel Selene sits near Wat Chetawan in the city centre, putting you within easy reach of the night market and the main temple circuit. The rooms are well-finished for the price and breakfast is included, which takes care of the morning before the day trips start. At $49 a night it lands comfortably in the mid-range without the garden or pool of Laluna, trading setting for a more central location. For travellers who want to walk rather than tuk tuk to the evening markets, it is the stronger city-centre mid-range choice.
📶 WiFi: Free throughout
🏊 Pool: No
☕ Breakfast: Included
💳 Price from: $49/night (approx. 1,700 baht)
✅ Free cancellation
👤 Best for: Couples, city-centre convenience, travellers doing the full temple circuit on foot
Book Hotel Selene Chiang Rai →
🟣 Boutique
The Riverie by Katathani
⭐ 9.6/10 Amazing · 205 reviews · "Great swimming pool" · "Clean pool" · #1 Family Hotel in Chiang Rai
The Riverie is the most complete hotel Chiang Rai has. A full-service property on the Kok River rated number one for family hotels in the city, with a pool that reviewers call the best in the region and a breakfast spread that justifies not leaving the property before 9am. The river setting is the finest the city offers and the architecture draws on northern Thai craftsmanship in a way that most hotels in this region do not attempt. By Chiang Mai or Bangkok standards it is significantly underpriced for what it delivers.
📶 WiFi: Free throughout
🏊 Pool: Yes, riverside
☕ Breakfast: Included
💳 Price from: $122/night (approx. 4,200 baht)
✅ Free cancellation
👤 Best for: Families, couples, special occasions, guests who want the best the city offers
Book The Riverie by Katathani →
Mora Boutique Hotel
⭐ 9.8/10 Outstanding · 90 reviews · "Great service" · "Delicious breakfast" · #2 of 4-Star Select Hotels in Chiang Rai
Mora has the highest guest score of any hotel in Chiang Rai at 9.8 out of 10. At 90 reviews that score is not a statistical fluke. The service is the thing reviewers return to most consistently, followed by the breakfast, and the city view from the Deluxe Twin Room makes it the most visually compelling boutique option in the city centre. At $117 a night it is slightly cheaper than The Riverie while delivering the highest satisfaction rating in the market.
📶 WiFi: Free throughout
🏊 Pool: Yes
☕ Breakfast: Included
💳 Price from: $117/night (approx. 4,050 baht)
✅ Free cancellation
👤 Best for: Couples, design-conscious travellers, anyone who wants the highest-rated stay in the city
Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort
⭐ 9.3/10 Great · 497 reviews · "Delicious breakfast" · "Large rooms" · #2 Premium Hotel in Chiang Rai
Le Meridien has the highest review count in the boutique tier at 497 reviews and a 9.3 score, which makes it the most consistently validated high-end option in the city. The rooms are notably larger than anything else at this tier, the breakfast is called out by reviewers as the best in the city, and the garden view balcony room is the best room type for the price. At $156 a night it is the most expensive option on this list and the one that most closely approximates a full international resort experience.
📶 WiFi: Free throughout
🏊 Pool: Yes
☕ Breakfast: Available, some rates include
💳 Price from: $156/night (approx. 5,400 baht)
✅ Free cancellation
👤 Best for: Travellers who want the full resort experience, longer stays, guests coming from international flights
When to Book
Chiang Rai does not fill up the way Chiang Mai does outside peak season. December and January see the highest demand from domestic Thai tourists and international visitors combining the city with a Chiang Mai base. Book two to three weeks ahead for the December to February window.
March through May is dry and increasingly hazy from burning season. June through October is the rainy season: quieter, greener, and 20 to 30 percent cheaper across all hotel tiers. For the full burning season picture and how it affects a Chiang Rai visit, see Chiang Rai vs Chiang Mai: Which One Should You Visit?.
Where to Go from Here
For what to do once you are based: Best Things to Do in Chiang Rai.
For where and what to eat: Chiang Rai Food Guide: The Night Bazaar and Beyond.
For the Golden Triangle day trip from your base: The Golden Triangle: What It Is and Whether It Is Worth the Drive.
For the full destination overview: Chiang Rai Travel Guide 2026.
