Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is a popular area to stay in Chiang Mai, especially for first-timers and those who want to be in the heart of the nightlife. This area is located just outside of the ancient city walls, and offers a vibrant nightlife scene with dozens of bars, adult entertainments, and night markets.
In this article, I will share with you some of the best places to stay in the Night Bazaar area of Chiang Mai, the best areas and best hotels. So, if you’re looking for a good understanding of the Night Bazaar area and its accommodation options, make sure to read this article till the end.
You can check out my hotels in Chiang Mai in general, and in other neighborhoods like the Old Town, and Nimman in these articles:
- Where to Stay in Chiang Mai- All Areas
- Best Hotels in Nimman
- Best Hotels in Chiang Mai Old City
- Best Hotels in Riverside Chiang Mai
Where is Night Bazaar Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is a small area located on the eastern side of the Old City. This area is bordered by Kotchasarn Road on the west and Chiang Mai River on the east.
The Night Bazaar is around 6km north east of Chiang Mai International Airport, 3.5 km south west of Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 2 & 3, and 2km west of Chiang Mai Train Station.
The main area of the Night Bazaar is the area around Chang Klan Road, stretching from Tha Phae Road on the north to Sridonchai Road on the south. The Loi Koh Road (from The Old Town to Riverside) is also a popular street in the Night Bazaar area, packed with bars and massage shops.
Why Should You Stay in Night Bazaar Chiang Mai?
In my opinion, the Night Bazaar is one of the good areas to stay in Chiang Mai for three main reasons: lively nightlife scene, convenient location, and wide range of tourist amenities.
1. Vibrant Nightlife Scene
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is the best place to go in the city for nightlife and parties. This area has a lively atmosphere and is packed with many bars, nightclubs, massage shops, indoor/ outdoor food courts, and night markets. If you want to be in the heart of the nightlife, this place is a place to stay.
2. Central Location
The Night Bazaar is set in a relatively central location. It is right between the old town and the riverside, making it easy to explore different parts of the city.
Additionally, The Night Bazaar is also closer to the long distance bus and train stations than the old town. This is good for minimizing travel time and reducing costs for transportation between these stations and your hotel.
3. Good range of shops and restaurants
The Night Bazaar is a popular tourist area, so you can easily walk to all shops, restaurants, bars, continent stores, massage parlors, and night markets. With good selections of night markets and street stalls, it is also a good place for shopping and eating Thai food.
4. Luxury Modern Hotels
Unlike the old town, the night Bazaar has more high rise upscale big chain hotels which are good options for those who want more modern stays with their families and partners. The area also have good range of budget and mid-range hotels and guest houses.
The Downside of staying Night Bazaar Chiang Mai
While staying near the Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai has plenty of advantages, it’s not for everyone. The area has a less historic atmosphere than the old town and it can be noisy, crowded at night.
1. Less Traditional Charm
The Night Bazaar is best known for its nightlife scene rather than historical and cultural attractions. It does have some local temples, but there are more famous landmarks in the old town.
However, you can easily walk or take a short tuk tuk ride from the Night Bazaar to the old town for sightseeing. They are only around 1km apart.
2. Can be touristy, crowded, and noisy
The Night Bazaar is a tourist area of Chiang Mai, so food and drink can be more expensive than some other local areas in the Old Town like Chiang Mai Gate Night Market, or Chang Phuak Market.
It is also usually packed with people in the evening escape in the area along Chang Klan Road where the night Bazaar, and Night Markets, street stalls are located.
Best Areas to Stay in Night Bazaar Chiang Mai
Some of the main areas of the Night Bazaar area of Chiang Mai are Chang Klan Road, Tha Phae Road, Kotchasarn Road (next to the Old Town), and the Night Bazaar Riverside area.
The heart of the Night Bazaar area is the intersection between Chang Klan and Loi Kroh Roads. This area is home to some chain hotels like Marriott, Dusit Princess, or Movenpick.
Chang Klan Road is packed with shops, food complexes, street stalls, and night markets. Popular points of interest in the night Bazaar are Kalare Night Bazaar, Anusarn Market, and Phaploen Market. Many go go bars, adult entertainments, and massage shops are located on Loi Koh Road.
You can consider staying somewhere just outside of Tha Phae Gate, the eastern gate of the Old Town. This area has some good budget and mid-range hotels. It offers easy access to the old town and the Night bazaar.
There are also some good luxury and budget hotels along the riverside area which is within easy walking distance from both the Night Bazaar and the river. Places like Melia Hotel (luxury) and Ban Narai River Guesthouse (budget) are good to look at if you want to stay closer to the Ping River.
My top hotel picks in the Night Bazaar area of Chiang Mai:
- Luxury: Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel
- Mid-range: Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel
- Budget: ON Thapae Gate Chiangmai
10 Best Places to stay in Night Bazaar Chiang Mai
In this section, I’ll share the list of my hand picked hotels in and near the Night Bazaar area, including luxury, mid-range, and budget options. These hotels are chosen based on my personal experience in Chiang Mai, and the overall good views from the booking website.
1. Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel
Marriott is one of the best hotels in the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar area. This is a 5-star luxury hotel located in the heart of the Night Bazaar. It is right at the intersection of the two popular streets, Chang Klan and Loi Kroh, so you will be close to everything.
The hotel has an outdoor infinity pool overlooking the city. There is also a fitness center, onsite restaurant and bar, and spacious rooms. You can consider booking the high floor with executive lounge access and mountain views for the best experience.
2. Melia Chiang Mai
Melia is a luxury 5-star hotel in Chiang Mai, located between the Night Bazaar and the Ping River, so you can easily walk to these places for nightlife and sightseeing. The night market, restaurants and bars are all a short stone’s throw away from Melia.
The hotel has elegant décor, comfortable rooms, and a wide selection of food for breakfast. It is also a family-friendly hotel with a family-friendly swimming pool, and kid-play room. Other facilities include a gym, rooftop area, and onsite bar/restaurant.
3. InterContinental Chiang Mai The Mae Ping
InterContinental is a famous 5-star international hotel chain in a pretty central location of Chiang Mai. It is close to both the Night Bazaar area for enjoying the nightlife and the old town for exploring cultural attractions. You can easily walk to both areas from this hotel.
The hotel has an amazing rooftop area, outdoor swimming pool with many sunbeds and umbrellas, and a beautiful ground. They also offer good-sized and well-maintained rooms. You can pay a bit more for Club Access rooms to enjoy exclusive amenities and services.
4. Anantara Chiang Mai Resort
This 5-star upscale hotel located along Ping River, around 10 minutes walk to the central area of the Night Bazaar. You can enjoy a peaceful atmosphere while still within walking distance from the action.
The hotel has a large swimming pool area, and a nice restaurant overlooking the river. You can choose rooms with balcony and river views to make the most of your stay.
5. Dusit Princess Chiang Mai
This 4-star mid-range hotel is located in the central area of Chiang Mai Night Bazaar right on Chang Klan Road. It is just a step away from all restaurants, bars, shops, and the night markets. Anusarn Market is a must-see place in the area, it has a food court, a variety of shops, and affordable massages.
Like many other hotels in Chiang Mai, Dusit has an outdoor pool with bedchairs and umbrellas for guests. The hotel has beautiful decorations.
6. Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel Chiang Mai
This 4-star mid-range hotel has a central location, in the middle of the Night Bazaar Chiang Mai. It is close to everything, you can walk to the night markets, restaurants, massage shops, bars, and boxing stadiums easily.
The hotel has a 24h-front desk, laundry services, onsite restaurants, and comfortable rooms. It has an outdoor pool, fitness center, and meeting room.
7. De Chai the Deco Chiang Mai
This mid-range 4-star and reasonably priced hotel is located near Tha Phae Gate, which is very close to the old city and the Night Bazaar. You can easily walk to the ancient ruins, city walls, gates, moat, temples, and restaurants but still in a quiet area.
The hotel has well-designed rooms with all necessary amenities and comfortable bed and linen. There are other amenities like a swimming pool, a fitness center, and an onsite restaurant.
8. ON Thapae Gate Chiangmai
This popular 3-star budget-friendly hotel in Chiang Mai is set in a pretty central location, right on the eastern side of the Old City. It is also within a short walk to the vibrant nightlife area of Chiang Mai Night Bazaar.
There are numerous night markets near the hotel like Sunday Walking Street Market, Chiang Mai Gate Market, and Anusarn Market.
The hotel provides fresh breakfast options with plenty of fresh fruit. It also has spacious rooms with comfortable beds, good pressure hot water, swimming pool and sun deck. It is overall a good, quieter and budget-friendly place to stay in central Chiang Mai.
9. Villa Thapae
This 3-star modern hotel is a budget place to stay near both the Night Bazaar and the old town of Chiang Mai. It has a good location close to popular points of interests like the Thapae Gate and Loi Kroh road.
The staff at Villa Thapae are very friendly and welcoming. They can help organise tours and transport for you. The hotel’s facilities like the pool and grounds are very well maintained.
10. Ban Narai River Guesthouse
This budget-friendly guest house is a gem. The hotel is located along the Ping River, within walking distance to the Night Bazaar. It is a peaceful place to stay in Chiang Mai while still close to everything. If you want a relaxing and simple room, this is a place to be.
The hotel has beautiful grounds with a nice garden oasis right next to the river. There are sunbeds, tables and chairs in the garden overlooking the river. Good place to chill out, drink, or read a book. You can tell the owner has put a lot of care and attention into the place.
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So there you have it, my suggestions of the best hotels in Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. Overall, if you want to stay in the heart of the nightlife or just want a central location, the Night Bazaar is the perfect place to book your accommodations in the city.