After a 10 day silent meditation retreat in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, I traveled back to Bangkok, then north to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is one of my favorite cities in the country and I’ve been pondering a lot of the idea of moving there lately. The flight from Bangkok just takes about an hour and 20 minutes and was incredibly easy. If you didn’t know, the public transit system of Bangkok has expanded a lot and now there is even a sky train to the Don Mueang International Airport. From Taling Chan station, the end of the line in the west, it only costed 42 baht (a little over a US dollar.)

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Firstly, as soon as I landed in Chiang Mai, I exited the terminal and found the Cross Chiang Mai Riverside Hotel staff kindly waiting for me. Before I knew it, we were enjoying a friendly conversation and heading to the hotel which was only about 15 minutes away from the Chiang Mai International Airport.

Arrival and Lobby

Subsequently, I arrived in the evening and was pleasantly greeted by the staff in the lobby. The front of the hotel is an artistic masterpiece. It feels a bit like someone’s private residence. Once seated inside, I was served a fruit juice, local ice cream, and a personalized chocolate bar with my name printed on it. This was a bit out of the ordinary, and I appreciated that they were doing something different. It made me feel special!

Hotel Design

Above all, no matter what angle I looked at the Cross Chiang Mai Riverside Hotel from, it was simply beautiful. Specifically, the main material used was a red brick on the exterior walls, but this wasn’t any normal red brick building. Depending on the area, it was orientated in multiple directions giving the hotel a very unique and intriguing aesthetic. For example, on some walls it was laid on an angle, which I wasn’t very accustomed to seeing.

These beautiful bricks were mixed with lots of other features including glass, open space, and lots of greenery. All this wove an intricate and stunning masterpiece of architecture that I fell in love with! It’s an Instagram paradise.

Grand Suite River View

For my stay at Cross Chiang Mai Riverside I enjoyed a Grand Suite River View. Specifically, mine was on third floor of the property, looking out over the Oxygen Restaurant and the riverside just beyond that. It was a very sizeable room indeed! It featured a massive and comfortable king size bed, large working desk, a lounge chair, extensive minibar with capsule coffee maker and tea kettle, huge closet with safe and iron, big balcony with sofa, and a large master bathroom.

Not only was this room beautifully designed in every regard, but it was also very modern. This included USB ports in convenient locations, modern artwork, and an overall feeling of freshness. In addition, other features I liked were the included snacks daily, evening amenity, and the indoor and outdoor slippers.

Master Bathroom

Subsequently the beautiful design continued into the master bathroom as well. Inside there was a dual sink vanity, large bathtub, shower stall, and toilet stall. They had both his and her toiletries separated in a box which was a nice touch. Overall, very spacious and comfortable.

Food and Beverage

During my stay at the Cross Chiang Mai Riverside Hotel I had several opportunities to enjoy meals at their Oxygen Restaurant. First and foremost, the dining room was stunning. Just like the rest of the property, it was very modern, clean and cool. Along with that, I felt that the staff did a fantastic job throughout every interaction which added to the atmosphere.

Oxygen Restaurant had both indoor and outdoor seating options available. Both were comfortable!

Breakfast

As a matter of fact, breakfast occurred in both an à la carte and buffet format. The à la carte menu was rather extensive with both foreign and local items, and where I found most of my nourishment. There were a few items on the buffet as well, but it wasn’t enough for a full meal just from the buffet alone (unless you really like assorted nuts and dried fruit.) Overall, I quite enjoyed breakfast and the setting along the river!

Lunch

In addition, I had a chance to experience their lunch bistro menu a few times during my stay as well. I must say that this is where I was most blown away by the food out of all of the meals. My favorite dishes included the Larb Pork Burger and Duck Confit. Not to mention, the cocktails were incredibly well-balanced as well, so I can highly recommend them!

Room Service

In addition to eating in the restaurant I also go to enjoy room service! Who doesn’t love breakfast in bed? It was delivered quickly and everything was seriously delicious, perhaps my favorite breakfast of the stay.

Dinner

Comparatively, at dinner, I noticed that the restaurant changed ambiance,. It turned into a more formal and fine dining experience. One of my evenings I tried their largest tasting menu with wine pairing. Overall, there were several dishes that I loved and several that I felt needed a bit of work. I’ve included photos of my favorites above. An area that they really excelled at was presentation, each plate looked lovely.

Facilities

Cross Chiang Mai Riverside Hotel’s facilities include a rooftop pool, rooftop fitness center, and steam rooms. These facilities are all gorgeously designed just like everywhere else on the property. I was able to take lots of cool photos at the rooftop pool as well as a nice refreshing swim one morning. This was a great spot to relax and enjoy time after exploring outside. The gym was medium-sized and included lots of good quality equipment, more than enough for me.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I had a fantastic stay at the Cross Chiang Mai Riverside Hotel! The design absolutely blew me away. I also loved how it’s located very near to the city center but not close enough that there was any loud street noise. Deep down I will always have a sweet spot for a luxurious design hotels like this. Certainly, the cherry on top was the very warm and friendly staff that I constantly met around the property. All in all, I am certain that you will love a stay at Cross Chiang Mai Riverside just as much as me!

Cross Chiang Mai Riverside Hotel

Hotel

369/1 Thanon Charoenrajd, Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000

Phone: +66 053 931 999