This is the second time my family and I have stayed at the Orchid Hotel. The first time was in 2004. This time, we were pleasantly surprised. Overall, the Orchid Hotel is a great value. We booked at superior room, but were upgraded for free to to a deluxe room. The deluxe room included free wireless internet, which we were very thankful for. Many hotels in Chiang Mai, including the Lotus Hotel next door to the Orchid, charge up to 600 Baht ($20USD) per day for internet access. The room was spacious, though probably needs to be renovated in the near future. The rooms looked like they were from the early 1980's! Still, the room was quite clean and comfortable. The bed was comfortable and the TV offered several channels in English.

The pool was quite large and had a small section for children. The hotel also offers a fitness center. There are several restaurants within the hotel as well as many choices within 300m outside of the hotel. The large Central Shopping Plaza is right next door which also offers many restaurants and a grocery store. The Orchid is located in the Huay Kaew region, which is a fairly popular shopping area. The hotel offers a free shuttle bus to the Airport Plaze Shopping Center and is just a short 10 minute taxi ride to the night market area.

I have stayed in Chiang Mai many times over the years and will definitely be returning to the Orchid next time we are here. It is a great value for the money. If you book a superior room, ask to be upgraded to the deluxe room. There is a good chance they will upgrade you for free.