Hotel Review: Jansome House, Chiang Rai

With rooms around the 400-500 Baht mark, Jasmine House is very much a budget option for visitors to Chiang Rai. But with a convenient central location and clean, albeit basic rooms, it’s a hotel which provides very good value for money. Breakfast is also included in the price which is a nice touch for a hotel in this price bracket.

Rooms

I’ve stayed at Jasmine House a few times in recent years and although some of the rooms are showing their age, the beds are comfortable and the linen is clean. The interior is functional rather than stylish and the room I stayed in most recently had a slightly musty smell, but the air-conditioning soon got rid of that when it was switched on. Rooms also include a TV and refrigerator whilst the en-suite bathroom has a hot shower. The bathrooms could do with a revamp, but they are still OK and the view of Wat Jet Yot and the mountains beyond more than made up for any minor shortcomings in the room.

Facilities

Not too much to report in the way of facilities, but the price includes complimentary wi-fi which I’ve found to work well when I’ve used it. There are no lifts (elevators) but the building is only 3-storeys high so it shouldn’t present too much of a problem. Breakfast is included in the price, but if you are the sort of person who likes to wake up to a big breakfast you are going to be disappointed. However, it would be unfair to criticize a hotel which charges less than 500 Baht for the standard of the breakfast which consists of toast, a limited choice of fruit (i.e bananas) and coffee.

Location

This is where Jasmine House scores very well. The hotel is a few minutes walk from the bus station and night bazaar in one direction, whilst a few minutes walk the other way brings you to the bar area and the wonderful Chiang Rai Clocktower. The hotel is just across the road from Wat Jet Yot with some rooms on the upper floors offering views of the temple and mountains beyond. Despite the proximity to the bars and restaurants on Jet Yot Road, the hotel is far enough away not to hear any noise (not that Chiang Rai is known for its raucous nightlife!). See the map further below for full details of the location.

View of Wat Jet Yot from 3rd floor room at Jansome House

Summary

I stayed here most recently in mid-September and because it was low-season I didn’t phone ahead to book in advance. I was offered the walk-in rate of 400 Baht per night for a standard double room (including breakfast). There is also a 200 Baht deposit payable on check-in, but this is returned to you on check-out. If you want a bit more comfort or more amenities like a swimming pool, you should look at somewhere like the Wiang Inn, but if you want good value and are only in Chiang Rai for a few nights, Jasmine House is worth considering. They don’t have a website, but this also means that rooms don’t get booked out in advance and even in high season you should have no problems with just turning up on the day. If you do want to book ahead, their telephone number is 053-714779.

Compare rates for Chiang Rai accommodation