Hotel Review: Thailand: Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

Hotel Review: Thailand: Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai
A decade ago, while hoteliers were swooping into booming Bangkok, Four Seasons sent additional scouts further afoot -- to Thailand's second city, moat-wrapped and laidback Chiang Mai. The first to tap the luxury potential here, Four Seasons set up in Mae Rim at the foot of the velvety green Suthap Mountains, unveiling one of the most lovely landscapes on the planet. A wise move as the former capital of the Lanna Kingdom has blossomed as a tourist destination known for night markets, night safaris and riverside restaurants.

Set in a jungle of tropical foliage and coconut palms studded with Thai sculptures, Four Seasons Chiang Mai unfolds a fetching scene every which way, starting with the open air lobby that spills a stunning view of the grounds -- the towers of the villas to the right, the guest pavilions on stilts to the left, and the rice paddies complete with wandering water buffaloes in between. Golf carts whisk guest past streams and over wood bridges to the spacious guest pavilions oversized bathing areas where glass enclosed tub looks out onto sculpture garden. Thick with gorgeous furniture and a canopied bed -- with private screened terraces perfect for dining or drinks -- these pavilions are romantic love shacks ideal for an amorous getaway.

If you're bringing the whole clan, you can rent out a spacious private villa of intricately-designed salas, wading pools and terraces that peer out onto pastoral splendor and tree houses; those in villas also have access to the resident-only swimming pool with its spectacular reclining Buddhas.

A half-hour out of the city, Four Seasons is a magnet for those seeking rural bliss, whether being stretched with Thai massage in the spa or learning the art of whipping up coconut prawn soups in the open-air cooking school. Visitors to the region should not dare leave before drinking in these heart-stirring views, even if only stopping by for a sunset cocktail from the lobby deck. Also famous: Sunday brunches at the on-site cooking school.