A place to hang your hat

Billed as the �ose of the North� a compliment to the charming local women as well as the breathtaking landscape, Chiang Mai has the power to encourage both regular and first time visitors to stay around for longer than they� planned. A sightseeing trip for a weekend could be extended into a week-long holiday, while a romantic dinner with a local may possibly bring you one step closer to an investment in, if not a permanent move to, Chiang Mai.

Travellers likely to be in the Lanna capital for a while will obviously want somewhere comfortable to stay that� between a five-star hotel and a shared-bathroom guesthouse. They�l find exactly what they need at Kantary Hills on Nimmanhemin Road.

This hotel-cum-serviced apartment complex offers a comfortable choice of quarters on Chiang Mai� hottest strip. It� near chic bars, Warm Up and Monkey, walking distance from a mini Lotus supermarket and round the corner from the CMU Arts Museum, Starbucks and local coffee shop Doi Chang.

Just like the luxury chain hotels, Kantary Hills offers different types of accommodation, from studio rooms to one- and two-bedroom suites. Where it differs is in its degree of home-stay comforts.

Every room is equipped with pantry, microwave, cabinets and all you need to prepare your own meals. There� even a seven-foot-tall refrigerator to stock your own wine, beers and snacks.

The separate living room is spacious enough for a dining table that seats four, as well as a comfy sofa. Running out of clean clothes? You don� have to ring up the house-keeper. Just strip off and sip a cold beer while the washing machine does its job. Kantary Hill is probably the only hotel in town that features an in-room washing machine and a clothesline on the balcony.

The bedroom, in contemporary white-and-brown tones, is spacious and the bathroom has a decent size tub, plus shower and toilet.

There are two televisions, each with a DVD, in the living and bed rooms but the Internet connection is via cable only, which will disappoint those travelling with their laptops, as this effectively �hains�you to the corner for hours. With Wi-Fi connectivity, you� be able to move round your room.

�ometimes you can get free Wi-Fi on the balcony,�says the 40-someting porter, when I mention my preference for Wi-Fi. �r, you can get it downstairs in the lobby area.�

Kantary Hills is popular with Japanese travellers, and you will notice that all signs are subtitled in their language. Expect to bump into cabin crew from the airlines, Thai Airways among them, in the lobby and lift.

If you have time to spare in the afternoon, head to the swimming pool or work out at the fitness centre. On the ground floor, the Nimman Bar and Grill restaurant serves Thai and western food.

The bottom line is that Kantary Hills is about luxury serviced apartments. You won� get the pampering served up at the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi or the eye candy offered by the Rajamankha boutique hotel. But Kantary Hills has what every traveller needs: space and comfort with a strong sense of privacy. You won� bump into the group of tourists or cabbies waiting for customers. People who stay at Kantary Hills are far more independent than tourists and that� worth a lot.

AT A GLANCE

High point: A comfortable and contemporary hotel, with a strong sense of privacy, in Nimmanhemin Road - a hip strip of Chiang Mai.

Low point: There is no Wi-Fi Internet in room. If you really need a Wi-Fi, you have to purchase the over-priced package from the third party.

Find it: 44 Nimmanhemin 12, Chiang Mai

Pay for it: Studio room is Bt2,700 per night (Bt2,100 per night on weekends). One-bedroom Suite is Bt2,800. The hotel� monthly price (with water and power at your own cost) starts at Bt45,000 in Studio room. For a better deal, call the hotel or visit the hotel� website.

Browse it: www.KantaryCollection.com

Phone it: (053) 222 111