137 Pillars House Chiang Mai (+ Our Time in Thailand)
Happy Friday, friends! After spending nearly three beautiful weeks in Thailand, I decided there was absolutely no way I could condense a full recap of our entire trip into a single blog post. I thought you would have more fun touring my favorite hotel from our vacation… 137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai! From an interior design perspective, this was the hotel I was most looking forward to, and I’m happy to report… it exceeded our expectations and provided plenty of design inspiration. Click through for a gorgeous tour, to peruse my vacation photos, and to flip through a photo journal recap from other snippets of our trip. I hope you enjoy it!
Every year, Emmett & I save for a scuba trip. Living nowhere close to the ocean, this hobby has become something we really look forward to, and apparently- Asia keeps calling to us. Last year, we had plenty of diving & jungle adventures in Indonesia. This year, we opted for Thailand. We began & ended our trip in Bangkok, but explored many areas in between: Ko Lanta, Krabi, Railay, Khao Lak, Chiang Mai, Similan Islands / Andaman Sea, etc. While we were all over the place this trip, and strategically planned around diving- bouncing from hotels to boats and planes to taxis.
One hotel I had really been looking forward to since reading about it a few years ago was 137 Pillars House. In a sea of uber modern hotels, I knew this traditional place was the one I wanted to save for… my personal creative inspiration of the trip- even if only for one night. It’s the hotel I want to highlight and share today, because I know you’re going to love it, too! Think coastal Ralph Lauren vibes. Located in Chiang Mai, this historic gem dates back to the late 1800s and definitely gives a luxury boutique hotel experience.
The Property
It’s well designed, peaceful, accommodating (we asked for some extras… including late checkout), sustainable, and has won quite a few awards (best small luxury hotels of the world, best resorts in Asia by travel + leisure, and their restaurant even gained a michelin star in 2020). It’s a lovely place! I’m sad we were only able to spend two days and one night there.
For me, it was all about the design. From the architecture to the interior decor, you can tell many people spent a lot of time curating local sources to make this hotel feel exquisite, historic, and designerly.
Bedrooms
There are only 30 rooms at Pillars House and each one varies slightly. Luckily, since our friends were traveling with us, I was able to see two bedrooms and how they varied in design. Emmett & I had the green room, while our friends had a navy room… luckily, two of my favorite design colors.
Our room also shared an adjoining balcony with our friends, which was perfect for a pre-dinner cocktail hour. I actually enjoyed this hotel so much, I skipped out on antique shopping to hang here and have a pool day. Can you believe that?! We only had one night, so I didn’t want to leave, ha. Emmett came back with a vintage item he scored that day though, and I’ll admit- I had FOMO.
En Suite Bathroom
Yes- I am that girl on vacation who takes more photos of tile, plumbing fixtures, and millwork than of vistas, people, and food. I am who I am. This hand-painted tile needed to have a moment! Emmett knows as soon as we walk into a place, if I like it- do not touch anything until I’ve wandered around properly with my camera, ha. There was an indoor and a spacious outdoor shower that connected with a glass door and wraparound corridor… of course it was all totally private and beautiful.
The en suite bathroom had sliding pocket doors, a walk-in closet / changing room, a double vanity, full size hamper, and all the amenities sourced from the local area. I spent far too long admiring the hand carved wood, marble details, brass hardware, and gallery wall placement.
The Pool
Take a look at the pool! Can you even believe that massive living ivy wall? There is only a handful of pools I’d miss a day of antique shopping for, and this is one of them. FOMO or not, I stand by my decision. I ordered spring rolls, a banana split, and had the perfect day.
The Bar
As you’ve probably already guessed, the bar & restaurant at Pillars was also top notch. We did make dinner reservations and very much enjoyed our food, but after two strong cocktails- I forgot photo taking was a priority. I suppose heading to the historic bar before dinner was not my best idea.
More Luxury Accommodations in Thailand
Our trip was fast paced and adventurous. We switched hotels almost every night and didn’t stay at one place longer than two nights… honestly, there was no need to unpack since we were constantly on the move. We always pack light. Here are five other hotels we visited during our trip I’d recommend (I won’t bother including the ones we stayed at that I would not recommend). We really enjoyed the following:
- The Standard Bangkok
- The Tubkaak Krabi Boutique Resort
- Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (I visited the spa here)
- Thai Akara – Lanna Boutique Hotel
- St Regis Bangkok
- 137 Pillars House (this hotel)
I also think it’s worth mentioning- if you’re an animal lover or just want to be a good tourist while in Thailand… please don’t fall for the “elephant sanctuary” marketing. There are very few ethical opportunities to interact with elephants there and the one I’d recommend is Elephant Nature Park Chiang Mai. While we didn’t have time to go this trip, I was thrilled to see Pillars House supporting them, as my friends and I had researched that particular organization prior to vacation.
Snippets of Our Trip (A Photo Journal)
I also wanted to share a little photo journal outside of 137 Pillars House, since we only spent a couple days there. Much like our home, our vacations usually include high and low stays & experiences. One day we’ll be riding in the back of a pickup truck during a rainstorm, and later in the week- we’ll make dinner reservations at fancy white table cloth restaurant. You never know where we’ll end up.
FAQ
Most definitely! There is a reason Thailand is called the Land of Smiles. The people there are so friendly, warm, and welcoming.
We’d like to go on a shorter scuba trip next year and possibly do an archeological dive in Italy or Malta (think sunken sculptures and wreck dives… yes, please). One of our dive guides this trip was Italian and had us convinced. You know we love a quick Italian getaway. We’ll see how things play out.
Emmett and I both worked a bit. I will say- one of the best parts of this trip was discovering an incredible antique kiln and ceramic studio. I met so many amazing makers, immediately set up a trade account, and spent hours sourcing pottery to ship back to the Tuesday Made shop. It turned out to be my favorite kind of fulfilling work day… there is nothing better than meeting kind, talented, and appreciative creatives to work with. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does- it’s magic. I can’t wait to share the ceramics with you and I’m hoping everything will arrive very soon!
No matter my budget, I’ve always prioritized traveling. During my early and mid twenties, I’d stay in hostels for less than $10 a day, backpack, sofa surf, and eat inexpensive food. These days, we mix high and low… a less expensive hotel or meal to enjoy something nicer later in the trip, based on our set budget. I think it all depends on your priorities. I’d rather save money for travel than spend it on a new car or fancy clothing. Like anything else, it requires saving & planning though. We also play the points game! Check out this post for my best travel tips for good deals & upgrades.
The diving started great and ended meh, to be honest. We had high hopes of seeing a whale shark. We didn’t have great luck with the weather and visibility was low- but that’s nature. You never know what you’re going to get or see, but we still had fun! Anytime I get to be in the ocean, I’m happy. No complaints! We did a live-aboard… it’s kind of like a little floating hotel for divers, where you stay on a scuba boat at sea in a tiny cabin, about a quarter of the size of our camper. This was the first time I had the confidence to dive with my big camera and I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long… it made the experience so much fun for me (photos below)!
Did you see the new season of White Lotus is being filmed in Thailand? A little birdy told me the location for season four will be the Four Seasons Koh Samui. That’s one place we didn’t stay, but now I wish we would have!
I hope you enjoyed a peek into our vacation. I’m always thankful to explore new places, experience new cultures, eat food outside my comfort zone, and meet new people along the way. I look forward to our dive trips every year, but I am happy to be home- especially this time of year. It took me a minute to get back into the holiday spirit after having been in a tropical climate for so long, but this was the best time to visit for diving. I’m still feeling very behind over here (and still jet lagged), but I do plan to take the weekend to get some work done and can’t wait to catch up on the comment section. With that- here’s to a fun holiday weekend! Are you feeling festive? Doing anything fun? I’m also happy to answer any questions about our vacation in the comment section below…