Checking Into Sooknirund: The Clocktower Hotel of Chiang Rai
In the yesteryear of 1962, when the quiet city of Chiang Rai was largely unexplored, Sooknirund emerged as a peaceful hideaway.
Since then, the hotel has welcomed guests for over 60 years, making it the oldest hotel in the city. It’s been passed down four generations, and renovations were done a couple of years ago to preserve its elegant white exterior while giving its layout a facelift.
The entrance opens into a stunning lobby hallway with the sun streaming through the glass roof like a greenhouse. Fountains bubble gently while tendrils from lush vegetation hang overhead. In the central courtyard, lounge chairs are clustered under towering palm trees, and two daybeds on giant swings sway softly in the breeze. Idyllic, to say the least.
Sooknirund translates to “Eternal Happiness” in Thai (สุขนิรันดร์), and you’ll find references to clocks and time sprinkled around the property (even the key fob was enclosed in a clocktower plushie!), a thematic play to its unbeatable location in the town centre next to the clocktower roundabout.
If you’re local and driving over, the property also has a sprawling car park with guaranteed spots for guests. On a side note, all premises are non-smoking (IYKYK), but you can easily find dispensaries nearby.
Guest Rooms and Suites
Sooknirund’s 52 guest rooms surround their glasshouse and central courtyard, which means abundant daylight and brightly lit corridors. The property is only three floors high, and a glass-enclosed lift makes everything accessible wherever your room is.
Our airy suite was tinted in pale hues of pink and calming greys with a massive rain shower and bathroom (that rivalled the size of many Hong Kong apartments). The bathroom was also generously equipped with Thann amenities, from shampoo to body lotion. I don’t talk about it enough, but Thann is one of my favourite Thai body brands, perfect for gifting. They don’t have a physical location in Chiang Rai, but you can easily pick them up if you’re stopping by Bangkok or Chiang Mai.
With the suites, you get a choice of balcony or daybed. Our room faced the adjacent lot, so there wasn’t much of a view, but I loved unwinding on the daybed while sipping tea and going through snacks from the night market. Speaking of which, the sporadic monsoon weather didn’t allow for a day trip to the famed Choui Fong tea plantation, so it was an extra nice touch that Sooknirund included complimentary tea bags for a local experience.
For a more luxurious stay, the Sook Suites offer a free-standing bathtub and pantry space, perfect for more extended stays. Or if you’re travelling with family, the duplex Loft Room has separate lounging and dining areas so everyone can wind down comfortably.
Dining
The Memories Tea Room
Our stay comes with complimentary breakfast, a godsend for days when we don’t want to waste time hunting for food before calling a Grab to head out to further attractions, including a hot main dish, dessert, and tea or coffee. Just fill out the breakfast form with your specified dining hour and drop it off with the reception the evening before. I prefer classic Thai dishes, like congee, Thai-style omelettes, and fried rice, to Western alternatives. But mind you, whatever you choose, portions are enormous. To the extent I decided to skip dessert to avoid starting the day bloated.
Apart from breakfast, the tea room serves Western dishes all day long. Sip on piping hot mugs of local Choui Fong and Suwirun tea while basking in the warm glow of the afternoon sunshine.
The Forever Restaurant
As a frequent traveller to Bangkok, the gastronomy scene in Chiang Rai can feel very different. If you’re looking for a comfy Thai meal and are lost for ideas, the hotel restaurant serves Lanna dishes with produce sourced locally for maximum freshness. They also serve mu kratha, a Thai-style hotpot with a barbecue plate in the middle, giving you the best of both worlds in a meal.
Facilities
Library
Sooknirund has no shortage of common areas with inviting corners to relax in, but if you’re looking for a respite from the heat, the library offers a more secluded experience. The library oozes homey living room vibes for a lazy afternoon with a beautifully tiled floor and dark wood furniture set against a backdrop of handpicked artwork. Complimentary tea is also available in the adjacent sitting room, so you can skim their collection of books and settle down for some me-time.
Gym
As a family hotel, Sooknirund surprisingly does not have a pool on its large property, but they do have a compact gym space to make up for it. It’s equipped with all the essentials and more than adequate to burn off whatever snacks you’ve consumed at the night markets.
Airport transfer
It doesn’t feel like it, but the Chiang Rai town centre (and Sooknirund) is 10 kilometres and approximately 20 minutes from the Mae Fah Luang airport. It was incredibly easy to catch a Grab ride, but if you need extra help, speak with the Sooknirund team, who can arrange an airport pickup.
Bicycle Rental
Chiang Rai’s town centre is pretty accessible on foot as most of the sights are located within a 2-kilometre radius. But I’ve always loved pedalling down Thai streets, so if you’re up for it, Sooknirund has a small fleet of Toyota bicycles at your disposal. The main roads are wide and flat, and you can take your time to venture further than you usually would while enjoying a pleasant ride.
Thoughts
We only chanced upon Sooknirund because we had initially booked a riverside resort that was unfortunately cancelled due to recent flooding, which left us scrambling to find another hotel. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, after all. After getting reacquainted with Chiang Rai, Sooknirund was hands-down the best option for first-timers who want to stay within the town centre.
It’s within 10 minutes’ walking distance to both the Walking Street and Night Bazaar, and it is kind of a centre point between the famous trio, the White Temple, Blue Temple, and Black House Museum. In fact, on those sweltering afternoons, we were so grateful to escape into our room to take a break and freshen up before heading out again in the evening.
It wasn’t peak season when we visited, but we were surprised it was so quiet nonetheless. The open-air corridors and rattan chairs reminded me of colonial Georgetown with laid-back, neighbourhood vibes. Service was warm and friendly–considering the price per night, Sooknirund is an absolute steal and one of the most underrated properties in town.
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