For the Yi Peng and Loy Krathong Lantern Festival, Chiang Mai hotels in or near the Old City and the Ping River make a practical base, and all eight hotels in our search sat within 2.1 km of the city center. Pick The Inside House if you want a small hotel close to the center. Away Chiang Mai Thapae Resort or Stay with Nimman Chiang Mai suit a mid-range stay, and Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel or Anantara Chiang Mai Resort suit travelers who prefer a chain-run hotel.

Who this list is for

This guide is for travelers searching Yi Peng and Loy Krathong Lantern Festival, Chiang Mai Chiang Mai hotels who want a short, practical list instead of hundreds of results. It fits best if you:

  • Are traveling as a pair, since our search was for two adults
  • Want to reach the Old City and the Ping River without a long transfer each night
  • Are planning a short festival stay of a couple of nights
  • Care more about location and booking flexibility than resort facilities

Families, groups or anyone who needs extra beds should run the search again with their own party size, because room options can differ.

How we picked

We used Agoda partner search data looked up on October 21, 2026. The search was for a two-night stay for two adults, checking in on the first day of the tentative festival window. We compared eight hotels from the results on distance from the city center, star class, review data, whether breakfast came with the offer, check-in times, room count and where each one sat in the list’s price order. Every hotel is 3-star or higher. This article does not quote rates. The table on this page shows prices from the same search.

Why rooms sell out for Yi Peng and Loy Krathong

Yi Peng and Loy Krathong is a Lanna full-moon festival with sky-lantern releases, krathong floating on the Ping River and parades. Old City hotels sell out weeks ahead because many visitors want a room close to the lantern and river events rather than a long ride back afterward.

The schedule is not final. Check the official announcement before you book anything non-refundable, and use the date box on this page as a guide, not a guarantee.

Which area suits the festival

  • Old City: Tha Phae Gate, Three Kings Monument and Wat Phan Tao are among the key festival spots. Staying nearby means fewer transfers on busy nights.
  • Ping River at Nawarat Bridge: a focal point for krathong floating on the Ping River. It is a good fit if the river is your priority.
  • Mae Jo: also listed as a festival area. None of the hotels here give a distance to Mae Jo, so if you plan to go, book transport in advance and check the organizer’s guidance.

When to book

Book as soon as your trip is likely, not once the schedule is confirmed. Old City rooms sell out weeks ahead, so an early refundable booking is safer than waiting. Small hotels have few rooms to go around, and The Inside House has only 31.

Hotel notes

The Inside House

At lookup time, The Inside House was a 5-star hotel with a 9.4 review score from 2,610 reviews, the top score among the eight hotels. It is on Samlarn Road, 0.8 km from the city center, which makes it the closest in this list. With 31 rooms, it suits couples who want a small base near the center. Breakfast came with the offer we saw. Caveats: check-in starts at 3:00 PM, and a hotel this small can fill quickly for festival nights.

Away Chiang Mai Thapae Resort - A Vegan Retreat

At lookup time, this 4-star resort had a 9.0 review score from 2,082 reviews. Its address is on Thapae Road Soi 5, 1.0 km from the city center, so check it against Tha Phae Gate on a map if walking matters to you. It opened in 2017, lists a renovation in 2026, has 67 rooms and sat near the lower end of this list’s price order. It suits travelers who like a resort setting and a plant-based concept. Caveat: as the name says, it is a vegan retreat, so check the dining arrangements if that is not what you want. Breakfast came with the offer we saw.

Stay with Nimman Chiang Mai

At lookup time, Stay with Nimman Chiang Mai was a 4-star hotel with an 8.8 review score from 7,295 reviews, the largest review count in this list. It has 133 rooms, opened in 2017 and is on Siri Mangkalajarn Road, 1.9 km from the city center. Breakfast came with the offer we saw, and check-in is from 2:00 PM. It suits travelers who want a base a little outside the center and do not mind a ride to the festival areas. Caveat: it is farther from the center than several hotels here, so plan how you will get back after the festivities.

Movenpick Suriwongse Chiang Mai

At lookup time, Movenpick Suriwongse Chiang Mai was a 4-star hotel with an 8.1 review score from 4,820 reviews. At 240 rooms, it has the highest room count listed here. It is on Changklan Road, 1.6 km from the city center, and is part of Accor Hotels. It sat at the lower end of this list’s price order, so it suits value-focused travelers who want an Accor-run hotel. Caveat: the hotel opened in 1962 and its last listed renovation was in 2016, and its review score was the lowest of the eight at lookup time.

Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel

At lookup time, Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel was a 5-star hotel with an 8.9 review score from 3,026 reviews. It is on Chang Klan Road, 1.5 km from the city center, opened in 2008 and lists a renovation in 2023. It also lists 24-hour room service, which is useful after a late night out. It suits travelers who prefer a Marriott-branded stay. Caveats: our search data did not flag free Wi-Fi or list a room count, and the hotel sat toward the upper end of this list’s price order. Check-in is from 3:00 PM.

Anantara Chiang Mai Resort

At lookup time, Anantara Chiang Mai Resort was a 5-star hotel with a 9.1 review score from 1,691 reviews. It is on Charoenprathet Road, 2.0 km from the city center, and has 106 rooms. It opened in 2005, lists a renovation in 2023 and is run by Minor International. Breakfast came with the offer we saw. It suits couples planning a special-occasion trip around the festival. Caveats: it sat at the top of this list’s price order, and check-in starts at 3:00 PM.

How to choose

  • Closest to the center: The Inside House at 0.8 km, then Away Chiang Mai Thapae Resort and Raming Lodge Hotel at 1.0 km.
  • Review-led: at lookup time, The Inside House, AMIRI PLACE HOTEL and Anantara Chiang Mai Resort had the top three review scores in this list.
  • Value-led: Movenpick Suriwongse Chiang Mai and Away Chiang Mai Thapae Resort sat at the lower end of the price order.
  • Brand and services: Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel or Anantara Chiang Mai Resort.
  • Breakfast: every hotel except AMIRI PLACE HOTEL included breakfast in the offer we saw.

The same search turned up two more options. At lookup time, Raming Lodge Hotel was a 3.5-star hotel with an 8.2 review score from 6,945 reviews. It is on Loikroh Road, 1.0 km from the center, and lists a renovation in 2026. At lookup time, AMIRI PLACE HOTEL was a 3-star hotel with a 9.3 review score from 1,970 reviews. It is 2.1 km from the center, but our data had few other property details.

Festival booking checklist

  • Free cancellation: The schedule is not final, so choose a rate with free cancellation and note the deadline.
  • Taxes and fees: Check whether the displayed rate includes taxes and service charges, and compare the final total before you pay.
  • Room type: Our search data did not name a room type, so confirm the bed setup and occupancy for two adults before booking.
  • Breakfast: Make sure breakfast is included in the rate you book, especially at AMIRI PLACE HOTEL, where it was not.
  • Check-in and checkout: Check-in is from 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM and checkout is at 12:00 PM across this list. If you leave the morning after a late festival night, ask about luggage storage, which several of these hotels list.
  • Getting around: Most of these hotels list airport transfer and taxi booking. If you plan to visit Mae Jo or the river, arrange rides ahead of time.
  • Official schedule: Check the official announcement again shortly before you travel.