Lanna Hill House

... in Chiang Mai Province, Chiang Mai ...

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Services

1. Staff

Lanna Hill house is serviced by between 4 and 6 staff members, depending on guest numbers and the time of the day. Staff are either recruited locally or from disadvantaged hill tribes. They are fully trained and wear beautiful locally inspired uniforms. All staff are paid a fair wage, above the market rate. They also partake in a profit sharing scheme, which allows them to benefit from all food and beverage sales.

2. In house restaurant

Lanna Hill House recognises that food is a very important element of any holiday experience. We are fortunate to have khun Tim as our head chef. She is the founder of a famous Thai cookery school and she has been a regular feature on TV both in Thailand and abroad. She has developed a delicious menu with a focus on fresh food and local dishes and trained our staff in the preparation of her dishes.
Vegetarian and children’s dishes are available on request. For guests wishing to prepare their own meals, we will be happy to assist with shopping. We also encourage guests to cook with our staff if they so wish. All guests will be asked about food preferences before arrival so our menu can be customised appropriately.
Breakfast comprises a selection of cereals, breads and fresh seasonal fruit. Thai breakfast is available on request. A light lunch menu offers a choice of Thai dishes, salads and sandwiches. Picnics are also available for those who wish to go exploring in the national parks.
A feast is served each evening. In the morning guests are asked to select between 4 and 6 dishes, which will then be prepared using fresh ingredients during the day. A typical dinner might include a curry , a fish or prawn dish, one or two vegetables dishes and noodles and rice. Some dishes from our current menu include Red Chilli Seafood Soup, Snapper with Green Mango Sauce, Pork with Lychee Sauce and Roast Chicken with Pomegranate Glaze.

3. Coffee, Cakes and the Trust Bar

Northern Thailand is famous for its coffee. Cool mountain slopes are the perfect host to Arabica coffee plants and we exclusively stock northern coffee in our house. Both coffee and tea are available at no extra charge to our guests. You can either serve yourself or use our bell service (available in most communal areas) to call a staff member. A freshly baked cake is available every day on request for a small surcharge.
A choice selection of drinks is available from our “trust bar”. We ask all guests about specific drink preferences before arrival, so we can ensure the bar is properly stocked. During the day, drink orders are available from our bell service, at other times we operate a trust system.

4. Housekeeping

Our housekeeping staff will clean the entire house each day. If you wish to prepare your own meals, they will of course do all the washing-up! Beds are made up every day and linen changed twice a week.

5. Laundry

An in-house laundry service is available at a nominal rate (not an exorbitant hotel rate).

6. Internet and TV

A satellite internet service is available at no charge. Generally this is very reliable, providing a moderately quick broadband service. Wireless connections are available for up to 4 laptops.
Satellite TV is available in both the main living room and kids' play room. A wide selection of channels are available in the English language including five film channels, BBC and CNN news, up to 10 sport channels (all English Premier games are broadcast live) and a host of documentary channels. A small DVD library is available at no charge.

7. Family and nannies

The house is a perfect match for families. Most hotels don’t offer the space or privacy coveted by family groups, a problem you will not encounter with Lanna Hill House. Facilities for children include wooden high chairs, a wooden cot, two single beds with protective railings, a play room with multi channel TV and DVD player (also a small selection of toys and books), a kids' pool and mountain bikes. The house is located in an area with very little traffic and children will enjoy the opportunity to explore the local area by foot or bicycle.
We will be happy to prepare your child’s favourite meals. We understand that children can have particular eating habits!
One significant benefit for families is the affordability of trained nannies and child minders. We can arrange for as many trained nannies as you like to help you relax and enjoy your stay. For slightly older children, we can arrange for someone to help keep an eye on your children while you relax.

8. Massage and inside track concierge services

One of the joys of Thailand is the ability to experience massage and spa services at a very affordable price. We are able to offer in-house massage (advance booking required) and even some in-house spa services. If you would prefer to use one of the 50-plus spas in Chiang Mai we can make recommendations and assist with bookings.
In addition to our own activities, we can offer advice on tours, shopping, car hire and drivers, and restaurants. Of course the advice is free, but has tremendous value. You will be getting the inside track of what is best to do and see in Chiang Mai. Not what travel agents and guides tell you. This will ensure you get a truly authentic and unique view of Thailand.

Activities

Lanna Hill House is the ideal location to relax. The stunning scenery, climate and in house facilities are reason enough to stay at our house. However, we would encourage everyone to explore the local region. We have designed activities that will both benefit local people and prove very rewarding to our guests. This part of Thailand is an undiscovered gem, away from the maddening crowds and mass tourism. Our inside track journal provides reviews and recommendations for all that’s best to do and see in the Chiang Mai region. Once more, only as a guest of Lanna Hill House will you be able to experience all of these hidden gems. We want them to remain unspoiled, not to become honey traps for mass tourism.

1. Swimming

The house is equipped with a 10m salt water swimming pool. A children’s pool is annexed to the main pool and also doubles as a Jacuzzi. The water is sourced from a spring that provides swimmers with a cool dip all year round.

2. Mountain Biking

There are five mountain bikes available for guest use at no additional cost. The local area is a great place to discover by mountain bike. There are 4 local villages within 2km of the house, connected by quiet country lanes and small roads, nestled in picturesque countryside.
Alternatively, there are more adventurous locations within a short drive of the house. Cycle route maps are provided by Lanna Hill House. For serious cyclists, the rental of more advanced mountain bikes can be arranged.

3. Bespoke Tailoring

Chiang Mai boasts many fine tailors, capable of fashioning more or less anything you request at a comparable quality to anywhere else in the world - at a fraction of the price. The local village next to Lanna Hill House also hosts several dressmakers with experience in producing high quality garments (including for the ex-prime minister's wife). We stock a selection of fine locally made fabrics that guests can purchase. We strongly recommend that you bring your own cloth if you would like. We will assist with introductions and translations.

4. Dancing and Music shows

Imagine being able to invite a local dance troupe with accompanying musicians to your own house, while you enjoy an evening meal. This can be arranged at Lanna Hill House at a very reasonable rate. Traditional Thai dance is a joy to watch and there are a number of groups in the locality that come and perform at our villa. Routines might include sword and fire dancing (depending on which group is available) as well as elegant traditional dance. Although the dancing is unshameably amateur, you are sure to enjoy this rare treat.

5. Local temple visits

Chiang Mai is blessed with hundreds of temples. However, the experience of visiting them can often be rather sterile. Huddled together with other tourists and a tour guide reading from a script, it can feel like tick list tourism. We offer guests the opportunity to visit local temples and engage in traditional Thai rituals such as offering food to the monks and to personally meet and talk with them. You are guaranteed not to see another tourist too!

6. Golf

Lanna Hill House is located immediately behind one of Asia’s top Golf courses, Chiang Mai Highlands. Recently voted the third best new course in Asia, it shares the same stunning scenery as our house. It also boasts a fine restaurant that is open to the public and will shortly open a spa. For golfers keen to secure a booking prior to their arrival we will be happy to accommodate this.

7. Driving and Guiding

There is no better way to experience the real Thailand than by car. The roads are very good and outside of the cities they tend to be quiet. We can arrange for car hire and would recommend 4WD for those wishing to explore the national parks. We can also arrange for your own driver and English speaking guide if you would prefer. We stock good maps for those wishing to self drive. For those that would like to hire a private guide for a week or more, we ask you to book in advance. For day trips, we can arrange for guides after your arrival.

8. Nature trails and volunteer work

Lanna Hill House is fortunate to be located a mere 20 minutes from perhaps the best private nature trail in Thailand. Pang Soong Lodge is the base for a 4km nature trail with over 17 waterfalls on its route. It also hosts volunteers who wish to work with local villagers helping to maintain the trail, teach English and assist with tree planting. This can be arranged for guests wishing to have a rewarding hands on experience.

9. Other activities

We would encourage our guests to cook with our staff, if they so wish. Alternatively we can arrange for Thai cookery lessons in-house. There are also opportunities for private meditation classes and to secure private audiences with some of Chiang Mai’s top professors. For e