137 Pillars House

A throwback to the refined elegance and glamour of 19th-century Chiang Mai, 137 Pillars House Chiang Mai lounges in the shade of living walls, towering palms, and secretive, screen-like greenery in the cultural Wat Gate district. Having lived many lives before its current incarnation as a luxury boutique hotel — first as headquarters for the East Borneo Company and residence of Louis Leonowens, son to Anna Leonowens of The King and I — today it’s a calm, enchanting oasis within reach of the neighborhood’s ornate temples, museums, and eateries.

Dotted throughout the gardens, the property’s 30 suites are housed within breezy teak houses. Creamy color palettes offset the gleaming, dark wood, with pops of tropical color and Anglo-Thai decor accents throughout each space. En-suite bathrooms with Victorian soaking tubs and sophisticated bedrooms with stately four-poster beds open onto tiled verandas gazing over the gardens, complete with daybeds for blissful repose.

If you don’t snag one of the Louis Leonowens suites with its private pools, a shimmering infinity pool, lined with sun beds on one side and a vine-covered living wall on the other, provides a restorative place to bask. Practice yoga or seek spa treatments (a Thailand travel must-do) at the wellness center, step into the jewel-toned Jack Bain’s bar for classic cocktails before gourmet dinners at Palette, and sip tea out in the quiet of the gardens during afternoon tea.