Wanliya Resort

Wanilya is a clean and well looked after resort. The European influence of the Dutch owner is apparent. There is a large swimming pool (though it was too cold to swim in it in January!). A free breakfast in a budget resort is unusual, for that breakfast to include croissants and fresh bread is a big plus (apart from rice soup, there's noting else for breakfast, but at this price I'll take anything!) The only down side, as with any resort in Thailand, is that if noisy local families or groups of guys wanting to drink all night decide to stay, you have no chance of sleep. This happened to us on our 3rd night -just before a 900Km drive to Bangkok. Such are the pleasures of life in Thailand!

I have nothing bad to say about this hotel: it was clean, with the most awesome pastries and bread for breakfast, in a very cool and eclectic breakfast room - great pics and interesting works of art and musical instruments around. The room itself was very dated in its decor - throwback to 70's maybe? mint green paint everywhere, mint walls, old blue drapes, blue floor tiles, and old furniture, old-looking, ugly duvay bedcover, and a lumpy mattress. Why can't any hotel have good ole' sheets - hate those duvay comforters, but all the hotels use them now. That said, I was very grateful we stayed here, out of town - as I think Mae Sai is an awful place - and it was nice and quiet at Winlaya, save for the ever-present roosters, which do not bother me. We had bicycles, so transportation was not a problem, but we had to really search for a restaurant - couldn't find one, so we ended up eating pizza - yuk. The swimming pool was big and beautiful - too cold for a swim in Feb. Internet sketchy.

Wanliya Resort is very comfortable. Rooms are spacious. Very clean. The staff and owners are extremely friendly and helpful. There is a swimming pool and lots of greenery. Fast wifi. For breakfast, the owner, Leo, bakes up some wonderful pastries -- he is a master baker. Wanliya is an a quiet side street a couple of kilometers out of downtown. If you have a bicycle or other transport, it is perfect.

This was my first stay at the Wanliya Resort, Mae Sai. It is located just outside the downtown area of Mae Sai and too far to walk there. However, if you do have your own transport, the owners will loan you a motorbike to get you there and back or will call a m/c taxi to take you there which costs just 40 baht. If you have a car then getting into town and back is very easy. The Resort is about ten minutes from the border crossing point and is quite big and has a nice shaded swimming pool which is good as well as a restaurant but apart from breakfast that wasn’t operating during my visit In April 2013. The chalet rooms are large and comfortable though let down in appearance with very functional and cheap furniture. Another quirk was that there was an electric kettle but no cups or saucers and no tea/coffee making things. The shower room/toilet were ok. A hot shower was available though only cold water at the basin. Breakfast was self-help and taken in the restaurant which is decorated with all kinds of quirky and interesting artefacts. There was a hot water urn to make tea/coffee/chocolate, a cold water dispenser and warm croissants and Danish pastries and fresh German style bread etc to choose from which were all excellent. Someone will cook eggs any style for you as well. All in all, a great place to stay and far better than the impersonal and cold Chinese style hotels nearer the border crossing.

There isn't much in the way of hotels in Mae Sai, but this one is a refreshing oasis. The rooms are adequate, although taller folks should duck when entering the bathrooms. They do have aircon, hot water, and even a small mini-fridge. Mattress was pretty hard. Not bad for 22 bucks. There is also a nice pool and pleasant common areas that give the resort a nice feel. Breakfast was also a very pleasant surprise. The owner is Dutch, and is a pastry chef. Apparently won some awards, too. That means freshly made pastries for breakfast. Yum. There is really no reason to stay anywhere else if you are in Mae Sai, unless you have friends there of course... It also might be difficult to find at night if you don't speak Thai, so make sure you bring good directions.