My boyfriend and I stayed at Julies in March, and found the room to be decent especially for the price. 350 Bhat per night.
We had en suite which probably helped with the experience compared to people that share the facilities.
The room was clean, although we chose to use our own sheets.
I could tell that the sheets were washed, but were noticeably worn.
This property has a nice lounge area in the back which was great in the mid afternoon when it was just too hot to be out and about.
The bathroom has a western toilet with a shower in the same area which is to be expected. It was fine, but at times the water smelled a little funny, but it soon passed if you let it run a bit.
The breakfast was always good. I loved the croissants they served hot. It was also interesting with the honor system they have in place.
You just fill in whatever you have taken from the fridge in a book under your room number, and they add in any food you have ordered. You then pay at the end of your stay with the room bill.
I think regarding the last guests comments (assuming you were planning to check out and not pay for the nights you were away on your trip), they probably got upset because they ask guests to inform them the night before if they are leaving. They hold rooms for guests coming in, and do turn people away if they are not informed that the room will be open. There were line ups of people trying to get in each morning when I was there.
It may seem rude, but it's still a business, and that rule did not seem too unreasonable. Most places would just take your money in advance and not give it back if they were holding a room for you. (If this is not the case then my apologies.)
Over all the stay was better then expected. I was a bit concerned following the last couple reviews, but I went in figuring it would just be an inexpensive no frills kind of place to rest my head.
We did hear some people one upping their travel stories to each other, but we chose to just laugh and move on. Obviously those people just need to prove something to themselves. It shouldn't really reflect the place as a whole. Also no bugs to be seen, which I heard was an issue at some places.
My suggestion is to just take the en suite rooms, bring your own sheets and you should be fine. Just having the fan was bearable even in the hot season. Some of the AC units we saw in town were in much worse shape then the rooms at Julies and cost a lot more.
On a side note though, make sure to be very careful with your belongings at the massage places around the area.
I thought I was being safe having my bag right beside me, but I felt that the masseuse was going through my things while I was turned the other way. (She seemed distracted while giving the massage the second my head was turned, and then all of a sudden needed to go for two minutes.) I ended up checking my bag and did not see my wallet in the bag. The woman came back and saw me looking and I just said I was looking for my lip gloss. We went back to the massage, but I turned around and she quickly picked up my purse and put it in front of me. Then my wallet happened to be right on top of my things in my purse when I checked it at the end. Very fishy?
This was a massage place very near Julies.
I cannot really prove for certain that anything was taken there, but a travelers cheque did go missing that day which was a very strange coincidence. I just don't know why that, and not just cash if it was taken.
I won't really ever know, and I canceled the cheque just in case, Just take it as a warning, make sure things like that are always in your sight not just near you no matter how legit the place looks. Better safe then sorry, even if nothing did happen there.
On a lighter note, we really enjoyed going to the Elephant Nature Park while in Chiang Mai. You can book at their office just a short walk away on the end of Ratchamanka road near the moat. Some travel agencies will tell you they are full, or not available because they don't get a commission, so it is best to go directly to their office to book.
It is a bit more expensive then some tours, but I felt it was worth it. If you love just seeing and interacting with happy animals acting naturally then this is the activity for you. Very laid back, and a great experience. You wont ride them, but that can be boring anyway, and it's great to know that these elephants have been saved from unhappy lives.
Also you need to try a cooking class. We did one with the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School out at the owners house. It was great as well.
