I recently booked the David McFleming Suite at 137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai, expecting an open, spacious setting with suite-level services and a personal butler, based on the price tag of around $700 USD per night. What I found instead was a series of disappointments. The suite, despite looking spacious and bright on the website, was located downstairs and surrounded by trees, leaving it dark and tight. The advertised deck windows didn't open, contributing to a stale smell in the room. Even if they had opened, the compact surrounding trees would have made no difference. Upon addressing my concerns, the response seemed somewhat indifferent. When I pointed out the room discrepancies compared to online images, the solutions were to either downgrade or upgrade for an additional 6400 THB ($200 USD) per night. Seeking to view the upgraded room via my appointed butler, I was instead shown around by a different staff member unexpectedly, which deviated from the personal butler experience promised. The worst was when this staff member told me that they will offer $200 usd for an upgrade as a ‘special’ discounted price, which I knew this was not true, as the assistant manager had read this same amount from a price list earlier. Despite discussing this with my butler, Mr. T, the matter wasn’t resolved to satisfaction. The staff member's handling of the situation was deceptive, lacked consistent care, and appeared dismissive. Following this, my interactions with Mr. T ceased entirely. He never acknowledged me thereafter, even neglecting to inform me about the late checkout as he had previously promised. Other aspects like the breakfast buffet didn't meet the expected standard for a luxury hotel. Additionally, my special occasion remained unnoticed. To add to the concerns, after using the outdoor shower just once on our first day, it became blocked. Despite the ongoing issue, no one addressed the problem during our entire stay, rendering it unusable after that initial use. I've had the pleasure of experiencing several luxury establishments in Thailand, and my expectations, based on those, were unfortunately not met at this hotel. The room, food, ambiance, and notably the service, were not up to the mark. I'd advise travelers to consider their options carefully before selecting this hotel. Even though it's branded as a 5-star luxury establishment offering top-notch personalized service, the value for money is questionable. Chiang Mai boasts other options that might deliver a more authentic luxury experience.…
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.