Meliá Chiang Mai

If you want a big-brand hotel that does the basics properly and puts you a short walk from the Night Bazaar and the Ping River, this is the one I'd point first-timers toward. It sits on Charoen Prathet Rd in Chang Khlan, which is about as convenient as central Chiang Mai gets without being stuck in the old city's one-way maze. The rooms and suites are contemporary and calm rather than showy, which suits a place you'll mostly use for sleeping and recovering.

The rooftop bar is the part worth planning around. Go up before sunset, get a seat facing the city, and let the light do the work. There's a spa too, which I'd save for the evening after a day of temples and markets. What this place isn't is a sprawling resort with a lazy river and kids' clubs, so if that's what you're after, look at properties out toward Mae Rim instead.