137 Pillars House Chiang Mai

An all-suite boutique hotel built around a restored 1880s teak house on the east bank of the Ping River.

137 Pillars House takes its name from the teak pillars that hold up its centrepiece: a raised teak homestead built in the late 1880s as the Chiang Mai base of the British Borneo Company. Its first occupant was Louis Leonowens, the company manager and son of Anna Leonowens of Anna and the King fame, and company managers lived here until the late 1920s. The Wongphanlert family bought the house in 2002 and spent four years restoring it, raising it on reinforced pillars and reusing much of the original timber, before opening it in 2012 as a hotel of 30 suites set in tropical gardens.

All accommodation is in suites, set in buildings arranged around the old house and its gardens. Even the entry-level Rajah Brooke Suite is 70 square metres, with a balcony, Victorian bathtub and both indoor and outdoor garden showers. The East Borneo and D.F. MacFie suites add a little more space and a sofa bed for a third guest, the William Bain Terrace Suite has a separate living room and a sunken bath overlooking the garden, and the Louis Leonowens Pool Suites come with their own private pool.

Dining is split between two restaurants and a bar. Palette serves gourmet, farm-to-kitchen cooking with wine pairings, while The Dining Room focuses on Thai and Lanna dishes made with organic ingredients and hosts the harvest breakfast table, either indoors or al fresco. Jack Bain's Bar, inside the old house and named after a former resident, opens in the evening for classic and contemporary cocktails. Afternoon tea is served in the house or in the gardens, and private dining can be arranged around the grounds.

The 25-metre pool is long enough for proper laps and has poolside drinks and light meals. The Nitra Serenity Centre offers Thai, hot stone and facial massages, and the air-conditioned gym is open 24 hours. There is also a library and quiet corners of the garden that guests use for yoga or simply reading.

The hotel sits in the Wat Ket neighbourhood on the east side of the Ping River, a leafy, low-key area with old shophouses, cafes and the riverside temple Wat Ket Karam a few minutes' walk away. Warorot Market and the Night Bazaar are across the river within about a kilometre, and Tha Phae Gate and the Old City are a short Grab or tuk-tuk ride away. Chiang Mai International Airport is typically around 20 minutes by car, depending on traffic.

It suits couples, honeymooners and travellers with an interest in history who want space, service and calm over a busy scene. It is not for anyone on a tight budget, and those who want to step straight out into the Old City's temples and bars may prefer a base inside the moat.

A few tips: if you want your own pool, book a Louis Leonowens suite well ahead, as pool suites are few. Ask about the Teak Wallah Collection, a curated Chiang Mai itinerary that links the house to the Borneo Company story, and reserve Palette for dinner rather than relying on a walk-in on busy evenings.