Four-star Two MICHELIN Keys Near the old city, Chiang Mai
137 Pillars House
Thirty suites around a teak house of 1889 that once ran the Borneo Company's timber trade, close to the Ping River.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- Two Keys in 2026, up from one
- Suites
- 30, from 70 to 135 square metres
- House
- Built 1889; hotel opened 2012
- From the airport
- About 10 minutes by car
The hotel
The house with 137 pillars.
The teak house went up in 1889 as the Chiang Mai base of the Borneo Company, which cut timber in the northern forests and shipped it to England. Its first manager, from 1887, was Louis Leonowens, son of Anna Leonowens, who taught at the Siamese court. The managers lived here until 1927. Jack Bain later named the house after its 137 supporting pillars, an old Lanna measure of a family's standing.
In 2002 Panida Wongphanlert and her siblings bought it from the Bain family. A four-year restoration raised the house from six feet off the ground to fifteen and a half, and reused about four fifths of the original timber. Habita Architects designed thirty suites in the gardens around it, and the hotel opened in 2012. The MICHELIN Guide raised it to two Keys in 2026.
- The pool A lap pool 25 metres long, lined with green slate, beside a living wall of plants.
- Afternoon in the house Tea in the Parlor Lounge, a drink in Jack Bain's Bar and the Library Bar in the old house.
- Cooking classes Thai cooking demonstrations in the show kitchen, with produce from local farmers.
Rooms & suites
Verandas, Victorian baths and garden showers.
Each suite is named after a figure from the colonial era, with a tiled veranda, a free-standing bath, indoor and outdoor showers and a butler.
- Suites Rajah Brooke, East Borneo and David Fleming Macfie Four-poster beds, high ceilings, rocking chairs on the veranda. Suites start at 70 square metres.
- Terrace William Bain Terrace Suite A suite with a terrace of its own.
- Pool Louis Leonowens Pool Suite Two of them, with a private pool, a sunken bath looking onto the planting and garden showers. Suites run up to 135 square metres.
Dining
Thai cooking in the garden, Western in the house.
Restaurants and bars as listed by the hotel and the MICHELIN Guide. Shown for information.
- The Dining Room Thai, for sharing Courtyard over the gardens
- Palette Western In the teak house, with work by local artists
- Jack Bain's Bar Bar Named after the house's former owner
- The Parlor Lounge Afternoon tea Thai sweets with the tea
Recognition
Recognition.
- Two MICHELIN Keys 2026, raised from one Key
- One MICHELIN Key 2024 and 2025
- Small Luxury Hotels of the World Member
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by noon.
- Children Welcome. Extra beds for children aged six to eleven are possible in some suite types, for a charge.
- Pets Not accepted.
- Booking Reservations must be in the guest's full name, and names cannot be changed later.
Getting there
Flying to Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai International is about ten minutes away by car, and it handles both scheduled flights and private jets. Bangkok is a little over an hour's flight south.
- Bangkok 1 h 05
- Hong Kong 2 h 25
- Singapore 3 h 00
- Tokyo 6 h 10
- Dubai 6 h 20
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does 137 Pillars House have?
- Two. The guide gave it one Key in 2024 and 2025, and raised it to two in the 2026 Thailand selection.
- Why is it called 137 Pillars House?
- The teak house stands on 137 pillars. In the Lanna tradition, the number of pillars showed a family's wealth, and Jack Bain named the house after them.
- How far is 137 Pillars House from the airport?
- About ten minutes by car from Chiang Mai International.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Chiang Mai?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Chiang Mai, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Chiang Mai
Other hotels worth the trip.
- Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai Ninety-eight pavilions and villas among rice fields and a lotus pond, with three Keys for the third year running.
- Rachamankha Twenty-five rooms around a bougainvillea courtyard, a short walk from Wat Phra Singh; no guests under twelve.
- Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai A compound with the feel of the countryside, inside the city limits at the foot of the mountain.
- Raya Heritage Thirty-eight suites in riverside gardens, shaped by local artisans, with Northern Thai cooking at Khu Khao.
- Onsen at Moncham A ryokan-style retreat in the mountains, with a natural hot spring and private onsens in some rooms and villas.
- Tamarind Village Entered through a bamboo archway, around a tamarind tree some two hundred years old.
- Sela Chiangmai A Chiang Mai address recognised with one Key by the MICHELIN inspectors in 2026.
- Villa Mahabhirom Antique teak houses more than a century old, looking over the pool or up to Doi Suthep.
Staying at 137 Pillars House?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Chiang Mai, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.