The Travelling Wee

We stayed at Katiliya Mountain Resort and Spa in Mae Chan, north of Chiang Rai, for one night in August as part of our family trip through northern Thailand. It sits on a hilltop above the town, surrounded by forest and tea plantations, and it is easily one of the most peaceful hotels we have stayed in with the kids.

This is not a glossy write up. It is what we actually found, good and bad, so you can decide if it suits your family.

What to expect

Katiliya is an all suite resort spread across a hillside garden. There is no main block of rooms. Instead the suites sit in separate buildings around the grounds, so you get around the resort by buggy rather than on foot most of the time.

It is quiet. Very quiet. We stayed during a low season and it genuinely felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.

How to get there

The resort is around 40 minutes by car from Chiang Rai International Airport, heading up into the hills near Mae Chan. The last stretch is a narrow winding road up the mountain, so if your children get carsick it is worth planning for that on the way up.

If you want to check flights and transfers you can look here.👉 Katiliya Mountain Resort and Spa

Where to stay

We booked two standard suites and paid around ฿4,400 for both, after stacking a few discounts. The original price for the two rooms was closer to ฿7,500, so it is worth shopping around for offers before you book.

On arrival we were upgraded to a Katiliya Suite, which was a nice surprise given how few guests were staying at the time. The suites are large and set apart from each other, which is great for privacy but means you are calling a buggy for most trips around the resort. You can call one to take you to the main building, the restaurant or the spa.

If you want to check prices for your dates you can look here. 👉 Katiliya Mountain Resort and Spa

The pool

The main pool has a depth of around 1.32m to 1.55m, with a seated shallow area at about 0.55m. That shallow seat area worked well for our younger one to sit and cool off without going near the deeper end. Older kids who can swim will be fine in the main pool.

Food and dining

We ate dinner at the Terrace restaurant and it was good. Prices were reasonable, in line with what you would expect from any hotel restaurant rather than anything that felt overpriced. The view from the terrace after dark was wonderful, looking out over the dark hills with nothing but the sky and the tree line for company.

Breakfast was à la carte rather than a buffet. We were told this was because of low guest numbers, which makes sense from a food waste point of view. It did mean the food was fresh and made to order, which the kids appreciated. It was also a clear sign of how few guests were actually staying there at the time. Our rough guess was under 10 percent occupancy during our stay.

The spa

My wife and daughter had treatments at the spa, which sits looking out over the resort’s twin lakes. They both came back saying it was relaxing and well worth doing if you have the time. With only one night at the resort, the two of them made a point of fitting it in rather than leaving it for a longer stay next time.

Getting around the resort

You do not always need a buggy. It depends on where your suite is. The pool is fairly central and easy to walk to, and the main lobby is close by. We walked to the restaurant in the main lobby without any trouble.

The spa is a different story, at least in our case. Ours was on the opposite side of the resort from our suite, so we called a buggy for that. If your suite happens to be closer, walking to the spa is doable too.

Facilities and upkeep

This is where we would raise the biggest flag. Not everything was in good condition. There is a kids’ pool, but it was closed during our stay. The same open air hut also has table tennis, a pool table and a small mini golf setup, and none of it was in the best condition.

Nothing was unsafe, but small things felt tired and not as well kept as you would expect for the price point.

Lighting at night

Not all the paths are well lit at night. That is made worse by the low occupancy, since you do not get any light spilling out from other guests’ rooms along the way.

We went for a walk after dinner and nearly took the wrong path more than once, ending up heading towards other buildings instead of back to our room. Part of that was on us. We wandered over to the open air hut with the table tennis, pool table and mini golf, even though the resort had said it closed after 8pm. It also has a small fish pond where you can feed the fish, and my wife and youngest had missed it during the day while they were at the spa, so we wanted to have a look. Worth bearing in mind if you are walking back to your suite after dark, especially with kids in tow.

Mosquitoes

Bring repellent. We noticed mosquitoes in the evenings, which is fairly normal for a mountain resort surrounded by forest, but worth packing for.

Things to do

The resort offers biking and hiking trails through the grounds, along with a private nature park where you can see deer and birds. We did not get to try any of it, since we only stayed one night and the spa and dinner filled the time we had. If you have more than a couple of nights, this looks like it would be worth building into your plans.

There is also a kids’ club, but do not expect much from it. It had barely anything set up and no extra activities running while we were there. Fine for a quick distraction, not somewhere to plan your day around.

Pros and cons

Pros
🟢 Peaceful hilltop setting with proper privacy
🟢 Shallow pool seating that worked well for younger children
🟢 Good dinner at the Terrace restaurant
🟢 Relaxing spa with lake views
🟢 Pool and main lobby are an easy walk from most suites
🟢 Felt like having the resort to ourselves

Cons
🔴 Facilities could do with better upkeep, including the kids’ pool being closed during our stay
🔴 Not all paths are well lit at night
🔴 Mosquitoes in the evening
🔴 Very low occupancy meant a quieter atmosphere than some families might want
🔴 Breakfast being à la carte only may not suit families who prefer a buffet
🔴 Kids’ club has very little set up and no extra activities running

FAQs

Is Katiliya Mountain Resort and Spa good for families?
Yes, especially if you want a quiet, private stay away from crowds. The shallow pool seating and buggy service both help with young children.

How far is Katiliya from Chiang Rai city?
It is around 40 minutes by car from Chiang Rai International Airport, up into the hills near Mae Chan.

Does Katiliya have a buffet breakfast?
During our stay breakfast was à la carte rather than buffet, which we were told was due to low guest numbers at the time.

Is the pool safe for young children?
There is a shallow seated area at around 0.55m that suits younger children, with the main pool reaching up to around 1.55m. There is also a separate kids’ pool, though it was closed during our stay, so it is worth checking ahead if that matters for your trip.

Do you need a car to get around the resort?
Not always. It depends on your suite location. The pool and main lobby are walkable from most areas, but you may want a buggy for the spa if it sits on the opposite side of the resort from your room.

Is the spa worth doing with kids around?
It is more suited to adults. My wife and daughter had treatments while the rest of us relaxed at the suite, and both came back saying it was worth fitting in even on a short stay.

Conclusion

Katiliya Mountain Resort and Spa gave us a genuinely peaceful night in the hills above Chiang Rai. The setting, the pool and how easy it was to walk to the main lobby all worked well for our family. The upkeep of some facilities and the lighting at night are worth knowing about before you book, but they did not spoil the stay for us.

If you want to check the latest prices and availability you can look here. 👉 Katiliya Mountain Resort and Spa

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