Popular with couples, the RarinJinda is a quiet, smallish resort with an excellent spa and upscale Deck 1 restaurant that draw in a number of outside guests. The rest of the grounds stay quiet. The lobby is smallish and features dark-wood floors and ceilings and a few clusters of sofas and easy chairs in muted earth tones. Just outside the gym is another lounging area, with cushioned chairs and benches and a few tables laid out with magazines and puzzles. The grounds feature a large variety of lush plantlife, creating a jungle-like atmosphere. The most happening spot is arguably the hotel's Deck 1 Restaurant across the street, which draws in a young, well-dressed crowd and the occasional Thai celebrity. 

The RarinJinda is located on the east side of the Ping River, which is the less touristy side of town. That said, it's still only 10 minutes or so on foot across the bridge to the Night Bazaar and downtown Chiang Mai, and the airport is a 20-minute drive away. While the resort itself is set back from the road and feels tranquil and peaceful, the street in front of it has some of Chiang Mai's worst traffic and can be perilous to cross. The resort has crossing guards to help guests get across the street to get to Deck 1 for breakfast, but it's still an unpleasant situation and puts a bit of a damper on the otherwise pleasant atmosphere.

The rooms at the RarinJinda Wellness Spa Resort are elegant and classy and feature polished wood floors and large balconies or -- in some -- terraces with direct pool access. Big bathrooms have rain showers and separate soaking tubs and come stocked with high-end toiletries. All rooms have free Wi-Fi, wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, minibars, safes, writing desks, and big closets. Suites and Villas with whirlpool tubs are also available. However, one of the buildings only has a single elevator, which can be inconveniently far for guests in some rooms.

On the banks of the Ping River just across from the hotel, Deck 1 Restaurant serves up a free buffet breakfast in the morning along with sumptuous high-end Asian fusion cuisine at lunch and dinner. The space is popular with hotel guests and local diners alike, and is particularly atmospheric at night when it's lit up.

The RarinJinda Wellness Spa offers signature massage and wellness treatments. Perhaps the most outstanding is the Elements of Life package, which includes a massage on a bed of warm sand. The spa has a large hydrotherapy swimming pool as well as several Japanese onsen-style hot spring baths with minerals, a feature not found in other spas in Chiang Mai.

The resort has a large swimming pool with fountains set under a large lychee tree that has been shaped like a dragon. There's a modern gym with cardio and weight machines and a library full of books that also has a computer for guest use along with a giant flat-screen TV, games, and lots of comfy chairs and polished woodwork. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.