Huen Him Kong Hotel — A Lanna Teak House on a Quiet Temple Lane in Phrae Old Town
Phrae's charm is that it has kept its old teak houses and Lanna temples across a whole quarter — yet most of its hotels are plain concrete blocks in the new part of town. Huen Him Kong Hotel stands apart: a two-storey teak house with steep Lanna gable roofs, tucked down Soi Chumchon Wat Luang where a temple's golden chedi rises just over the wall. There are only 9 rooms, and guests describe it as closer to sleeping in an old northern family house than a hotel. Plainly though — it is small and quiet, with no pool or resort facilities. But if you want to wake up and walk into the old town in three minutes, this is a rare address.
Huen Him Kong is a two-storey teak house built in the Lanna style — dark-brown timber frames, steep tiled gable roofs, external wooden staircases up to the rooms above, and a red-brick courtyard in the middle. Frangipani trees and a small lawn wrap around it, so it reads more like a northern Thai family home than a hotel. With just 9 rooms in total, the atmosphere stays quiet and private. What guests mention again and again is the solid-wood flooring throughout and the private balconies that make a morning coffee easy to linger over. If you like a genuine timber-house stay, this is hard to find anywhere else in Phrae.
Rooms divide roughly into a Superior with a large bed and balcony rooms in both king and twin layouts. The decor is simple — a teak-panelled headboard wall, wood or clean white-tile floors, air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, a fridge, a kettle, and an en-suite bathroom. Beds are dressed in white linen with a navy runner folded into the small flower shapes you see in attentive little hotels. Balcony rooms open through a glass door onto the timber courtyard and the trees. To be honest about it — several guests note the mattresses run firm, so anyone who likes a soft bed may find them less comfortable, and the rooms are sized neatly for two rather than spread out like a suite.
One guest writes: "a beautiful, very clean teak house with a room that's just the right size and a balcony to sit on. The staff helped with restaurant tips and arranged a car without being asked. The borrowed bicycles made the old town an easy morning ride — Khum Chao Luang and Vongburi House are both within a few minutes. At night it was quiet enough to hear the cicadas, which is exactly what we came for. The wood floors throughout the room give it a warmth that a concrete hotel can't replicate. Worth every baht for what you get in Phrae. We'll be back next cool season."
Breakfast is served à la carte, plate by plate, rather than as a large buffet — which suits a small house that cooks each table to order. On some rates breakfast is not included in the room price, so it's worth checking at the time of booking whether it is bundled or separate. The upside of the location is that a few steps from the door put you among the old-town coffee shops and northern-Thai eateries. Saturdays are the day to aim for: the Kad Kong Kao walking street opens on Saturday evenings with local street food and live music, an easy stroll from the hotel.
The location is the real selling point here. The hotel sits on Soi Chumchon Wat Luang in Nai Wiang, the heart of Phrae's old quarter. It's a 2–3 minute walk to Khum Chao Luang, the pink European-meets-Lanna mansion that is the city's signature landmark. Vongburi House — another pink teak mansion — along with the City Pillar Shrine and Wat Phong Sunan are all within walking range. The hotel lends bicycles for free, and because Phrae is small and flat, you can ride the whole quarter of old teak houses and temples in a single morning. Wat Phra That Cho Hae, the most important temple in the province, sits outside town, about 20–30 minutes by car.
Guest scores land in good territory, around 8.6/10, with roughly 4.3 stars across a few hundred Google reviews. The consistent praise is for the teak house being attractive and clean, the generous balconies, and friendly, helpful staff. The honest caveats are worth knowing — many reviews mention sound carrying between rooms, which comes with the territory of a timber building: if your neighbours are loud you will hear them. Mattresses run firm. And because there are only 9 rooms, it books out fast around festivals and in the cool season. These are normal limitations for a small wooden house, not surprises if you go in expecting them.
On price, Huen Him Kong starts around ฿1,000/night for a Superior in normal periods, rising to roughly ฿1,500–1,800 for balcony rooms or busier dates. That reads as fair value for sleeping in a teak house in the middle of the old town within walking distance of every landmark. Phrae's high season is the cool months (November–January), when the weather is at its best, along with the city's larger temple festivals. Because the room count is so small, book at least 3–4 weeks ahead — sooner for the cool season.
The bottom line: Huen Him Kong suits travellers who want a slow, characterful Phrae stay — a Lanna teak house they can walk into the old town from the front door. You get a quiet setting, attentive staff, and free bikes to ride the temple quarter. But if you're travelling as a larger group wanting space, you need a pool, or you're a light sleeper who needs total quiet between rooms, this may not be the fit — Huern Na Na in town has a pool instead. For old-town location and teak-house character, though, this is one of the most distinctive places to stay in Phrae.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Beautiful, very clean teak house, well kept
- ✓ Old-town location — walk to Khum Chao Luang and the temples
- ✓ Generous balconies for a morning coffee
- ✓ Friendly staff who suggest restaurants and arrange cars
- ! Sound carries between rooms in the timber building
- ! Mattresses run firm
- ! Only 9 rooms — books out fast when busy
- ✓ Quiet and private — suited to a slow-paced stay
- ✓ Solid-wood floors and genuine Lanna teak-house character
- ✓ Beside a temple, with the golden chedi visible from the lane
- ✓ Free bikes make the old town easy to explore
- ! No pool or resort-style facilities
- ! À la carte breakfast not included on some rates
- ! Rooms sized for two — not spread out like a suite
- 💡If you're a light sleeper who needs quiet — request an upper-floor or corner room when booking and pack earplugs just in case → it's a timber house, so sound carries between rooms; if it's full and neighbours are talking, you'll hear it
- 💡If breakfast matters — confirm at booking whether your rate includes it or charges separately → breakfast here is cooked à la carte, plate by plate, not a buffet · if it's not bundled, old-town coffee shops and eateries are a short walk away
- 💡If you're a larger group or want a pool — rooms here are sized for two and there's no pool → for a wider suite or a pool, look at Huern Na Na in town instead, though you'll get less of the teak-house feel