Hotel Royal Bangkok @ Chinatown — a rooftop pool on Yaowarat Road at a price that makes sense
If you want to sleep in the heart of Chinatown and step straight out to Yaowarat's street food in the morning, but don't want to pay a premium for it, Hotel Royal Bangkok @ Chinatown is the pick many travellers land on — a 290-room hotel right on Yaowarat Road with a rooftop pool and bar with city views and a 14th-floor breakfast buffet, all for less than the newer design hotels in the same area. It's about a 4-minute walk to MRT Wat Mangkon. From approx. THB 1,400/night.
Hotel Royal Bangkok @ Chinatown opened in 2015 and had a major refresh in 2020. Its pitch is right there in the name — it sits directly on Yaowarat Road, in the heart of Chinatown, in the Samphanthawong district. It's a high-rise with 290 rooms, which means plenty of room types and an entry price that's genuinely accessible. Most guests here are people who want to be right in the Chinatown action — up and straight out to the food — and who don't need a luxury hotel, just somewhere clean, functional and good value.
Rooms range from the entry-level Superior up to the Deluxe, Premium Deluxe Triple and a Family Suite. Most are simply furnished in warm tones, clean, with a comfortable bed, a fridge, a coffee maker and a TV. One thing to know before you book: the cheapest Superior rooms have no window — fine if you're just there to sleep, but if you want natural light, pay a little more for a Deluxe with a window. The other recurring note from guests is that the lifts are small and slow, so there can be a wait in the morning or at checkout.
"The room was clean and the bed was comfortable, but my favourite part was the rooftop pool in the evening — sitting there looking out over Chinatown was lovely. Step out of the hotel and you're eating on Yaowarat. Real value for the price."
The star of the show is the rooftop pool and bar on the top floor. It's the feature reviews praise most — the pool isn't huge, but the city view at sunset and after dark is lovely, and it's the kind of place that makes a hotel at this price feel like more than you paid for. The breakfast buffet is on the 14th floor, with both Thai and international options, and guests say the choice is good and the high-floor view is a bonus. There are two restaurants, a fitness room and free Wi-Fi throughout.
Location is the main reason people choose this place. The hotel is right on Yaowarat Road, about a 4-minute walk (roughly 260 m) to MRT Wat Mangkon, so you can take the metro to Hua Lamphong, Sam Yan, Silom or Sukhumvit and skip the traffic. All around you is Yaowarat's legendary street food, Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (Leng Noei Yi) temple, and the old-market lanes to wander. The trade-off is that this is a busy, buzzing neighbourhood — narrow pavements, with the noise and food smells of the street carrying into the night. That's the charm of Chinatown, but it's not the clean, orderly feel of Sukhumvit.
Honestly, Hotel Royal Bangkok @ Chinatown suits people who want to be in the heart of Chinatown at a good price, more than those after a brand-new, polished hotel. The building and some of the decor are starting to show their age, the lifts are small, and the cheapest rooms have no window — but if you can accept that, you get a central Yaowarat location, a rooftop pool and a breakfast buffet from around THB 1,400/night, which is hard to find in this area. A score of 9.0 from 1,498 Trip.com reviews and a TripAdvisor 4.1, ranked around #188 of 1,382 Bangkok hotels, shows most guests are happy with the value.
A tip from reading the reviews: pay a little extra to move up from a windowless Superior to a Deluxe with a window — it's worth it for how the room feels. Head up to the rooftop pool around sunset for the best view. And save your big meals for the Yaowarat street food right outside the hotel — it's better value and tastier than eating in the hotel every time.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Central Yaowarat location, step out to street food right away
- ✓ Rooftop pool and bar with lovely city views — a standout feature
- ✓ Excellent value for a location in the heart of Chinatown
- ✓ Friendly, helpful staff
- ! The cheapest Superior rooms have no window
- ! Lifts are small and slow, with waits at checkout
- ! Some of the decor is starting to look dated
- ✓ Right on Yaowarat Road, walkable to MRT Wat Mangkon and street food
- ✓ 14th-floor breakfast buffet with a good spread and city views
- ✓ Clean rooms, comfy beds and accessible prices
- ✓ The rooftop pool is a bonus rare at this price point
- ! Entry-level rooms are small and some have no window
- ! Busy neighbourhood — street noise and smells reach lower-floor rooms
- ! Small lifts with long waits at peak times
- 💡If you want a room with a window and natural light — the cheapest Superior rooms have none → pay a little extra to move up to a Deluxe with a window when you book
- 💡If you expect a brand-new, polished hotel — this one opened in 2015 (renovated 2020) and parts are showing their age, with small lifts → if newness matters most, look at a design hotel in the same area at a higher price
- 💡If you're here for location and a rooftop pool at a great price — this is one of the best picks on Yaowarat at this price → book ahead in high season and choose a room with a view for the best value