Malone Maranatha — The Only Moroccan-Style Hotel in Chachoengsao Town, With Clean Rooms at a Sweet Price
If you drive down Sothon Phatthana Road in Chachoengsao and your eye catches a brightly colored, curvy building unlike anything you've seen in Paet Riu before, that's Malone Maranatha — a small boutique hotel that sells itself on being the only Arabian-Moroccan-style building in the province, built from brick, stone, sand and metal, decked out in bold colors inside and out · It sits on Soi 2, Sothon Phatthana Road, Sothon subdistrict, Mueang district, about 3.5 km from the city center, near Wat Sothon and Robinson · There are around 24–25 rooms, clean and looking new, with free Wi-Fi and parking, plus a restaurant and a barbecue area to hang out in · Rooms start at about THB 700/night, the real guest score sits around 8.0, and Tripadvisor ranks it #2 of 8 boutique stays in the Mueang district
Who Malone Maranatha is for, in a nutshell — if we had to sum it up as briefly as possible, Malone Maranatha is a small boutique hotel in central Chachoengsao that plays the "character" card as its main selling point rather than competing on facilities · It isn't a Bang Pakong riverside resort that sits you down with a coffee by the water, and it isn't a big chain hotel with a pool and a full gym · Instead it's the only Arabian-Moroccan-style building in the province, built from brick, stone, sand and metal, decorated in such bright colors that it has become a little landmark on Sothon Phatthana Road · The people it suits best are those in town on business, coming to pay respects to Luang Pho Sothon, or stopping over for a night mid-journey who want a clean, new-looking room with an unusual feel, in the few-hundred to low-thousand baht range · Real reviews line up on the same point: the people who come away impressed are travelers looking for value who aren't hung up on fancy facilities, while anyone hunting for a staycation with a pool or nature views may feel this place isn't quite what they're after · Put simply, it's a stay you "remember" because nothing else in town looks like it, and it does the job of being a clean, sweetly priced bedroom just as well at the same time
Location and getting around — Malone Maranatha sits at 99/5 Moo 2, Soi 2, Sothon Phatthana Road, Sothon subdistrict, Mueang Chachoengsao, on the same side of town as the Wat Sothon area · It's about 3.5 km from the city center and roughly 5–10 min drive from Wat Sothon Wararam Worawihan (Luang Pho Sothon), which makes it handy as a base for paying respects in the morning before the crowds · A point many reviews bring up is the location near Robinson Chachoengsao, a short walk or drive away, with food and shops to browse in the evening · For anyone wanting to visit the Ban Mai 100-Year-Old Market or the city's Chinese shrines, those are a short drive too · Going a little farther afield: Paet Riu railway station is about 7 km away, good for people arriving on the eastern line, and Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) is about 45 km away, or roughly a 45–50 min drive · If you fly into Suvarnabhumi and continue on to Chachoengsao, it's closer than many other provinces · One small note: Soi Sothon Phatthana is a fairly quiet area, and the shops around the hotel aren't dense, so if you want a late-night meal you may need to drive into town or use delivery
"New, clean hotel, very friendly staff, and a building that looks unlike anywhere else in town · It's only a few hundred meters from Robinson, so it's easy to walk over for food. Great value for the price."
Room types and decor — Malone Maranatha has around 24–25 rooms in total, making it a small hotel that can look after guests thoroughly · Rooms come mainly in three types: Deluxe Double with one queen bed, Superior Double with one queen bed in a more compact size, and Superior Twin with two single beds for friends traveling together or working together · Every room is air-conditioned and non-smoking, with a fridge, LCD TV, wardrobe, clothes rail, bathroom amenities, towels and free instant coffee · What sets the rooms here apart from hotels at the same price is the decor, which brings in Moroccan colors and patterns, giving the rooms more character than your plain standard room · Many reviews agree that the rooms look new, are clean, and the beds are comfortable, since the building opened not long ago compared with the older hotels in town · The bathrooms are private and come with amenities, easy to use · For anyone here to work, the Wi-Fi is usable and the rooms are quiet enough to sleep soundly even in the city center · One thing to keep in mind: because this is a specially designed building, some rooms have windows or light openings in shapes unlike a standard room, and older reviews have mentioned that the windows in some rooms don't open very easily — if you like to open up for natural airflow, it's worth asking to see the room first
Facilities, pool and common areas — let's be straight from the start: Malone Maranatha has no swimming pool and no gym · It's a small boutique hotel that leans on clean bedrooms and atmosphere rather than resort-style facilities · What makes up for it is the outdoor common area, picnic area and barbecue area, where guests can come out to relax, do activities or grill in a laid-back setting surrounded by the colorful Moroccan building · The hotel has garden space and a terrace to sit out and catch the cool evening breeze, which suits the building's theme well and is a photo spot many people like · The basic services it covers are free Wi-Fi, parking for those driving themselves, and staff who can handle both Thai and English · There's an extra-bed service available (for a charge), but no baby cots, and children are accepted from age 2 and up · Pets are not allowed · Overall, judged by resort standards this place may look simple, but judged by the standard of a small budget hotel in town, having a barbecue area and outdoor space to relax in counts as a hard-to-find bonus
Food and the in-house restaurant — Malone Maranatha has an in-house restaurant serving English breakfast daily in roughly the 7:00 AM–10:00 AM window, for an extra charge (it isn't included in the room rate on every package, so check when you book whether your rate includes breakfast) · Beyond breakfast, the barbecue area is what makes staying here more fun, especially for groups of friends or families who want to grill their own food in an outdoor setting · For other meals, the hotel's location helps a lot, since it's near Robinson Chachoengsao, which has restaurants, cafes and a food court to wander through for dinner · Drive a little farther into town and you'll find local eateries and Paet Riu's well-known dishes — noodles, red pork rice and local desserts · One note: the area around the hotel itself is fairly quiet, and there aren't many restaurants right next to the hotel, so if you're hungry late at night it's worth planning ahead, using delivery or grabbing something to bring back before you check in · Overall, food isn't the reason to come here to eat in the hotel as your main plan, but it's an adequate add-on, and the location near the mall fills that gap easily
Service — service is a point that gets consistent praise in the real reviews of Malone Maranatha · The most common refrain is that the staff are friendly and attentive, which is an advantage of a small hotel that can look after guests more thoroughly than a big one · The staff speak both Thai and English and can help with directions to Wat Sothon, Robinson or restaurants in town · Check-in starts after 2:00 PM and check-out is before 12:00 PM, per the usual standard · Since this is a small property without many public reviews, service in some periods comes down to timing and how many guests there are, but the overall picture from the voices that exist is good and welcoming · For someone here alone on business or for a short stay, having attentive staff who can answer your questions fully is a plus that makes the stay run much more smoothly
Voices from real reviews (praise and gripes) — gathered from Tripadvisor, Trip.com and various booking platforms, the picture is fairly consistent, even though the number of public reviews is still small because it's a little property · On the praise side: the building and Moroccan-style decor that's unusual and unlike anywhere else in town, the rooms that look new and clean, the friendly and attentive staff, the location near Robinson that makes it easy to walk over for food, and the value in the few-hundred to low-thousand baht range · Tripadvisor gives it around 4 out of 5 and ranks it #2 of 8 boutique (specialty lodging) stays in the Mueang Chachoengsao district · On the gripe side: there are older reviews mentioning windows in some rooms that don't open very easily, a result of the building design being unlike a standard room, the fairly quiet area around the hotel with few shops, and the lack of a pool or resort-style facilities · Most of these gripes are things you can set expectations for from the start, and aren't big problems that put people off coming back
"Clean, new-looking room, a pretty building you can shoot from lots of angles · The only knock is that the window in our room didn't open very easily, but the air-con was nice and cold so it wasn't really a problem. Next time we're in Paet Riu we'll come back and stay again."
Price and value comparison — Malone Maranatha's starting price is about THB 700/night for a Superior room in the normal range, moving up to around THB 900–1,200 for a Deluxe or during holidays and Wat Sothon festival periods · Compared with hotels and stays at similar prices in Chachoengsao town, such as The Wish Hotel or Heaven Hotel, which likewise focus on plain, clean rooms at a budget price · Where Malone Maranatha has the edge is the character of the building and the one-of-a-kind decor, plus the barbecue area and outdoor space to relax in, which makes it feel like you get an "experience" rather than just a bedroom · At the same time you have to accept that there's no pool or resort-style facilities here, so if you value a pool or a riverside view, the Bang Pakong riverside stays in this set may be better value · But for someone who wants a clean room, an unusual feel, and an in-town location near the temple and the mall, on an affordable budget — every baht you spend here gives you back a kind of value that's hard to find in this town
What to know before you book — there are a few things that help the stay go smoothly · One, since it's a small property with around 24–25 rooms, book ahead, especially over long weekends and during the Luang Pho Sothon worship festival, because rooms fill fast and prices climb · Two, confirm clearly whether your booked rate includes breakfast, since the English breakfast here is an extra charge on some packages · Three, if you like to open the windows for natural airflow, ask about it or request to see the room first, because the special building design means some rooms don't open their windows as easily as standard ones · Four, if you're driving yourself you can relax about parking, but plan ahead for a late meal, because the area around the hotel is fairly quiet — use delivery or buy something to bring back beforehand · Five, if you're coming as a group or family and want to use the barbecue area, ask the hotel ahead about booking the space and equipment · Six, pick a free-cancellation rate to be safe if your plans aren't firm, because prices often change by season and platform
The verdict — from all the real reviews, Malone Maranatha is the stay that suits people who want a clean, new-looking room with an unusual feel at an affordable price, to use as a base for business or temple visits in Chachoengsao town · The selling point that sets it apart from same-priced hotels is being the only Arabian-Moroccan-style building in the province, with a barbecue area and outdoor space to relax in, and an in-town location near Wat Sothon and Robinson · If you're after a staycation with a pool, riverside views, or full resort-style facilities, this may not be the answer, and you should consider a Bang Pakong riverside stay or a suburban resort instead · But for a city trip or a business stop where you want a stay you'll remember, at an easy-on-the-wallet price, with welcoming, attentive staff — Malone Maranatha answers that need well, and it's the reason it still holds a top spot among the boutique stays in this town
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ An unusual Moroccan-style building, unlike anywhere else in town
- ✓ Rooms look new and clean, beds are comfortable
- ✓ Friendly, attentive staff who speak Thai and English
- ✓ Near Robinson and Wat Sothon, easy to get around town
- ! No swimming pool or gym
- ! Fairly quiet area around the hotel, few shops
- ! Windows in some rooms don't open very easily, owing to the building design
- ✓ Good value among boutique stays in town
- ✓ Has a barbecue area and outdoor space to relax in
- ✓ A photogenic building from many angles, decor with character
- ✓ Free parking, good for those driving themselves
- ! English breakfast is an extra charge on some packages
- ! Limited rooms (24–25), fills fast in festival periods
- ! Few late-night restaurants around the hotel, plan ahead
- 💡If you want a staycation with a pool or riverside views — this place has no resort-style facilities → try a Bang Pakong riverside stay in this set instead
- 💡If you like to open the windows for natural airflow — the special building design means some rooms don't open their windows easily → ask about it or request to see the room at check-in
- 💡If you're coming during the Wat Sothon worship festival — this small property has limited rooms and prices climb → book ahead and lock in a free-cancellation rate