New Travel Lodge Hotel Chanthaburi — a central hotel with a full pool and sauna setup at an affordable price
If you're coming to Chanthaburi and want a place that's "right in the city center, easy to head out and eat and explore, but still has a pool to soak in come evening" — New Travel Lodge Hotel is a name Chanthaburi locals have known for a long time · it's a 3-star hotel on Rak Sak Chamun Road in Tha Chang subdistrict, about a 5-minute drive from Robinson Chanthaburi, and roughly 20–30 minutes' drive out to Chao Lao Beach or Laem Sing · what makes a lot of people pick this place is that it has big-hotel facilities all in one spot — an outdoor pool, sauna, cold pool, fitness center, massage room, restaurant, and karaoke · many of the rooms have been renovated, prices start around ฿1,100/night, and review scores sit in the 8.4–9.0 range from hundreds of real guests.
Overview and who it suits — to put it as briefly as possible, New Travel Lodge Hotel is a central Chanthaburi hotel that plays the "good value and convenient" angle well at a low-four-figure price · it's not a beachfront resort that puts you to sleep to the sound of waves, and it's not a stylish boutique in the Chanthaboon riverside community selling that old-town atmosphere · it's a mid-sized hotel right in town with plenty of rooms, and crucially it has facilities most hotels at this price don't offer in full — a pool, sauna, cold pool, and fitness center · the group it suits best, going by real reviews, is families driving to Chanthaburi who want a pool for the kids, travelers in town for work or errands who want a convenient place near the mall and restaurants, plus groups of friends or tour parties looking for budget lodging with common areas to use · another good fit is people using Chanthaburi as a stopover or base before heading on to Trat, Koh Chang, or the border, since the central location makes getting in and out of town easy · on the flip side, if you're after 5-star luxury, brand-new rooms in every corner, or a quiet resort feel close to nature, this place may not be the right fit, because it's a long-running hotel that leans on value over luxury.
Location and getting around — this is New Travel Lodge's clear strength · the hotel sits on Rak Sak Chamun Road in Tha Chang subdistrict, Mueang Chanthaburi district, which puts it right in the city zone · it's only about a 5-minute drive from Robinson Chanthaburi, which makes finding food, shopping, or catching an evening movie easy · from the hotel it's about a 10-minute drive into the Chanthaboon riverside community and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (the largest Catholic church in Thailand), while the gem market that Chanthaburi is famous for is around the same distance · for those who want the sea, Chao Lao Beach and Laem Sing are about a 20–30 minute drive away, good for driving out for a swim during the day and coming back to sleep in town · an important thing to know is that Chanthaburi has no commercial airport and no metro, so most travelers drive from Bangkok themselves (around 3–4 hours) or take a van/coach into town · this gives a hotel with free parking right in the center like New Travel Lodge an edge, because parking is easy and you don't have to circle around hunting for a spot in the fairly narrow old-town streets · one small note is that the road in front of the hotel is a city street with traffic, so there may be some road noise during the day, but overall it's not as hectic as the nightlife district of a big city.
"We picked this place because it's right in the city center — only five minutes' drive to Robinson. During the day we took the kids to swim in the sea at Chao Lao, and in the evening came back and let them use the hotel pool. Great value for this price. Parking was easy too, no fighting for a spot."
Room types and decor — New Travel Lodge is a mid-sized hotel with plenty of rooms (booking channels list around 100–140 depending on the source), split into several tiers · it starts with standard rooms and Deluxe Twin / Deluxe Double, the hotel's main rooms, a decent size for two · stepping up there's the Deluxe Suite and VIP Room, which are larger and have a sitting area, good for those who want extra comfort · and there's also a Connecting Room for families or groups who want adjoining rooms · the thing to tell you straight is that New Travel Lodge has been operating for a long time and has renovated some of the rooms (the info points to an update around 2016) · the result is that room quality "depends on which zone you get" — reviews that landed a newly renovated room tend to praise it as clean, comfortable to sleep in, and fresh-looking, while some reviews that got an older-building room say the decor looks dated and a bit out of style · every room has the essentials: air conditioning, fridge, flat-screen TV with cable, safe, free drinking water, and an en-suite bathroom with a shower · the tip from reviews is to state at booking or check-in that you'd like a newly renovated room, which makes a big difference to the experience, since rooms at the same tier usually don't differ much in price · for those mainly coming to relax, the size and cleanliness of the rooms at this price point sit at a level many people are happy with.
Facilities, pool, and sauna — this is the trump card that sets New Travel Lodge apart from similarly priced hotels in Chanthaburi · the number-one highlight is the large outdoor pool, which many reviews agree is spacious with plenty of room to relax around it — it's a spot where families can comfortably bring the kids to swim, and the main reason a lot of people pick this place over in-town hotels with no pool · next is the sauna and cold pool zone, which gets special praise; many reviews say it's well set up, relaxing to use, and good for alternating hot and cold after a full day out · there's also a fitness center, steam room, massage room/spa, and hot tub to use · on the entertainment side there's a karaoke room, good for groups of friends or parties who want to socialize in one place · other full-hotel services include free parking, Wi-Fi in the common areas, a 24-hour front desk, laundry service, and a meeting room/multipurpose room for banquets or seminars · to be honest, some of the facilities have been in use for a while, so they're not brand-new like a just-opened hotel, but in terms of "having it all available at this price," that's hard to find in central Chanthaburi.
Food and bar — the hotel has a restaurant serving both Thai and international menus, plus a bar/lounge in the lobby area for a drink · breakfast is a point that often gets praised in reviews, with many saying it's tasty and has a fair amount of choice for a hotel at this level · what makes it convenient is the in-hotel coffee shop/café, for anyone who wants to sit and work or have a morning coffee before heading out · that said, one of the charms of staying in central Chanthaburi is that food around the hotel is easy to find and cheap — from the Chanthaburi-style noodle (sen chan) shops the city is known for, to seafood restaurants, Chanthaburi desserts, and the shops in nearby Robinson · so many people choose to have breakfast at the hotel and head out to try the city's standout spots for other meals, which is an advantage of the central location that a beachfront resort can't give · overall, food at New Travel Lodge isn't something you come for to eat in the hotel itself, but a decent and convenient add-on, suited to a style of stay where you use the hotel as a base to explore the city.
Service and staff — service is another point that gets fairly consistent praise in real reviews · many guests say the staff are polite, friendly, and helpful — with hassle-free check-in/check-out, recommendations for places to go and restaurants in town, plus a massage service that some reviews praise as skilled · some staff can communicate in English reasonably well, so foreign guests passing through Chanthaburi can stay without trouble · being a mid-sized hotel with a 24-hour front desk, you can reach someone for help after hours · to be straight, there are some voices noting that service at certain times or in certain departments may not be uniformly consistent, which is normal for a hotel that takes leisure guests, tour groups, and banquets alike · but overall, the team's goodwill and willingness to help is a strength that leaves many feeling they got more service than they paid for.
What real reviews say (the good and the not-so-good) — pulling together Trip.com, Booking.com, Agoda, and TripAdvisor, the picture is fairly consistent · on the praise side: a convenient central location near Robinson and restaurants, a large pool with plenty of space to relax, a well-set-up sauna and cold pool that's relaxing to use, tasty breakfast, polite and helpful staff, free and easy parking, and crucially the value for the facilities you get · on scores, Trip.com sits high (around 9.0 from the reviews collected), while some platforms like Booking/Hotels.com sit around 8.4 from a larger review base, so the overall picture is good · on the watch-out side: the most-mentioned thing is the age of the building and decor in some rooms that look dated with the hotel's age; some rooms (especially the older-building rooms not yet renovated) have fairly firm beds and look plain, and some facilities have seen long use · most of these gripes can be solved by choosing a newly renovated room and setting expectations to match the price and the 3-star level, rather than being a big problem that keeps people from coming back.
"The pool really is big — the kids played all afternoon, and the sauna and cold pool were better than expected. The only downside was the room we got the first time round looked a bit old; once I told the staff they helped move us to a renovated room, much more comfortable. Next time I'll ask for a renovated room right from booking."
Price comparison and value — New Travel Lodge's starting price is around ฿1,100/night for a standard/Deluxe room in the normal price range, going up to roughly ฿1,400–2,200 for a Deluxe Suite and VIP, or during long holidays when it's busy · compared with similarly tiered Chanthaburi hotels like K.P. Grand, Kasemsarn, or Riverawan with comparable starting prices, where New Travel Lodge clearly has the edge is that it has a large pool, sauna, cold pool, and fitness center all in one place, which many in-town hotels don't offer · and compared with an in-town garden resort like Maneechan, which is a bit pricier with newer rooms, New Travel Lodge is better value on the numbers but trades it for the age of the building · in short, if you weight "getting full facilities on a budget + a central location" over "flawless brand-new rooms," every baht you pay New Travel Lodge comes back as good value, especially for families who want a pool for the kids at a low-four-figure price.
What to know before booking — there are several things that help make the stay smoother · one, state at booking or check-in that you'd like a newly renovated room, because room quality differs quite a bit between the old zone and the renovated zone, while the price usually isn't far apart · two, if you're mainly coming to use the pool, sauna, or fitness center, check the opening and closing times of each with the hotel in advance, since some services may have limited hours · three, the hotel takes both leisure guests and banquets/seminars, so if you don't want to run into event noise on a weekend, you might ask ahead whether there's an event on your dates and request a room away from the event zone · four, Chanthaburi has no airport or metro, so if you drive yourself the upside is free parking, while anyone arriving by coach should plan to call a hired ride in town · five, choose free cancellation just in case if your plans aren't settled, and compare prices across platforms since promotions vary by period.
Bottom line — from all the real reviews, New Travel Lodge Hotel is the best fit for those who want to stay in central Chanthaburi on a budget but still get a pool, sauna, and full facilities · a location near Robinson and city restaurants, a big pool families can bring the kids to, a sauna and cold pool that draw praise, and free parking make it good enough value that it's hard to find a rival at the same price in town · if you're after a luxury hotel with brand-new rooms in every corner, or a quiet beachfront resort feel, this may not be the answer, and you should consider resorts on the Chao Lao Beach or Laem Sing side, or a boutique in the Chanthaboon riverside community instead · but for a trip taking in the city and Chanthaburi's coast where you want a convenient location, a budget that won't blow out, and a pool to relax in after a full day — New Travel Lodge is a fitting choice, and the reason Chanthaburi locals have known this name for so long.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Central location, near Robinson and restaurants, easy to get around
- ✓ Large pool with plenty of space to relax around it
- ✓ Well-set-up sauna and cold pool, relaxing to use
- ✓ Polite, helpful staff and free parking
- ! The building and decor in some rooms look old with the hotel's age
- ! Some older-building rooms have fairly firm beds
- ! Takes both leisure guests and banquets, so weekends may have some event noise
- ✓ Good value, full facilities on a budget
- ✓ Newly renovated rooms are clean and comfortable
- ✓ Tasty breakfast, with an in-house café and restaurant
- ✓ Near Chao Lao–Laem Sing beaches, a 20–30 minute drive
- ! Room quality depends on the zone — ask for a newly renovated room
- ! Some facilities have seen long use
- ! Service at certain times isn't uniformly consistent
- 💡If you're particular about how new the room is — the hotel has been open a long time, the older-building rooms look old and the beds are fairly firm → state that you want a newly renovated room right at booking or check-in
- 💡If you're after a quiet beachfront resort feel — this is a central city hotel, not a beachfront escape from the bustle → consider resorts on the Chao Lao Beach or Laem Sing side instead
- 💡If you're sensitive to noise on weekends — the hotel also takes banquets/seminars, so weekends may have event noise → ask ahead and request a room away from the event zone