Riverawan Hotel — a riverside Chanthaburi hotel with a pool and river-view rooms at a price that works
If you want a Chanthaburi stay where you wake up, open the balcony to the river and can jump in a pool — but don't want beach-resort prices — Riverawan Hotel is a smart fit. It's a riverside hotel on the Chanthaburi River in Chanthanimit, opened in 2016, with 48 rooms. The draw is its outdoor swimming pool plus rooms and villas with private balconies overlooking the river and lovely sunsets. It's a short drive from the Chanthaboon Riverside Community and the old town, with free parking and airport transfers. Rooms start from approx. ฿1,100/night — good value for a riverside stay with a pool in Chanthaburi.
Riverawan Hotel is a riverside Chanthaburi hotel that opened in 2016 in the Chanthanimit area, on a stretch right against the Chanthaburi River. The property is split between a main building and a cluster of small riverside villas lined up along the water, 48 rooms in all. What sets it apart from a typical in-town hotel is that it has both an outdoor pool and rooms that face the river — a riverside, resort-like feel for far less than the beach resorts out at Chao Lao.
The thing reviews mention most is the river view and the calm atmosphere. Many rooms and villas have private balconies looking onto the river and catching the sunset. There's a riverside garden to sit in, and an outdoor pool with a children's pool that guests say works both for morning laps and for kids to splash in. Even though it's on the river, it's not far from the Chanthaboon Riverside Community and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception — a short drive or walk reaches the old town, so you get riverside quiet plus easy access to the city's food and sights.
"The room was clean and new, one of the most comfortable beds of our whole Thailand trip. Open the balcony and there's the river, the pool is great, the garden is beautiful and staff were very helpful — excellent value."
There's a good spread of room types by view and size — from pool-view rooms in the main building up to riverside villas with sunset balconies and larger suites around 40 sqm. Most reviews praise the rooms as clean, new, with comfortable beds and good views. The main building has a lift, while the riverside villas are low-rise blocks. One thing to know: if you want a full river view, ask for a riverside room when booking, since some main-building rooms look onto the pool or garden rather than the river itself.
On facilities, it has what you'd want from a value riverside hotel. There's an outdoor pool with a children's pool, a restaurant with room service, free private parking and airport pick-up/drop-off, plus Wi-Fi and a 24-hour front desk. The minor gripes in reviews: breakfast needs to be booked in advance (it's not a big buffet), the nearest 7-Eleven is a few hundred metres away, and some rooms don't include certain amenities like a toothbrush — small things you can plan around.
On scores, Riverawan sits in the good-to-very-good, great-value band. Booking.com rates it around 8.3 and Trip.com as high as 9.3; TripAdvisor is about 4/5 and it ranks among the top hotels in Chanthaburi. The repeated praise is the river view, clean and new rooms, comfortable beds, the pool, the pretty garden and helpful staff. The recurring criticisms are that breakfast must be pre-ordered, the riverside location is a little way from convenience stores, and luggage assistance could be better — all normal for a mid-size, affordable riverside hotel.
Honestly, this isn't a big beach resort or an old-town boutique. Its strength is the chance to stay by the river, with a pool and a nice view, at a price you can actually justify. Pool-view rooms start around ฿1,100, while riverside villas and suites run roughly ฿1,600–฿2,500. If you specifically want to sleep on Chao Lao beach, this isn't it. But if you want a quiet riverside base with a pool for the kids that's still an easy drive to old-town food and sights, Riverawan does that job nicely.
A tip from following the reviews closely: for the river view and sunset, ask for a villa or a riverside room when you book — the difference is real. Breakfast needs pre-ordering, so flag it at booking or check-in. And since the convenience store is a walk away, grab water and snacks beforehand. In the evening, drive or walk over to the Chanthaboon Riverside Community, photograph the old shophouses, then head to the Nam Phu market for dinner — easily done in one night.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Rooms clean and new, comfortable beds
- ✓ Lovely river view, sunset balconies
- ✓ Good pool, pretty riverside garden
- ✓ Helpful staff, free parking
- ! Breakfast must be pre-ordered
- ! Convenience store is a few hundred metres away
- ! Some rooms lack certain amenities, e.g. toothbrush
- ✓ Quiet riverside location with good views
- ✓ New, clean rooms and villas, comfy beds
- ✓ Pool and riverside garden, family-friendly
- ✓ Great value for a riverside stay with a pool
- ! A short drive/walk to the old town
- ! Luggage assistance could be improved
- ! Breakfast isn't a big buffet and needs pre-ordering
- 💡If you specifically want to sleep on Chao Lao or Kung Wiman beach — this is a riverside in-town hotel with no sea view → choose a beachfront resort if the beach is the point.
- 💡If you want a full river view — some main-building rooms look onto the pool or garden rather than the river → request a riverside villa or river-facing room when booking.
- 💡If you need to walk easily to the old town and a convenience store — this sits on the river a little out from the centre → if walking the old town is your priority, pick a hotel right in the Chanthaboon riverside area.