Bangkok: Riva Arun – A boutique hotel by the river

// Sponsored post – In collaboration with Riva Arun //

Riva Arun is a beautiful boutique hotel right by Chao Phraya River. It opened last year and the hotel has quickly become a popular place to stay, especially among American and European tourists. I have previously stayed at the sister hotel Riva Surya, which is one of my absolute favorite hotels in Bangkok, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to stay at Riva Arun. 

The hotel appears stylish and airy, and you can see that they’ve thought about every little detail, such as the 250 thread count bed linen. I felt like I was sleeping in a cloud!

The bathroom in white marble was super nice and since I always forget to pack my tooth brush, I was happy to find one among the complimentary amenities. There were 2 bottles of complimentary water in the room, as well as a well-stocked minibar, and every afternoon there was a fruit platter waiting for me in the room.

My room was facing the river and I had the most beautiful view from the bed. Part of my morning ritual was therefore to wave at Wat Arun on the other side of the river.

The neighborhood has a very local feel, but because of all the small hotels, which have popped up along the river in recent years, the area isn’t short of bars, eateries and cozy cafes. Riva Arun has its own popular rooftop bar and restaurant, Above Riva, where you can watch the sun go down while sipping on one of the tasty cocktails.

Right next to Riva Arun there’s a massage school, which also offers treatments. You can get a very nice Thai massage for a very reasonable price (420THB April 2017) and it’s possible to book massage in your hotel room for only a few extra bahts.

The hotel is in the old part of Bangkok, and in this area, there’s no metro and no SkyTrain. If you’re going somewhere near the river, you take one of the small ferries, but if you’re going somewhere in the area, you’ll have to walk or take a tuk-tuk or a taxi. For longer rides I used Uber and GrabTaxi, which worked really well.

From Riva Arun, you have some of the biggest sights in Bangkok within walking distance. Wat Pho and Grand Palace are just around the corner and a bit further down the street, you have the Flower Market, which is a great place to visit after dark. Chinatown is only a little more than a mile away, but if you don’t feel like walking, you can take the ferry which departs from a pier close to the hotel.

> Visit Riva Arun’s website