Bangkok: Riva Surya – Beautiful boutique hotel by the river

Riva Surya is an elegant boutique hotel on the lively Phra Athit Street right next to the river. The hotel caught my attention when I was trawling through some hotel booking sites (my favorite hobby), and I saw the consistently good reviews it had received. I am usually a bit skeptical towards user reviews, especially on travel sites, which doesn’t even expect you to verify, that you have in fact stayed at the hotel, but people’s enthusiasm about Riva Surya was so massive that it was impossible to ignore, so I made a reservation for two rooms, one for my sister and me, and one for my parents.

I was very happy with my decision because Riva Surya was nothing less than fabulous. The rooms were airy and stylish with plenty of light bursting through the large windows. Breakfast was served at the ground level restaurant, and we got up early to get one of the tables right by the river.

Phra Athit is one of my favorite streets in Bangkok. Even though it is close to Khao San Road, it is mainly trendy Thai students who hang out at the many intimate cafes and bars.

Student life can be loud and one of the only hiccups I had regarding Riva Surya was that one of the rooms we had, which was facing the road, wasn’t adequately isolated to keep the noise from the nearby bars out. However, in Bangkok most places close early, and if you want to make sure you’ll sleep undisturbed, I can recommend that you book one of the rooms facing the river. They are more expensive, but the view is brilliant and it’s really quiet at night. Riva Surya also has a restaurant, Babble & Rum, and a bar, Mezzanine Bar, but they deserve a separate blog post, so I’ll save them for later.

Riva Surya, 23 Phra Athit Rd, Chana Songkhram, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok