Tucked away on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, Riva Arun is an intimate 25-room boutique hotel that opened in 2016. Rather than building a generic modern high-rise, developers beautifully restored a historic commercial building, transforming it into a peaceful sanctuary that feels worlds away from Bangkok’s relentless energy.
The architecture is a striking nod to the past, blending Chino-Colonial design with contemporary minimalism. Inside, you’ll find elegant carved wooden interiors, ornate ironwork, and subtle shades of green, giving it a nostalgic, old-world charm. Guests are even greeted with Kleeb Lamduan, traditional Thai shortbread cookies shaped like flowers, immediately setting a culturally rich tone.
The hotel’s absolute superpower is its positioning directly across the water from Wat Arun, the iconic Temple of Dawn. Many of the rooms feature private balconies and outdoor jacuzzis that frame this view perfectly. Because of the building’s placement at a sharp bend in the river, its rooftop restaurant, Above Riva, treats diners to a stunning 3-sided panorama. It is widely considered one of the best intimate spots in the city to watch the sunset illuminate the temple’s porcelain spires.
Expert reviews
“With floor-to-ceiling windows in its 25 rooms and a lively rooftop restaurant with river views, the new Riva Arun makes for a great spot to soak in the scenery.”
“Riva Arun is a small, smart riverside boutique property, located in a historic Chinese shop house right in the heart of Bangkok’s historic centre, facing spectacular Wat Arun. It features just 25 bright rooms and a beautiful roof terrace restaurant with a tasty Thai-Western fusion menu.”
What guests liked
- Rooftop restaurant
- Friendly staff
- Comfortable beds
- Great views
- Top location
Location
Recent guest reviews
7 January 2026
A highly recommend Hotel with exceptional views.
Excellent hotel, staff couldn't do enough for you. Food was lovely. And the restaurant has exceptional views of the temples. Rooms were air-conditioned, clean and tidy with toiletries and water included. Within easy reach of the grand palace, & reclining buddy and a short, cheap (5bht) ferry ride to Wat Arun. The tourist boat pier is also close by for easy access to other attractions on the river. Would definitely recommend ☺️
Nothing
25 November 2025
Riva Arun was a fantastic hotel. The staff were amazing. The food and drinks were great and the view is unbelievable!!
The location is exceptional and the staff was super friendly
The spa didn’t stay filled so we had to fill it each day
13 November 2025
The best stay in Bangkok!
Everything
The location is amazing with Wat Arun across the river and the palace right behind. The staff is amazing and the dining excellent.
9 November 2025
Good place close to some of the main tourist spots.
Great location. Close to river and Grand Palace. Rooftop restaurant has some wonderful views of the surroundings. Staff were very helpful.
Room was compact. City View was of adjacent alley.
4 November 2025
Beauty in all directions with a connection to history in the present day.
Location is superb and the staff is always kind and thoughtful. They also have an excellent restaurant.
We continue to stay there whenever we are in Bangkok and recommend it to our friends.
We continue to stay
28 October 2025
Great hotel and location. The staff were very helpful.
The location was perfect and walkable to many sites.
2 October 2025
Perfect location if you want to be near the palaces and temples and the river.
Great view of the temple WatArun from our window.
A bedside table for both sides of the bed.
26 September 2025
We had a comfortable stay with the great view of the Wat Arun.
We tried breakfast and it was great, good value for your money. Service was exceptional.
None
3 September 2025
Over all it was very good!!! I will stay again.
Location
The bathroom
30 August 2025
Riva Arun Amazingness
I absolutely adore the location and view from the private balcony across the Chao Phraya of the Wat Arun.
24 August 2025
Great location and excellent service.
Excellent service, location to get around with lots of local eateries, close to the flower market and just next to the River.
6 August 2025
Wonderful city hotel.
Lovely staff, incredibly friendly and helpful, wonderful view, great breakfast. Perfect sleepover after the long flight before moving on.
Nothing!
31 July 2025
One of the best places I've ever stayed!
We stayed in the main Villa with private pool. It was AMAZING! Literally built on the granite rock with large boulders inside the building. Stunning! Super comfortable. And the staff were so incredibly helpful and friendly.
It was all great! The only small downside is that the water is very shallow for about 50 to 100 yards out, especially during low tide so it's not a great location for swimming or snorkeling. You can definitely swim around a bit when the tide is up, but there are better places not too far away for that. They have paddle boards and kayaks which are perfect for paddling around the boulders along the coast. And the pools are great.
5 July 2025
Great place to stay
Clean and centrally located!!
The staff were amazing
Not really anything
15 June 2025
Give Arun a Run!
Wonderful location. Rooftop restuarant for our breakfast was breath taking. Breakfast options were delicious. Staff was super helpful and ready to answer any question.
I would suggest they remove the rug at the foot of the bed. It seems like it is hard to keep clean.
11 May 2025
Perfect old town location with clean and comfortable rooms.
Perfect location for a short visit to Bangkok for visiting the old town attractions. Walking distance for the key temples and palace. Don’t be put off by exterior small lane access and appearance. There are lots of nice cafes and restaurants nearby. Quirky but clean and functional rooms and nice rooftop bar with fantastic view over river, Wat Arun and the royal palace. Happened to be there during Songkran and the hotel kindly provided some essentials including a waterproof phone case!
1 May 2025
The staff was extremely attentive, building and rooms were very clean. We really enjoyed the rooftop restaurant, very re
Very clean, decor was very nice
Nothing
10 April 2025
Great location and staff but just a bit pricey.
We had a great view over the river to Wat Arun on the opposite side. Location was great for visiting the main temples and Grand Palace.
Room was a little cramped and only had one bedside table. Price of wine on the roof bar was too expensive.
1 March 2025
Very nice hotel in a great location
Nice and clean room with a VERY comfortable bed and pillows. The room was small but I knew that when I booked. Not really a great place to put luggage in the room but it's fine for a night or two. The location is great right by the river and Grand Palace. My room had a stunning view of Wat Arun. There are several restaurants right next door so it's a little noisy until ~9p but then very quiet. The room was very quiet in general as I did not hear one door close outside my room and not one person out in the hall. The staff were very kind and helpful
20 February 2025
Beautiful roof terrace to the watch sunset
We stayed in the Riva Arun Premium Jacuzzi Suite on the 4th floor and what a view which was perfect to watch the sunset. fabulous location opposite Wat Arun. Location was good near Grand palace & Wat Pho Buddhist temple. Staff were very friendly and helpful. All exceeded our expectations Would definitely go back again if we visited Bangkok again.
n/a
18 February 2025
Wonderful stay in a great room with great views. Highly recommend!
Breakfast was yummy and the views were great! Originally didn’t plan to have breakfast there but it was so convenient and worth it
Nothing honestly
13 February 2025
Great view over the river
Had a lovely room looking directly over the river
Staff are excellent at the hotel
Great place to stay
12 February 2025
Jacuzzi suite was perfect
Fabulous location opposite Wat Arun, we had a jacuzzi suite which was perfect to watch the sunset.
Close to all the attractions.
The restaurant was amazing.
Great quality food.
Staff were all very friendly.
The jacuzzi suite was stunning. Well worth paying extra for.
Nothing, it was perfect for a 1 night stay.
14 January 2025
Great visit to Bangkok. Walking distance to important sites
Comfortable room with crazy view of wat arun. Excellent restaurant. Kind and attentive staff
N/a
10 January 2025
We couldn't have asked for a better experience, thanks to the staff. They are the best!
The view from the rooftop restaurant was exceptional. The staff were even better. We were treated wonderfully! The location is ideal to get around the city
I misread the description, not understanding that the pool and exercise room were located at their sister property instead of the property itself. The room was smaller than our expectations (although adequate for the area, I am told) and a bit challenging to unpack.
18 November 2024
Repeat stay - very good property/ room , and the staff are really exceptional
Great staff - very helpful and friendly , room
Was ( as always) very good . Close by to everything
This time we had some glitches with room electricals - but they fixed the issue quickly ( kudos to the staff for that )
17 November 2024
What a view!!
Location
Super comfy bed
View
Breakfast was included in our rate but they charged us for it
1 November 2024
We loved staying at Riva Arun. Get the river view!
Location & value
N/A
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
Services
- - Room service
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Laundry (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
General
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Air conditioning
Activities
- - Cooking class (additional charge)

More photos

7 January 2026
Perfect hotel for Bangkok close to all the attractions