We have been many times in Thailand, every time we come to Bangkok we stay at Riverview Guesthouse, because of many reasons: the guesthouse is situated right in China Town, overlooking the river, the nicest rooms are those towards the river, you have a balcony where you can relax while looking at all the passing boats, just what you need after a day walking around in Bangkok! On top of the guesthouse is a restaurant with this great view, and the people working in the hotel at the reception are always very helpfull, kind and show great hospitality. In short a simple, great alternativ place to stay in real Bangkok! Frederique
Our Review
Our Latest Review that made us proud!
“A superplace in BKK”
t00nt, Katmandu
Reviewed February 19, 2012
I stayed 17 nights @ the Riverview in January 2012 and have no complaints at all. On the contrary. It was my first visit to Bangkok and I was glad I ended up at this hotel (on advise of the Rough Guide) and not on Khao San Road, where I spent exactly 30 minutes. What a mess! Chinatown, the neighbourhood of the Riverview, is much more real. And once you get to know it a little, you'll see that with the public transport of Bangkok, it's pretty close to a lot of the major attractions. The public transport of Bangkok IS a major attraction, by the way.
I had a very nice Urban Chique room (636) on the sixth floor with a rather spectacular view over the city, a walk-in shower for washing of BKK-smog and heat, table and seats for some serious reading-sessions, two good beds (only one needed), fridge, television (not needed with a view like that),... It seemed a bit strange to spend nights in such a room after eight monts of backpacking. Can I really afford this?
The best part of the hotel is, like many people on this site noticed, the Rivervibe Bar/Restaurant. The first time you get up there, is breathtaking. And the next times too. The service is attentive and friendly, the food is super, the beers cold. It's an excellent place to chill after a hot day in the city.
In January, the people of the hotel were in the process of renovating the older rooms. They worked there way down and only 1.5 floors are left. Make sure you get one of the newer rooms when you make a reservation. And I think it is better to make one, because the way the things are going, this place will be fully booked all year round. An enormous value for your money!!!
To all the people who complain about the floods. Be ashamed.
Cheers to the people of the Riverview!
I had a very nice Urban Chique room (636) on the sixth floor with a rather spectacular view over the city, a walk-in shower for washing of BKK-smog and heat, table and seats for some serious reading-sessions, two good beds (only one needed), fridge, television (not needed with a view like that),... It seemed a bit strange to spend nights in such a room after eight monts of backpacking. Can I really afford this?
The best part of the hotel is, like many people on this site noticed, the Rivervibe Bar/Restaurant. The first time you get up there, is breathtaking. And the next times too. The service is attentive and friendly, the food is super, the beers cold. It's an excellent place to chill after a hot day in the city.
In January, the people of the hotel were in the process of renovating the older rooms. They worked there way down and only 1.5 floors are left. Make sure you get one of the newer rooms when you make a reservation. And I think it is better to make one, because the way the things are going, this place will be fully booked all year round. An enormous value for your money!!!
To all the people who complain about the floods. Be ashamed.
Cheers to the people of the Riverview!
“Little oasis in little china town!”
RicoRich, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Reviewed February 8, 2012
I've now be a guest at Riverview for over 2 years and had the pleasure of staying here numerous times during my South East Asia travels. I'm a little disapointed in reading these other reviews because for people who know Thailand and Bangkok specifically they should realise that you dont get anything for free....
The 1500 bht rooms with balcony and riverview are chic style and very comfortable beds. Didnt see any roaches that i can think of, although could do with a little drain unblocker being squirted down the drain.
The roof top bar is 2nd to none for the price and is easily worth 500 in itself. The 2nd floor is under renovation at the moment which would explain the "mess" others talk of, but no rooms are situated on this floor for guests at the moment anyway....
The top floor open cafe does appear to have a radical change and granted they are still finding their feet in some aspects.
For the price I have only ever found Soi Rambuttri village inn to be comparable but the Khao san experience wears thin pretty fast and china town has loads of interesting sights to take in with being the "real" bangkok life.
If you are looking for upper class then book the Hilton, if you want charm and fun, book here!
The 1500 bht rooms with balcony and riverview are chic style and very comfortable beds. Didnt see any roaches that i can think of, although could do with a little drain unblocker being squirted down the drain.
The roof top bar is 2nd to none for the price and is easily worth 500 in itself. The 2nd floor is under renovation at the moment which would explain the "mess" others talk of, but no rooms are situated on this floor for guests at the moment anyway....
The top floor open cafe does appear to have a radical change and granted they are still finding their feet in some aspects.
For the price I have only ever found Soi Rambuttri village inn to be comparable but the Khao san experience wears thin pretty fast and china town has loads of interesting sights to take in with being the "real" bangkok life.
If you are looking for upper class then book the Hilton, if you want charm and fun, book here!
“The best place in Bangkok!”
Frederique, Denmark
“Great Guest House and Wonderful Views”
Carol Dye, Copthorne West Sussex
Am I talking about the same guest house as previous reviewers, yes I am but I'm completely at a loss to understand the most recent/negative comments. I have nothing but praise for this guest house, 2nd trip to Bangkok and spent several nights in the Riverview (including New Year's Eve) with no complaints at all. The rooms were spotless and I pre booked/requested river view with a balcony which I got. Managers and staff are just so friendly and accommodating. I went for the 1500 per night option and was not disappointed, my son on the other hand went for the backpacker option at 500 per night, obviously not to the same standard as mine but what do you expect for £10 per night?!! As a businesswoman who travels globally and is accustomed to 5 star hotels, what I look for and get with Riverview is being in amongst 'real' Thai people who are willing to chat/ask how the day has gone and the feeling of familiarity and a 2nd home amongst friends - I get it at the Riverview - we'll be back!
Room Tip: I always ask for Riverview with Balcony, higher up you go the views just get better and better
“Still awesome - and amazing value for money”
RBB2007 Zoetermeer, Netherlands | Reviewed December 28, 2011
This is a great place for backpackers who want to avoid Khao San - and have a great River View! Don't be mislead though by the web site. When I saw the website I thought; OMG, this nice place has been turned into a venue for tourists who value comfort above all. Fortunately, not a lot has changed. Yes, some rooms are refurbished, but not to a worrysome extent. For some reviewers apparently expecting luxury: what do you expected for 1000 baht in a metropole? Presently I am sitting on the roof terrace Of Riverview Guesthouse. Which was recently completetely renovated, It ia still awesome. Unparalleled, unless you are prepared to pay $ 300 ++ in the neighbouring Sheraton (and sit amidst the typical Sheraton hotel vistor, the kind of businessman I once was myself.
“Authentic Bangkok Experience”
globe trotter May 11, 2010 | Trip type: Solo travel
The River View is my home away from home, I cannot recommend it enough. The staff are all very helpful and friendly. It is tucked away in little alleys a stones throw away from the river, amongst many little businesses recycling car parts, chinese temples, local markets and the bustle of authentic Thai life. It is not on the tourist or backpackers circuit and therefore provides rich experiences of the real Bangkok. It is a short walk to Pier N4-Marine Department Pier on the Chaopraya River , Chinatown, antique area at River City and much much more. Check out their website for more info. One of River View's highlights is its 8th floor restaurant with fantastic views of the Chaopraya River (see header of website...it really is like this!!!) in day or night. Good food, river breeze great place to hang out with birds eye view of Bangkok. The River View is a budget guest house and not a hotel. It may not meet everybody's needs but its friendly and personal atmosphere is worth a lot.
“Unschlagbare lage zu unglaublichem preis...”
ch-weltenbummler Muttenz, Switzerland Mar 20, 2010 | Trip type: Couples
diese hotel bietet f?r einen budget-preis alles, was es f?r einen angenehmen bangkok-aufenthalt braucht: ger?umige und sauber zimmer, eine traumhafte aussicht auf den fluss vom guten rooftop-restaurant, sehr hilfsbereites personal. eine lage in gehdistanz zum bahnhof, zur monorail-station und zur bootsanlegestelle. zudem befindet man sich am rande von chinatown, einem spannenden viertel der stadt.
From Our guests
"A FIVE STAR GUESTHOUSE "
" There are few times one can give 5-stars to a guesthouse. But when it is about Riverview Guesthouse in Bangkok it is possible. "
Erik Robert Naeslund, Sweden, our friend for 20 years
They have something which even the real five star hotels in Bangkok miss; open-air balconies overlooking the river and its fascinating life. The rooms are big and clean, friendly staff, situated in a special area with its early morning markets and just next to the exiting Chinatown. Add to this also the nice roof top restaurant with a beautiful outlook over Bangkok - plus good Thai food - and one can find it happy to be in Bangkok. It is an extra advantage to be able to avoid the car queues and instead have an express-boat stop just nearby, at Harbor Department.
This place is full of good things. One more is the very cheap prices – like 10 Euro for a double room with balcony, fan + big shower room and toilet. I found this place 15 years ago and have lived there as many times and always been happy there."
From Trip Advisor
Our favourite review
"Rewarding but Not for the faint of heart" August 10, 2006, Sacramento
I stayed here several years ago - things could have changed. But I'm moved to write because of the recent negative review here. Classic situation of different people want different things. All of the description in the negative review was accurate - the rooms are large but somehow dingy looking. My bathroom drain stank. I had no view whatsover. The lobby is seedy.
But... the location was wonderful for me. The adjacent streets have lots of small engine repair shops and are full of life into the night. There are nearby ferry landings for getting up to the Palace etc. A major hotel complex is a five minute walk away if you need some tourist services. The Gold Buddha (the one where the plaster covering chipped, revealing the gold underneath) is within walking distance. There is a chinese temple between the hotel and the river with occasional interesting events.
The best is the small restaurant on the top floor. Food is OK but there is a skinny little outside balcony where you can sit in the evening, drink beer and watch the boats go by in the lights on the Chao Praya River.
So if you want a room that's pleasant to hang out in, I don't think this is the place. But if you want good access to the river and to relate more immediately to a Bangkok neighborhood, you might like it.
This TripAdvisor Member:
Liked:View of river, non touristy, lively neighborhood, river ferry access
Disliked:Rooms were dingy and bathroom sink stank
Tips/Secrets:Consider carefully - great for river and neighborhood, cheap, large but dingy room
From Guide Books
1. The Lonely Planet’s : Top 5 Author Pick
“Authentic location, awesome views and scruffy rooms."
Perched on the river in Chinatown, far from the backpacker ghetto, this is a fantastic choice for those who really want to see and feel Bangkok. Above the basic rooms sits a wonderful rooftop restaurant with magnificent views and a breeze worth gold in this town.
You'll find the River View among narrow laneways where the motor of daily life turns and hums, men weld in scrap metal kingdoms and women ladle out noodle soup. Birds squawk from wooden cages as cats skulk in shadowed doorways. This is true local living. If you are happy without air-con, the fan rooms are the ones with the wonderful views over the river and the adjacent pagoda, and those without bathrooms have balconies. More expensive rooms have less vista but come with air-con, wooden furnishings and fridge. OK, so the mattresses are crummy and the bathrooms could do with a scrub - get a massage for your back, wear flip-flops in the shower and then go chill out at the wonderful rooftop restaurant/bar. There you have an exceptional panorama over Chinese dragons and the city sprawl with the Chao Phraya river snaking majestically through it all.
Reviewed by Annabel Hart
AUTHOR EXPERIENCE The rooftop is a wonderful spot to read or write, sip a beer or eat some inexpensive Thai food - particularly at sunset when Bangkok turns its lights on and becomes a lady of the night. Around the corner on soi Wanit 2, across from the Harbour Department, a little stall called Pet Tun Jao Tha has rice noodles with roasted or stewed duck.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/asia/thailand/bangkok?poi=121272
2. Frommer’s:
This special little place is deep in the heart of Chinatown, only 5 minutes from the railroad station, and a stone's throw from the river. It is not particularly comfortable, but the atmosphere of the busy neighborhood and nearby Chinese temples and shops (and, of course, the river views) attract visitors in search of an immersion experience. Part of the appeal is that to get here you'll have to wander through the neighboring sois, lanes, and labyrinthine alleys. Rooms are nothing special, just guesthouse basic, but some have great views and dining at their rooftop restaurant is an experience in itself.
Note:Be sure to grab a business card at the front desk so you can find your way home once you've checked-in (dropping breadcrumbs won't quite do it).
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/bangkok/H1709.html
3. Fodor's:
This family-run hotel is one of the only budget accommodations that overlooks the river. The eighth-floor coffee shop has a great view. The accommodations may remind you of college dorm rooms (though they have far fewer amenities than the average dorm), but they're clean and comfortable. The staff will go out of its way for you, even staying up to accommodate late flights (someone sleeps downstairs during the night, in case you need something). One drawback is that tuk-tuk drivers sometimes have difficulty finding the place. The easiest way to find it is to head north from the Royal Orchid Sheraton; you can see the guesthouse's sign pointing down a side street. 45 rooms. Restaurant; no a/c in some rooms, no room TVs. AE.
http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=bangkok@21&cur_section=lod&property_id=19055
From Trip Advisor
"A FIVE STAR GUESTHOUSE "" There are few times one can give 5-stars to a guesthouse. But when it is about Riverview Guesthouse in Bangkok it is possible. "
Erik Robert Naeslund, Sweden, our friend over 20 years