25 Best Hotels in Around Bangkok, Thailand

Just a short walk from the temples, this upbeat boutique hotel is another compelling reason to overnight in the ancient capital. While the redbrick exterior mimics the surrounding architecture, things are much more contemporary inside. Guest rooms are decked out in white with polished concrete floors. Try to score one with a river view. Other highlights of the property include an outdoor pool and a riverside deck with stunning views of Wat Phutthai Sawan across the water. 

This hotel's contemporary fittings are in contrast to Ayutthaya’s ancient vibes, but the rooms are clean and comfortable with firm beds and nice bathrooms. The Tower Wing has the best rooms, so ask for one there. The suites are really just higher-end versions of the double rooms in the tower. The hotel is not far from Wat Yai Chaimongkhon.

At this ultra-contemporary boutique resort set on the banks of the river a few miles south of the famed bridge, all rooms offer panoramic river views. A table beneath a huge old tamarind tree, with the river flowing nearby, makes a perfect spot to relax. An infinity pool parallel to the river is a particularly nice touch.

This cozy boutique hotel is filled with character—rooms and suites feature four-poster beds, upcycled furniture, and wood floors, with some duplexes also available. A corridor packed with antiques leads to an outdoor pool with a colorful cabana and an airy alfresco restaurant where a breakfast buffet is served daily. 

The small wooden bungalows surrounding a pond are a bit rickety, but they're clean and comfortable. The pond is connected to the canal, and the water is beautifully floodlighted at night. An outdoor restaurant is on-site. The staff can call a tuk-tuk or a boat (B400, up to 10 people) to take you to the Damnoen Saduak floating market, 3 km (2 miles) away.

These homey bungalows, run by an Austrian and his Thai wife, sit on a flower-filled hillside above the lake. The rooms, some perched directly over the water, are filled with pictures and knickknacks. The restaurant serves tasty Thai and Burmese fare.

Kanchanaburi's first luxury hotel has faded somewhat, but it still offers excellent value, with cool airy rooms with polished wood floors and wicker headboards. Set amid tropical gardens, the large pool, with a shallow end for kids, is a great place to relax. The hotel is close to the River Kwai bridge and is within walking distance of the town center.

It's all about nature at this splendid floating resort, near Sai Yok National Park. The buildings are made of teakwood and bamboo, with wooden furniture, though there are modern amenities like fluffy bathrobes and wide-screen televisions. Direct access to the river means that guests can swim, raft, or kayak or just kick back with a book on a private sundeck. 

A refreshingly cool and spacious marble-floor lobby distinguishes this luxury hotel. Newly renovated rooms may not have much local flavor, but they are filled with comfortable modern furnishings. For the best views, choose a room overlooking the river. Because Ayutthaya has few overnight visitors, it is often worthwhile to request a discounted rate, especially for a weekday stay. Rates include a buffet breakfast (a Thai interpretation of an "American breakfast"). The hotel also operates river cruises.

This monkey-themed retreat is the best value in Lopburi, with stylish rooms decorated in a modern Thai style, a generous buffet breakfast, and a good range of facilities including a pleasant pool. One drawback is the inn's distance from the Old City—10 km (6 miles)—but samlors to the sights there are easy enough to arrange.

This warren of six snug teak rooms is one of the most popular lodgings in town, so booking well ahead is essential. The accommodations are so cozily compact that there's no space for en suite bathrooms, although each room has a private one on a lower level. There are nooks everywhere, good for chilling out after you return from touring the temple ruins.

Just a 5-minute walk from the famous floating market, this classy resort feels removed from the mercantile frenzy farther down the canal. A range of room options include private villas with balconies, sundecks, and gardens, as well as more functional deluxe rooms with trimmings such as minibars and flat-screen TVs. Other highlights include two saltwater swimming pools, complimentary push-bikes, and an on-site spa. The resort has its own pier on the canal. Longtail boats can be hired for B800 per hour; longer boat tour packages that include sightseeing canal-side temples and fruit orchards are available.

The seven rooms at this comfortable city-center guesthouse are basically furnished but are more than adequate. The popular restaurant serves Thai and Western food.

The stone-walled rooms and bungalows here sit in a stepped garden leading down to the lake. Most rooms are fan-cooled and share bathrooms, but several have air-conditioning, private bathrooms, and lake views. You can rent kayaks (B60 an hour) and motorcycles (B200 a day) or join a trek that includes a longtail boat excursion past a submerged temple and a trip on a raft. The large terrace restaurant serves inexpensive Thai and Burmese dishes, as well as pastas, sandwiches, and Western breakfasts.

Wealthy Bangkok residents who want to retreat into the country without giving up creature comforts head to this resort near the Erawan Waterfall. Tropical flora surrounds the complex, and the River Kwai flows serenely past. The minimally furnished rooms have polished wood floors and balcony views. Expect air-conditioning and bathrooms with both tubs and showers. The large dining room serves Thai and Western dishes.

This unique contribution to the Phetchaburi lodging scene has everything you'd want from a wallet-friendly bed-and-breakfast, including spotless modern rooms, comfortable beds, excellent Thai food, and warm welcoming service from the friendly owners.

In a cluster of dark-wood plank buildings, these basic rooms are just big enough for beds. The attached restaurant serves Thai and Western food. The hotel rents bikes and motorbikes and arranges treks of varying lengths to Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand's largest national park and home to more than 250 bird species.

Most of the simple rooms in this jungle hideaway in the River Kwai Valley are in single-story log cabins, but more adventurous types can opt for "raftels"—rooms on rafts floating in the river. The cafeteria-style restaurant serves Thai and Western dishes, but it's more fun to eat at the raft restaurant. Package tours come with transport to and from the hotel, which is 72 km (45 miles) from Kanchanaburi.

About 3 km (2 miles) northwest of town, the Royal Diamond is one of Phetchaburi's few choices for those seeking a hotel instead of a guesthouse. Many of the nicely furnished rooms overlook Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park. The rooms are big and functional, but lack a little character. There are a few decent cafés within walking distance.

A popular launching pad for treks, Sam's House has air-conditioned rooms by the water that are nice, if a little cramped, as well as less expensive rooms set away from the river. The staff is happy to arrange tours or help with rentals of motorbikes (from B150 to B250 per day) and cars (starting from B1,200 per day).

Popular with backpackers, the bungalow rooms here are spartan, though some face the river and all are surrounded by spacious gardens. The more expensive rooms have four beds each. The guesthouse is close to bars, cafés, and convenience stores. Its on-site restaurant serves fish, burgers, pizzas, and Thai vegetarian dishes.

There's a lot to love about this humble gem: Ideally located near the Mon Bridge, the lodgings are within easy striking distance of all the top sights in Sangkhlaburi. Rooms are spotless with comfortable beds and little outdoor terraces. Friendly service seals an extraordinarily good value deal.

In an old wooden house close to the market, this boutique hotel by the main canal is a perfect weekend escape from Bangkok. The rooms are clean and comfortable, simply but tastefully decorated and overlook a small garden. The staff can arrange boat excursions and firefly tours. Rates are cheaper on weekdays. Book ahead if you go on weekends.

Rooms at this chic boutique hotel are in two-story buildings set around lush green courtyards, one of which is home to an inchan, the ancient two-centuries-old tree which lends its name to the property. The riverside deck is an ideal spot for sundowners. It's only a 5-minute walk to the Bridge on the River Kwai.

This simply decorated but nonetheless cozy guesthouse is close to the local attractions and within walking distance of several restaurants, with a modern air-conditioned café just up the street. Only some rooms have air-conditioning (others have fans), TVs, and private bathrooms.