Heading to Chiang Rai for the second time, I was looking for a different hotel to where I stayed previously. I selected the quite lovely Riva Vista Riverfront Resort & Spa right alongside the Kok River that runs through Chiang Rai and on the opposite side of the river to which I stayed previously. You may wish to read our blog posted entitled Le Méridien Chiang Rai – Peaceful Haven on the Kok River regarding our previous visit.
This time I wanted to stay within walking distance of The Blue Temple and Riva Vista Riverfront is the hotel that I chose, especially seeing the beautiful swimming pools right outside the bedroom door. Arriving to the hotel, you will easily find parking, either in the covered parking area to the left of the reception area or in the parking slots between the two buildings.
We arrived mid-afternoon from Chiang Mai and checked into the hotel. We chose a ground-floor room with access to the pool right outside the bedroom door, called a Grand Deluxe Pool Access room. A small sitting area with two chairs allows the perfect spot for an evening sundowner while watching the sun set over the pool. The room was large, but the best part of the room was the lovely large bathtub in the bathroom overlooking the pool. The only issue that we encountered during our five-night stay was noise coming from the adjoining property, a private house that held a few parties while we were at the hotel. Otherwise the hotel is a quiet and serene retreat right on the Kok River.
Feeling hungry? You will have breakfast at the Varee Fine Casual Restaurant, serving a good selection of Western and Asian cuisine. Overlooking the Kok River, what better way to start your day than a relaxing cappuccino while contemplating things to do in Chiang Rai. I particularly enjoyed the waffles with a reasonably heavy topping of condensed milk, surrounded by a good number of papaya slices.
For dinner, Varee is open until 10PM. With an extensive menu of food and cocktails, you will have trouble deciding what to choose. With breakfast, lunch and dinner being available at the on-site restaurant, you really do not need to leave the hotel once you have seen all the temples and other attractions in Chiang Rai that caught your attention. How about heading down to the restaurant and enjoying a cocktail during sunset while overlooking the Kok River, followed by a wonderful dinner in one of their recessed outside dining tables?
We treated ourselves to a two-hour spa session while at the hotel. Though more expensive than outside of the hotel, you will be treated to a higher level of service and you can wander back to your room right after the treatment. Right next to the spa is the small gym with a few exercise machines that we never use.
Overall the hotel is quite lovely. What I liked most about the hotel was the immediate pool access from the room. Though the water was too chilly for my liking, the pool gets direct sunshine during the day and well into the late afternoon. All things considered, we enjoyed our visit to Riva Vista Riverfront Resort & Spa. Given the noise levels coming from neighboring properties, I suspect that I would choose a different hotel for the next time I find myself in Chiang Rai, perhaps returning to the Le Méridien Chiang Rai. Otherwise we could consider one of the hotels below with booking.com or with Agoda.
Booking.comIf you are looking for day tours around Chiang Rai, consider booking with GetYourGuide. Start your planning by considering one of the tours shown below.
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(Visited February 2025)