Nakhon Phanom Thailand – Best Guesthouses and Hotels to Stay
Except for the period of illuminated boats festival which is held annually at the end of Buddhist Lent, there is no need to book your accommodation in advance. During the festival, though, every room in town is full, so if you do not have your own wheels to drive some 10-20 km out of town for a night, it is a must to secure a place to spend the night in advance.
Budget
Located on Bamrung Mueang Rd less than 5 minutes walking from the river and the clock tower, the Windsor Hotel is one of the oldest in town, but somehow it’s still one of the best value for money solution. Don’t expect too much in terms of design and taste, but the rooms are clean, quite spacious, with private bathroom and hot shower, TV, desk and mini-fridge. Choose one facing east to have a nice view of the mountains. Wi-Fi is not available in the rooms but from the first floor you can still use the lobby one. Rates are THB300 for a double with fan and THB400 for an air-con one.
Also centrally located on the main road, SP Residence (193/1 Nittayo Road) offer big and clean double rooms, with comfortable beds, private bathroom, TV, air-con at THB500. Very close to the river and the market, they have bicycles to rent if you need one (THB100). The staff is extremely friendly and some of them speak a good English.
Mid-range
Walking south on the riverfront you’ll find Fortune Viewkong (527 Soonthomvijit Road), a big 3 stars hotel not particularly appealing from outside, but with a marvelous position right on the river. The highlight of the building is a spectacular terrace overlooking the Mekong where you’ll love your breakfast (included in the room rate) and eventually your dinner; the restaurant on site in fact is a good choice for freshwater fish even if you’re not staying in the hotel. The rooms are not too big, but nicely and simply decorated in a quite modern style. They all come with air-con, Wi-Fi, TV, private toilette with hot shower, toiletries and a spacious balcony. Rates are THB850 for a double room with a city view and THB950 for a river view.
Close to the previous one and almost with the same name, the Fortune River View hotel is a big 4 star hotel on the Mekong River with spacious and comfy rooms with all the facilities required at this standard. The restaurant serve good Thai food, but expect it to be quite pricey. We personally found this hotel a bit anonymous and way to pretentious for the location but the rooms actually come way cheaper than one would expect (THB1400 for a standard double room). A definitive plus is the swimming pool on the big terrace overlooking the river.
Top End
If you keep walking (or cycling) South when you get in proximity of Si Khotrabun Golden Beach you’ll see The River Hotel (35/9 Thaphanom Rd., theriverhotel@gmail.com). If you don’t mind to rent a bicycle to go to town and you’re not on a thigh budget, this is the best solution in town. The location is unique, close to the wonderful Golden Beach, the view is amazing and the surrounding area is extremely quiet and peaceful. They have a big choice of rooms, any of which is superbly decorated in a modern and minimalist style. Depending on the size you can have a standard room with mountain view for THB790, a river view at THB990 or one of the fantastic and huge suites with separate living room; the best one, the Honeymoon suite, has a big private terrace on the river, and it comes for THB2400, a definitive steal for the value. They also have a Spa on site offering traditional Thai massage and other beauty services. The restaurant and bar is nicely designed and serve Thai, Japanese and Western food and after dinner every night a live band will play Jazz and Soul music. The coffee shop overlooking the river is perfect for a morning Cappuccino or a late afternoon tea.
