As you map out your vacation in Pattaya, you’ll be quite amazed at how easy it is to potentially book a hotel in the wrong part of town. If you don’t understand Pattaya’s different neighborhoods, you’ll end up having a very different holiday than expected.
What are the best places to stay in Pattaya for vacation? Our complete list of recommendations offers insight into the best sleeping accommodations for families, partiers, singles, couples, and
Pattaya certainly has a reputation as Bangkok’s seedier and grimier little brother. While some people wish to avoid this infamous town of sins, many ‘relatively wholesome’ people end up liking Pattaya a lot. So where should you stay?
Nightlife
There’s a solid chance that you enjoy a raucous party if you’re visiting Pattaya. This city makes Las Vegas look like Toledo, Ohio. Walking Street (also referred to as ‘Soi Buakhao’) is known as the party zone in town. The sea of red neon lights can be blinding if you stare for too long.
Walking Street offers the craziest nightlife and best people-watching in this section of Thailand. The street gets so jam-packed with slow walking tourists at night that they have to close the street to vehicles. It’s a great place to go bar-hopping, akin to Bangla Road in Phuket.
However, no place truly compares to Pattaya when you consider the density of bars and clubs in this zone. This endless stream of go-go bars, cheap biergartens, nightclubs, and eateries is overwhelming to most. If you’re already considering visiting Pattaya, chances are good that you don’t fit into the ‘easily overwhelmed’ crowd. However, you’ll still want a reasonably quiet place to rest your head at night.
After all, constant bass-heavy beats that last until the early morning can be quite an irritation for someone trying to sleep. There aren’t as many hotels in this area (because almost every property has been bought by a place that sells alcohol, instead). However, there are certainly a few hostels and hotels nearby Walking Street.
Some of the best places to stay near Walking Street include Walking Street Guest House, Mike Hotel, and W14 Pattaya. There is another highly-rated hotel called Secrets less than 0.1 miles away from Walking Street. The name sounds dodgy – I hope their ‘secret’ doesn’t involve reusing sheets between patrons.
Walking Street isn’t the only prime location for those after a great night out. The nearby Pattaya Beach is arguably just as wild but without all the red lights. While Pattaya Beach isn’t necessarily a great place for sunbathing or swimming, the shopping and drinking options available are extremely varied. It’s a great access point to reach the rest of the city.
For example, Walking Street is just a hop and a skip away from Pattaya Beach. The roads surrounding this stretch of beach offer a smorgasbord of good eats. Street vendors, cafes, and restaurants fill in almost every other store in this neighborhood. This area’s easy access to food might stop your swimsuit from fitting properly.
Pattaya Beach is notorious to local expats because of rather intense pollution. The open sewers of Pattaya often lead tremendous amounts of sludge into the bay. While it may not look overly polluted, the chemicals aren’t great for your skin. There are better beaches nearby, so come for the nightlife and food.
No matter your budget, Pattaya Beach offers something for everyone. You can find cheap hotels, above average hotels with swimming pools, and even upscale luxury hotels. Q&D Suite Mansion 3, Unixx, Balihai Bay, and The Whisper Hotel. We’re not sure what the deal is with all these bizarre hotel names – might be best to stick to a Hilton if you’re a picky traveler.
Family
If you wish to bring your family to Pattaya, various friends and family may ask you, “What are you smoking!?” Rightfully so if you wish to stay near Walking Street! Though, the whole city of Pattaya is often unfairly characterized by the negative impression some get from a small and dirty part of the city.
The reality is that Pattaya can be an exciting and cost-friendly place to bring the family for your next family vacation. While the downtown life of Pattaya is not exactly kid-friendly, if you get away from the city out towards the open beaches, you can find a ton of family hotels that offer unbelievable experiences for kids and adults of all ages.
Pattaya Beach isn’t great for children at night. However, if you wish to visit this area during the day, they have several great kid-friendly attractions. For example, The Teddy Bear Museum and a classic Ripley’s Believe It or Not are two solid places to check out during the daytime.
After all, Pattaya used to be a sleepy beach town that locals treated as a quiet fishing village just as recently as the 1960s. The entire area couldn’t have grown into a hedonistic party town (just some of it). One of the best places to visit is called Jomtien Beach.
Jomtien Beach is perfect for families because it is nowhere near as crowded as its Northern party beach equivalent. Jomtien offers more of a unique focus on cultural, religious, and family-friendly activities and attractions. For example, Nong Nooch Botanical Garden, the Floating Market, Buddha Mountain, and Underwater World are all awesome family activities.
The Floating Market is a favorite for tons of travelers in Pattaya. There are over 100 vendors who sell foods, goods, and novelties out of their wood-carved boats as they float down the canal system. Every family will love staying at a hotel near this market.
The Jomtien Twelve, Aya Boutique Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, The Monttra Pattaya, Siam Bayshore, and Dusit Thani Pattaya are all wonderful places to stay if you want to be nearby Jomtien.
For a more luxurious family vacation, we recommend staying at the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya. Located North of Pattaya on an expansive piece of ocean-front property, this hotel is the perfect family getaway. This hotel has one of the largest pools in all of Thailand and adventure/leisure activities for kids young and old.
Rooms here start at about $140/night and they have 555 of them! You should always be able to access a vacant room here. The architecture is reminiscent of an Indiana Jones meets Frank Lloyd Wright. Truly unique and fun for the whole family!
The Mercure Pattaya Ocean Resort is another amazing choice for families traveling to Pattaya. This hotel is a great value for the whole family and offers tons of activities for the kids, including a mini-waterpark, rock climbing wall, and two large pools. For the parents, there are great restaurant and bar options. Starting at just around $69/night, this hotel will give quite the bang for your buck — and incredibly memorable vacation to boot.
For the families that want to be more centrally located, we recommend the Siam Bayshore Pattaya hotel. Although located on the end of Walking Street, this hotel is tucked away and offers a quiet, safe hotel that is centrally located to all of the nightlife in Pattaya.
This hotel was certainly designed with children in mind and includes a kid-specific pool near the lagoon, a water-slide, kid-friendly menus, and organized kid trips into the city, to give parents a little R&R time by the pool. This hotel starts around $100/night but is well worth the money for the central location and on-site amenities.
Last but not least, a great option for families is Pratumnak. This cozy, tucked away beach community is often referred to as the Beverly Hills of Pattaya. In this eco-oasis, you can find the most beautiful parks, views, and beaches.
It is rumored that a member of the Thai Royal Family lives here. Thus, the community goes above and beyond when it comes to safety and cleanliness. This expensive area sits well above sea-level and offers an extremely green and lush part of Pattaya. A lot of wealthy Thai locals own property here as an escape from the air pollution of Bangkok.
If you want a quiet nighttime experience (as many families do), then look no further than Pratumnak! The resorts in this area are certainly quite calm. You won’t even be able to find the standard ‘songteaw’ style pickup trucks that serve as taxis. However, this is the only part of town that consistently offers reliable taxi services.
Singles
If you are a single traveler, it’s likely that you’ll end up near Walking Street or Pattaya Beach. You already know exactly where to stay if that’s your cup of tea. We covered it in the above sections!
However, some singles are after a different type of experience. If you have had your fill of fun on Walking Street and need some much-needed rest and relaxation, Pattaya offers great options for quieter moments.
Montra Pura Resort, Loma Resort, and Prima Wongamat Hotel are all stunning resorts that will make you question if you’re still in Pattaya anymore. There is no hint of a bustling city in the immediately surrounding area. Each of these offers tranquil and calming beachside experiences.
The only thing more impressive than the food might be the crystal clear blue waters that crash against these two beaches. Both Naklua and Wong Amat offer the tourist beach resort experience, but without the standard unpleasant feeling of sunbathing or swimming in a huge crowd. The water is much cleaner in this part of Pattaya so you won’t have to worry about the pollution.
Despite the perception of Pattaya, the beaches of Naklua and Wong Amat leave tourists pleasantly surprised with the new booming, culturally impressive area. The juxtaposition of high-rise hotels beside small fishing communities is always an interesting sight. This combination makes for some of the most authentic and delicious seafood you can find in Pattaya.
Couples
Pattaya is a good location for couples looking to enjoy a romantic trip to the beach. It is easily accessible from Bangkok, has beautiful beaches and an intriguing nightlife scene for the more outgoing couples. There are plenty of things to do on this stretch of beach, and many different places to stay depending on your preferences.
Headed to Pattaya for your Honeymoon? We have just the spot for you. The Pullman Pattaya Hotel G is incredibly gorgeous and the perfect spot for a romantic Honeymoon. Enjoy a drink at one of the hotels many bars, enjoy the beautiful private beach view, and sweat it out in the luxury sauna for guests. This hotel offers several different types of “executive suites” and one with access to its own private pool. This hotel is luxurious and secluded and will offer you the perfect romantic holiday. Book tours and shows with the Pullman concierge staff to enhance your trip. Your perfect Honeymoon awaits!
If you are looking for a relaxing beach resort, you absolutely have to check out the Cape Dara Resort. This beautiful property is situated on a piece of land that juts out into the ocean, providing beach and sea views from every single room in the hotel. Not only that, this sail-shaped hotel has a private beach, two swimming pools, and an in-house day spa to allow for the perfect couples beach getaway. The rooms at this hotel start at around $150 — making this a very reasonably priced luxury experience.
For the outgoing couples who are interested in Pattaya’s infamous nightlife, we recommend staying near Walking Street. The Amari Ocean Pattaya is a spacious hotel on the North end of Pattaya, but it provides easy access to Walking Street, shopping malls, eateries, and other attractions. This hotel offers you the best of both worlds — close to the party but far enough away that you can sleep when your evening comes to an end. This hotel starts around $89/night, so it’s more expensive than Walking Street hostels, but a bit cheaper than hotels on resort row.
For the couple on a budget, we recommend the P72 Hotel. Conveniently located on Walking Street, this hotel allows you easy access to everything on Walking Street, The Royal Garden Plaza, The Avenue, and Pattaya Floating Market. Starting at just $25 a night, this hotel offers a more romantic, tucked-away feeling for the couples on a budget. With more privacy than a hostel, you can’t go wrong with this cute, boutique hotel for your stay in Pattaya.
First Timers
Hello, Pattaya first-timers! Are you in for a wild ride? Infamously known as the town of “sins”, this city can offer you a wild, crazy time, or a relaxing beach getaway (or both if you can’t pick!) So where should you stay if it’s your first time in Pattaya? Read below to find our picks.
If you want to experience more of the crazy party scene, you should stay in or near Walking Street. However, if you want to enjoy the city life, but the seediness of Pattaya makes you nervous, we recommend staying in the “Soi’s”: Soi Buakhao, Soi Diana & Soi LK. This area is ideal for those on a budget and want a more low-key experience while in Pattaya. Soi Buakhao is known as the “second” Walking Street but without all of the hoopla. If you want to end the night dancing in a crazy bar on Walking Street, you only need to hop on a 15 min bus to get there from the Soi streets.
Some hotels that we recommend that you stay near the Soi’s include D Hotel, LK Renaissance Hotel, and Areca Lodge Hotel.
If you are looking for more beach and less party, then we recommend staying near Jomtien Beach. This beach has so much to offer including cheaper prices, beautiful beaches and activities like the Floating Market and the Cultural Center Viharn Sien.
You’ll love Pattaya whether you are a solo traveler or part of a large family. It’s great for a weekend beach escape and for a night you’ll literally never remember.
All in all, don’t let online interpretations or other people’s opinions of Pattaya shape your view of this incredibly interesting city. Many cities boast that they offer something for everyone. Pattaya is one of the few places in the world that actually does offer something for everyone (and we mean everyone)!
Related Questions
Which beach is best in Pattaya?
The best beach in Pattaya is located in Pratumnak. Pratumnak Beach is often referred to as the ‘Beverly Hills of Pattaya’. It’s highly regarded as the most beautiful beach in Pattaya because the Thai Royal Family has chosen to make a home there.
How much is a taxi from Bangkok airport to Pattaya?
If you arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, you will only need to spend a little more than 1000 Baht ($33 USD) on a taxi to Pattaya. If you arrive during a rush hour, your fare will likely increase because it may take an extra hour to reach your destination.
Vacation-Thailand.com is a trusted and reliable online resource providing expert recommendations for the best places to stay in Pattaya, Thailand. With a team of experienced travel enthusiasts, we have meticulously researched and curated a list of top-notch accommodations that guarantee a memorable and enjoyable vacation experience. Our comprehensive and unbiased reviews, combined with valuable insights into the local attractions and amenities, make us a credible source for anyone planning their dream vacation in Pattaya, Thailand
