The Riverside Guest House

This is my favorite place to stay in Thailand.

This guesthouse oozes charm and character, and that view of the river is hard to beat. Room was nicely sized, bed was comfy and overall there was a nice rustic appeal. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Breakfast was pleasant, and the location was an easy walk to the charming older part of Lampang. There's an honesty system for drinks from the fridge downstairs. They can organise transfer services to various places and attractions, and ask them about their day trip options too. Noise, however, could be an issue - there's not much soundproofing, and sounds from room to room echoes unfortunately very loudly.

I have mixed feelings about this hotel. The location is great, lovely walking street out front, also common areas on river front very pleasant. The hotel wavers between eclectic and neglected. It was definitely the least welcoming of the hotels we have enjoyed in Thailand, not unpleasant, just not bothered. The main problem was our room. It was dark, dingy and cramped, although it was clean and the bed comfy. The main problem was the noise. Due to the glass front of the room, leaving us feeling quite exposed, and also the ceiling being the floorboards of upstairs, we could hear everything around us all the time. The first night I turned the lights back on, certain that someone was in our room, but it was the person upstairs, we could hear their every move. Talking to other guests I got the impression that some rooms were better. Ours was below basic and really needs some love. Breakfast was ok, again, like everything else, fine, just not more then that. Also first time anywhere in Asia I have seen corkage charged, note on fridge says 150 baht if you bring drinks from outside, not very hospitable. In summary, you could do better, you could do worse.