This holiday I left choosing and booking the accommodation up to hubby as it was usually me who did all that.  So it would be interesting to see what he came up with.  The Sala Arun Hotel, despite being close to a number of attractions was situated in a less touristy part of town on the banks of the Chao Phraya River and with the most glorious views of Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn).

Address

47-49 Soi Tha-tien, Maharaj Road, Phrabarommaharatchawang, Phranakorn, Bangkok, 10200 Thailand

Dates stayed

4th October 2017 for one night

Price 

4200 Bhat ($172.38 AUD) for a deluxe room for two people for one night including breakfast

Location

Sala Arun Hotel is located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River with stunning views of Wat Arun.  It is a five minute walk to Wat Pho and an eight minute walk from the ornate 18th Century Grand Palace.  There are plenty of shops and eateries nearby and the ferry to get to the other side of the river is only a short walk from the hotel.

Parking

The hotel had no carpark but you could park your car in the lane way if you were lucky enough to find a spot.  We didn’t have a car so it wasn’t an issue for us.

Check-in/Check-out

No check-in or check-out times are displayed and being such a small hotel they are most likely quite flexible unless there is another guest staying in the room immediately before or after you. On check-in were given a voucher for two welcome drinks.  As it was fairly late when we arrived and the restaurant was closed we were told we could get them from the rooftop bar at the hotel just up the road which was run by the same owners and where we were staying the following night.

WiFi

Complimentary WiFi is available in the room and elsewhere in the hotel.

Room

The entire hotel contains only three standard rooms and six deluxe rooms.  Both types are available with or without a balcony and range from 22 square metres in size to 35 square metres.  Breakfast is included in the rate for all room types.  We stayed in a deluxe room with balcony which overlooked the river and provided spectacular views of Wat Arun.  We enjoyed sitting out on the balcony watching the different boats and barges sail past.

The rooms were adorned with traditional teak furniture and flooring and contained a king bed as well as a sofa which I think converted to a double bed.  There were tea and coffee making facilities, a safe, an LCD TV, mini bar and an iPod dock.  All rooms were air conditioned.

Grounds

There are no grounds as such as the hotel is located on a tiny block of land where space is very limited.  Inside the hotel however was a collection of art that not only added interest but gave the hotel a more homely feel.

Hotel Facilities 

Owing to the size of the hotel, facilities were limited as to be expected.  They did however have:

• laundry services
• luggage storage
• rooftop bar and restaurant

What’s nearby

• Flower market – 5 min walk
• Wat Pho – 5 min walk
• Grand Palace – 8 min walk
• Siriraj Medical Museum – 1.5km  (highly recommended)

Pros

• the magical views of Wat Arun is what really makes this place
• location is close to a number of tourist attractions including the Reclining Buddha and the Grand Palace
• complimentary breakfast and Welcome drink are always nice to have
• roof top bar and restaurant offer nice views

Cons

• can be a little noisy being so close to the river where boats playing loud music and people on-board partying can be heard
• the hotel has no lift which could be problematic if you have heavy suitcases or are elderly, unfit or disabled
• due to its size, facilities are limited

Summary

It’s not often you get to wake up to a site as spectacular as Wat Arun.  Whether it was from the balcony or lying in bed, it was hard to take your eyes away from it’s glory.  Sala Arun is more an intimate bed and breakfast than a hotel and is nothing to look at from the outside.  However it’s prime location combined with the efforts to make the inside look tasteful make it a worthy choice.