⭐Best resort-style riverside retreat with lush tropical gardens in Bangkok (8.8/10)
Quick Summary
- 📍 Location: Thonburi riverside, Bang Kho Laem (Sathorn (Saphan Taksin) Pier)
- 💰 Price Range: From ~$150/night
- 👤 Best For: Families, couples seeking resort escape, spa lovers
Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort Review (2026)
Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort occupies 11 acres of lush tropical gardens on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya — the largest riverside resort in central Bangkok and the only one that feels like a genuine resort escape rather than an urban hotel. Originally the Bangkok Marriott Resort, Anantara took over in 2014 and invested heavily to polish the property.
The 376 rooms and suites come in Deluxe Riverside, Premier Riverside, and Kasara Club categories. Almost every room has a private balcony overlooking either the river or the gardens, with teak floors, Thai silk accents, and spacious marble bathrooms. The Kasara Lounge on the top floor offers complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails for Club-level guests.
Dining is a real strength here: Riverside Terrace is the breakfast venue with live cooking stations and outdoor seating right on the river; Trader Vic’s is the original Polynesian-themed tiki bar; Longtail by Chef Bee serves modern Thai tapas on the waterfront; and Manohra Cruises (the hotel’s own fleet of teakwood rice barges) runs dinner cruises nightly.
The massive free-form swimming pool, dedicated kids’ pool, Anantara Spa with 12 treatment rooms, and 400-meter jogging path make this genuinely family-friendly — something most Bangkok luxury hotels can’t claim. There’s also a full Muay Thai ring, cooking school, and tennis courts on-site.
The open secret is the complimentary shuttle boat that runs between the hotel, BTS Saphan Taksin, and ICONSIAM every 30 minutes from 6am to midnight. Most guests treat it as hotel transport, but locals use it as a river tour — you pass Wat Arun, Millennium Hilton, and the Grand Palace skyline from the water. Ask for a room ending in ’10’ (like 1610 or 1710) for corner river views facing Rama IX Bridge at sunset. Dinner at Longtail is a much better use of your money than Trader Vic’s unless you specifically want the kitsch. Prices change frequently — check availability now.
Why Stay Here
- 11 acres of tropical gardens and the largest riverside pool complex in central Bangkok — the only true resort-style escape on the Chao Phraya River
- Free shuttle boat every 30 minutes to BTS Saphan Taksin and ICONSIAM — the most reliable river transport of any riverside hotel
- Seven on-site restaurants and bars including Trader Vic’s tiki bar, Manohra dinner cruises, and Riverside Terrace for breakfast with river views
- Full-service Anantara Spa with 12 treatment rooms, steam baths, and traditional Thai treatments by senior therapists
- Family-friendly facilities rare in Bangkok hotels — kids’ pool, Muay Thai ring, tennis courts, cooking school, and 400-meter jogging path
Things to Consider
- The Thonburi side location means slightly longer commutes to Sukhumvit nightlife — for central Bangkok access, consider Mandarin Oriental Bangkok or The Peninsula Bangkok across the river
- The resort scale can feel impersonal compared to smaller boutique properties — for a more intimate riverside stay, The Siam Hotel offers personalized luxury
- Some room categories (especially standard Deluxe) feel dated despite the 2014 renovation — Capella Bangkok or Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River offer newer contemporary design
- Traffic between the hotel and Sukhumvit during rush hour can be brutal — plan your outings via the shuttle boat rather than taxis whenever possible
- The property is so large that navigating to the spa or pool from your room can take 5-7 minutes — not a problem, but worth knowing
Location
- Sathorn (Saphan Taksin) Pier — complimentary hotel shuttle boat every 30 minutes from 6am to midnight
- BTS Saphan Taksin — accessed via the shuttle boat (10 minutes total) connecting you to the Silom Line
- ICONSIAM — free shuttle boat runs directly to the mall’s pier (5 minutes) for shopping and dining
- Asiatique The Riverfront — 15 minutes south by taxi or free Asiatique shuttle boat from Sathorn Pier
Final Verdict
Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort is the clear choice for travelers who want a genuine resort vacation rather than a city-break hotel. The 11 acres of gardens, massive pool complex, multiple restaurants, and on-site activities create a destination in its own right — you could easily spend a long weekend without leaving the property.
The shuttle boat is a genuinely excellent amenity that transforms the Thonburi location from a negative into a positive. Twenty minutes of river travel replaces an hour stuck in Bangkok taxi traffic, and the views are better than any paid tour. Families with kids benefit enormously from the dedicated kids’ pool, jogging path, and cooking school.
Where Anantara Riverside sits is a different category from the city’s newer luxury hotels. It’s not cutting-edge contemporary design like Capella or Park Hyatt — it’s old-school resort charm with teakwood, gardens, and tiki bars. That’s a feature, not a bug, for the right traveler.
Best for: families, resort lovers, honeymooners seeking space and gardens, and anyone who wants to actually use their hotel. Not ideal for: business travelers with meetings on Sukhumvit, party-seekers who want to walk to bars, or guests who prioritize sleek contemporary design over tropical resort atmosphere.