Pros

  • Relatively secluded clifftop setting overlooking the sea
  • Infinity-edge swimming pool with stunning views, plus pool with long swim-up bar
  • Spacious rooms have seating areas and balconies
  • Access to large Fitz Club health and leisure center
  • Beachfront eatery, 24-hour buffet dining, Indian restaurant, and grill restaurant with wine cellar
  • Game rooms filled with toys and activities for kids
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout
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Cons

  • Away from the town's main attractions
  • Some bathrooms are cramped and have poor layout
  • Some rooms look out over high-rises
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Bottom Line

This 474-room, upscale hotel is the "casual luxury" offering of the four Royal Cliff hotels set on this 64-acre plot southwest of the resort town of Pattaya. Its clifftop setting provides superb views and sunsets, which are especially enjoyable from the infinity-edge pool. Some rooms offer sea-view balconies, while all feature comfy seating areas and high-end TVs. Guests have access to a giant health club with tennis courts, fitness facilities, pools, saunas, and more, while dining options include a buffet restaurant, Indian, and beachside barbecues. While some guests enjoy the secluded location, others find it a little isolated. For even more on-site facilities, check out the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort, which is closer to the center and has a water park, five pools, and eight restaurants -- but rates are a little more expensive.

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Oyster Hotel Review

Royal Cliff Beach Hotel

Scene

Modern luxury hotel with lofty atrium lobby and stunning sunset views

The Royal Cliff Beach Hotel has a grand, symmetrical facade with a wall of curved glass over the portico -- though the boxy balconies look a little dated. Stepping inside, the hotel's airy, high-ceilinged lobby dwarfs a scattering of chic furnishings, a handful of green bushy trees, and a central water feature with a pipe-playing statue. Check-in takes places at a long, jade-colored marble reception desk, while numerous pieces of traditional Thai crafts, carved latticework, and colorful flowers steer it away from feeling too corporate. The hotel is one of a group of four high-end properties of the same chain that occupy a private 64-acre estate, each offering a different take on "luxury" -- the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel representing the "casual" option. An impressive seven elevators service the hotel's nine floors, and a total renovation in 2011 still feels fresh. Most of the grounds comprise tiled sun terraces and pool areas, boasting some stunning evening sunsets -- though there are also steps down to a small sandy beach. Clientele are mostly vacationers -- around an even split between couples and families with kids. 

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Location

Clifftop setting in quieter south Pattaya neighborhood, 10-minute drive to town center

As its name suggests, the hotel has a clifftop setting on a piece of headland in the southwest of the popular tourist town of Pattaya. The area surrounding the hotel is largely residential, with a few restaurants and local shops dotted around, but it's certainly away from the hustle and bustle of Pattaya's main drag. Few of Pattaya's main attractions are within walking distance of the hotel, though the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH) is three minutes away on foot. Pattaya Park, a family-friendly destination with a roller coaster and waterslides, is about a 10-minute drive, as is the town's busy center including popular Walking Street -- the red light and entertainment area of the city. Utapao Pattaya Airport is around an hour's drive from the hotel, while Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport is an hour-and-a-half.

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Rooms

Thai-style rooms with seating areas and furnished balconies

The hotel has 474 rooms (consisting of Mini Suites and one- and two-bedroom Suites). Decor mixes simple, contemporary elements with traditional Thai styling. Many are airy, with tile floors, white walls, and white wood furniture and accents (such as the carved room dividers between the bedrooms and sitting areas in the Mini Suites). Varnished natural wood floors feature in the higher-level suites, together with local ornaments and statuettes. Overall, though, the look falls a bit short for a hotel that bills itself as a five-star option.

All rooms have seating areas, as well as furnished balconies -- many with superb sea (and sunset) views. Mountain View rooms often offer views of high-rises rather than mountains, however. Most amenities are covered, such as free Wi-Fi, well-stocked minibars, tea/coffee facilities, and HDTVs with satellite channels and Internet connectivity. Bathrooms are clean, modern, and well-maintained, with rainfall shower/tubs and his-and-hers robes, however some have complained of them as cramped and having poor layout. 

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Features

Impressive infinity-edge pool and long swim-up bar -- both with sea views -- plus several dining options

The hotel's standout feature is its ocean-view swimming pool, with an infinity edge that runs an impressive length and several whirlpool tub sections. A second pool also has fine sea views and adds a long swim-up bar; there's also a circular splash pool for kids and a private sandy beach accessible via quite a lot of steps. The newest of the hotel's restaurants, Breezeo, is set on this beach and offers cocktails, tapas, and beachside barbecues. Most meals, however, are served at the Panorama Restaurant, which is open 24/7 and offers international and Thai buffet-style dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- breakfast is not included in the standard rate. Other dining options include the Royal Grill Room, which has a wine cellar, and Maharani, an Indian restaurant. A bar is open until after midnight with live music from the resident band.  

Guests also have access to the hotel group's FITZ Club -- a large health and leisure facility a few minutes walk from the hotel that features everything from floodlit tennis courts and lessons, to indoor pools, saunas, and steam rooms. There are also game rooms for kids with plenty of toys and organized activities. A business center is equipped with iMacs and Wi-Fi is free throughout.

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Oyster Hotel Review

Royal Cliff Beach Hotel

Scene

Modern luxury hotel with lofty atrium lobby and stunning sunset views

The Royal Cliff Beach Hotel has a grand, symmetrical facade with a wall of curved glass over the portico -- though the boxy balconies look a little dated. Stepping inside, the hotel's airy, high-ceilinged lobby dwarfs a scattering of chic furnishings, a handful of green bushy trees, and a central water feature with a pipe-playing statue. Check-in takes places at a long, jade-colored marble reception desk, while numerous pieces of traditional Thai crafts, carved latticework, and colorful flowers steer it away from feeling too corporate. The hotel is one of a group of four high-end properties of the same chain that occupy a private 64-acre estate, each offering a different take on "luxury" -- the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel representing the "casual" option. An impressive seven elevators service the hotel's nine floors, and a total renovation in 2011 still feels fresh. Most of the grounds comprise tiled sun terraces and pool areas, boasting some stunning evening sunsets -- though there are also steps down to a small sandy beach. Clientele are mostly vacationers -- around an even split between couples and families with kids. 

See More Scene

Location

Clifftop setting in quieter south Pattaya neighborhood, 10-minute drive to town center

As its name suggests, the hotel has a clifftop setting on a piece of headland in the southwest of the popular tourist town of Pattaya. The area surrounding the hotel is largely residential, with a few restaurants and local shops dotted around, but it's certainly away from the hustle and bustle of Pattaya's main drag. Few of Pattaya's main attractions are within walking distance of the hotel, though the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH) is three minutes away on foot. Pattaya Park, a family-friendly destination with a roller coaster and waterslides, is about a 10-minute drive, as is the town's busy center including popular Walking Street -- the red light and entertainment area of the city. Utapao Pattaya Airport is around an hour's drive from the hotel, while Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport is an hour-and-a-half.

See More Location

Rooms

Thai-style rooms with seating areas and furnished balconies

The hotel has 474 rooms (consisting of Mini Suites and one- and two-bedroom Suites). Decor mixes simple, contemporary elements with traditional Thai styling. Many are airy, with tile floors, white walls, and white wood furniture and accents (such as the carved room dividers between the bedrooms and sitting areas in the Mini Suites). Varnished natural wood floors feature in the higher-level suites, together with local ornaments and statuettes. Overall, though, the look falls a bit short for a hotel that bills itself as a five-star option.

All rooms have seating areas, as well as furnished balconies -- many with superb sea (and sunset) views. Mountain View rooms often offer views of high-rises rather than mountains, however. Most amenities are covered, such as free Wi-Fi, well-stocked minibars, tea/coffee facilities, and HDTVs with satellite channels and Internet connectivity. Bathrooms are clean, modern, and well-maintained, with rainfall shower/tubs and his-and-hers robes, however some have complained of them as cramped and having poor layout. 

See More Rooms

Features

Impressive infinity-edge pool and long swim-up bar -- both with sea views -- plus several dining options

The hotel's standout feature is its ocean-view swimming pool, with an infinity edge that runs an impressive length and several whirlpool tub sections. A second pool also has fine sea views and adds a long swim-up bar; there's also a circular splash pool for kids and a private sandy beach accessible via quite a lot of steps. The newest of the hotel's restaurants, Breezeo, is set on this beach and offers cocktails, tapas, and beachside barbecues. Most meals, however, are served at the Panorama Restaurant, which is open 24/7 and offers international and Thai buffet-style dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- breakfast is not included in the standard rate. Other dining options include the Royal Grill Room, which has a wine cellar, and Maharani, an Indian restaurant. A bar is open until after midnight with live music from the resident band.  

Guests also have access to the hotel group's FITZ Club -- a large health and leisure facility a few minutes walk from the hotel that features everything from floodlit tennis courts and lessons, to indoor pools, saunas, and steam rooms. There are also game rooms for kids with plenty of toys and organized activities. A business center is equipped with iMacs and Wi-Fi is free throughout.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Airport Transportation

  • Babysitting Services

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Beach

  • Business Center

  • Cable

  • Children's Pool

  • Concierge

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Fitness Center

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Mini Bar (with liquor)

  • Pool

  • Poolside Drink Service

  • Rental Car Service Desk Onsite

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Smoking Rooms Available

  • Spa

  • Supervised Kids Activities

  • Swim-Up Bar

  • Tennis Court

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.