Royal Cliff Beach Hotel Pattaya

Rooms and decor

Royal Cliff Beach Hotel opened in 1973 at 353 Pratamnak Road, on the Pratamnak headland south of Pattaya — one of the hotels in Royal Cliff Resorts, which sets 4 hotels on 26 rai of adjoining land (Royal Wing Suites, Grand Hotel, Beach Hotel, Beach Terrace) for a total of 528 rooms. The Beach Hotel itself has 167 rooms and sits closest to the beach. The entry Royal Beach Studio is 56 sqm — about 30% larger than the Pattaya 5-star standard — running up to the 250-sqm Royal Suite. The look is classic 1990s Thai luxury in gold, cream and brown, partly renovated in 2018, with wide beds, cotton sheets and a sea-view balcony on every room of 8-12 sqm. Bathrooms are marble with a rain shower, a separate tub and Pañpuri amenities. Real guest reviews on Trip.com (9.0/10) and Booking (8.5) mostly praise the big rooms and the sea view, though some note the older buildings and the original furniture.

Food and amenities

Royal Cliff Resorts is the biggest resort destination in the Pratamnak cluster — 6 pools shared across the 4 wings: the Cliff Spa Pool (an infinity pool over the bay), the Royal Cliff Grand Pool (the largest at 1,200 sqm with a kids' slide), the Royal Cliff Beach Pool (by the beach), the Royal Wing Pool (private), the Royal Cliff Terrace Pool (garden view) and the Royal Cliff Bay Pool. The private beach runs 300 metres of clean white sand, quieter than the main Pattaya beach. 7 restaurants include Lat 13 (international buffet), Marina (seafood by the pool), Caprice (Italian), Toscana and The Grill Room (steakhouse). The Royal Cliff Spa runs Thai-inspired treatments from $63 to $157, the gym is open 24 hours, and a free in-resort shuttle bus circles every 20 minutes (Family Wing → Beach → Lobby → Spa Pool). Because the resort is so large, the Kids Club is big too, open 09:00-21:00. Overall score: 8.8/10.

Location and getting there

Royal Cliff Beach Hotel sits at 353 Pratamnak Road on the Pratamnak headland. The Pratamnak viewpoint is a 3-minute drive. Walking Street is an 8-minute drive (3 km) — Bolt runs $2-3, or take the free shuttle. CentralFestival Pattaya Beach is a 12-minute drive (5 km) — Bolt $4-6. Bali Hai pier is a 6-minute drive and Jomtien beach a 5-minute drive. U-Tapao Airport (UTP) is 27 km / 40 minutes — Bolt runs $19-24. Suvarnabhumi (BKK) is 132 km / 2 hours — Bell Travel is about $7 per person. Royal Cliff also runs a free shuttle bus to CentralFestival and Walking Street 5 times a day.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, this is an older hotel, open since 1973 — some wings keep the original 1990s classic-Thai furniture, so ask for the Royal Wing or Royal Cliff Beach wing, which has the most recent renovation, and avoid the unrenovated parts of the Royal Cliff Grand. Second, it is very large at 26 rai, and the walk from your room to a pool can be 5-8 minutes — use the free shuttle that comes every 20 minutes, or call a buggy from the concierge. Third, it fills up over New Year and Chinese New Year with 528 rooms plus large tour groups, and rates climb to $257+, so it is worth dodging those dates. Fourth, it is 3 km from Walking Street — take the resort's free shuttle there and back, and if you are out late, a Bolt is just $2-3.

Our take

Royal Cliff Beach Hotel is the right fit for big families and couples who like a classic, sprawling resort with large rooms and plenty of ground — 26 rai, 6 pools, a private beach, 56+ sqm rooms with sea-view balconies, and 50 years of Pattaya history, from about $131. If your trip is a big family of 4-6 wanting large rooms, a couple who loves a classic resort, or a group of friends who want room to spread out, this is the most settled answer. But if you want the newest polish or a Pool Villa, IC Pattaya or Hilton will suit you better. Overall we give it 8.8/10, best for big families, couples who love a classic resort, and groups of friends.