Last updated on October 30th, 2024 at 10:13 am
Best Pattaya Family Friendly Hotels For First Time Visitors
With my daughter quickly growing up and developing a deep love for travel, we often find ourselves visiting Thailand’s seaside resort city of Pattaya. Living in Bangkok, Pattaya is the closest and quickest spot for a short beach getaway, just one hour and thirty minutes by car.
Yes, it’s the same Pattaya known for its notorious red-light district lined with go-go bars near the beach, made famous in the 1970’s, during the Vietnam War era.
It is certainly a sight to behold, especially while visiting Pattaya with kids in tow is your first time. Or the overly religious mother-in-law.
Today due to the Thai government’s efforts to “tidy up” Pattaya’s darker side, there have been some positive changes, including a cleaner, more family-friendly Pattaya Beach environment.
No doubt Pattaya is still a hotspot for major sex tourism. But it’s confined to the side streets of central Pattaya and near the end of Beach Road, particularly Walking Street. Which is this blog post will be helpful for any family looking to visit Pattaya for the very first time.
Because there are ways to avoid it all, by staying at any of the hotels listed below. Most of those hotels are by the beach, not on it as there are no hotel properties directly on the beach.
Except for one which is just further up on north Pattaya, and it is one mega kid-friendly hotel but even big kids like myself love it.
Even then, it’s probably a good idea not to let your husband wander out alone when he says he’s going out to buy a jug of milk and a loaf of bread.
Your Kids Will Love My Hotel Recommendations (Your Mother-in-Law Too)
As a result, a surprising number of hotels in Pattaya feature large swimming pools, complete with water slides, kiddie pools, and water cannons, offering fun-filled options for families within the hotel property in certain parts of Pattaya. Some hotels even have fun-themed playrooms. Filled to the brim with toys for all ages!
And almost every year I’ve had the pleasure of staying in some of these popularly recommended hotels in Pattaya with facilities in place for family rest and peace.
In this blog post, I’ll share a few of my favorite kid-friendly hotels in Pattaya. These are also great options if you’re looking for a place to take your sweet old mother—without her inquisitively questioning the sight of dozens of scantily clad women dancing around a single stripper pole.
And the dreaded questions from your little ones like “Daddy, why are there two women sitting on that old man’s lap?”
My Pattaya Hotel Booking Tips
After living in Thailand for nearly 20 years and staying in Thai hotels frequently I’ve learned a few things and I’ll quickly share them here with you:
The majority of family-friendly hotels are located on the North side of Pattaya, called Pattaya Nua, which is in my opinion, the nicest part of Pattaya. But you don’t want to stay too far north of Pattaya as it is quieter and desolate.
The sweet spot is right where Pattaya Beach starts from the north. And that’s where all of the best Pattaya family-friendly hotels I recommend can be found.
Most modern hotel rooms in Pattaya are smoke-free. Which is a plus for the little ones. And most Thai hotels in Pattaya have a balcony. Some are spacious. Some are small. Regardless, make sure the balcony door locks are functioning.
For extra safety, I barricade the balcony door with chairs. You can tell I’m a paranoid parent. But my kid is clever. She’ll figure out how to open that door quicker than snatching a lollipop from my hand.
Typically check-in times for Thai hotels is 12 pm afternoon. However, from my experience as long as there are clean rooms available they may allow earlier check-in. That’s one thing I noticed about hotels throughout Thailand. Management is quite flexible with the rules.
Checkout times are typically 11 am. But let’s say you know your little one will enjoy the hotel’s kiddie swimming pool or well-stocked playroom. And you’d like to have a late checkout for 1 pm for example. Again speaking from experience as long as the hotel isn’t expected to be fully booked they will allow it. Especially if you notify them ahead of time.
I mentioned to the front desk that my daughter loves their swimming pool and could use some extra playtime. Show them how adorable your little one is. As long as rooms are available, the hotel will likely grant you a few extra hours after checkout.
This way, you can relax without rushing to pack your bags. Your child can enjoy more time at the pool. You can recover from that breakfast food coma at your own pace.
Speaking about hotel buffet breakfast…
The Breakfast Buffet
Thai hotel breakfasts are indeed worth it. Especially for the family-friendly hotels in Pattaya, I recommend below. This is particularly true if the cost is around $10 USD – $15 USD extra on top of the room rate.
All the hotels I recommend below offer Western and Asian food choices, from eggs cooked to order to freshly baked bread, Chinese dim sum, Thai noodle soups, and rice porridge. A wide assortment of cereals and baked goods
Vegetarians will find a large selection of salads and fruits to enjoy. Also gluten-free food choices as well these days.
There will be something for everyone!
My Recommended Family Friendly Pattaya Hotels
Grande Centre Point Pattaya ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let’s start with what I think is the best kid-friendly hotel in Pattaya. But words won’t do it justice. So I made this video way back, around covid time. I’ll make an updated video someday but I think my video will show you how cool this super-popular hotel is for local Thai people and foreign tourists.
Grande Centre Point hotel properties are one of the best throughout Thailand. I’ve stayed in numerous Centre Point properties and I’ve enjoyed every single one.
Though prices have gone up recently due to popularity at this north Pattaya property I can say with certainty if you can find a price between $100 USD to $175 USD it is worth it.
However, it is possible to get a standard balcony city-view room for $85 USD during the off-peak season.
The Grande Centre Point Pattaya is attached to a mall called Terminal 21 Pattaya, a fantastical-themed shopping center. Be sure to check out the food court center while you’re there.
You can read room reviews of Grande Centre Point Pattaya and find discounts like I did at Agoda.com.
Amari Pattaya ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amari Pattaya, like Centre Point, is another group of Thai hotel chains providing high-quality accommodations and services in the country.
Even when I stay in Hua Hin I always recommend the Amari Hua Hin because it has a huge swimming pool surrounded by beautiful landscape. My daughter simply loves it over there. But I think she particularly loves this Amari Pattaya property even more!
The Amari Pattaya is right beside Grande Centre Pattaya on the north end of Pattaya Beach, which is right across Beach Road.
Standard rooms are quite massive, nearly 50 square meters! And Amari buffet breakfasts are one of the best in my books. Pricewise standard rooms cost more but believe me it’s worth it!
You can read room reviews of Amari Pattaya and find discounts like I did at Agoda.com.
Holiday Inn Pattaya ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
One of the most famous international hotel chains, the Holiday Inn Pattaya also located by the north end of Pattaya Beach, is a great hotel property for traveling families.
With 33 square meter rooms that cost around $150 USD per night, it’s a decent deal. And better yet the kids’ rooms and pools have been renovated. In recent renovations, they’ve even added more activities and facilities for young children.
The location is good, about a 400-meter walk to Pattaya Beach. Though if you want to mall crawl the closest one is Terminal 21 which is also about 400 meter walk.
Read reviews for Holiday Inn Pattaya and find discounts on Agoda.com
Grand Mercure Pattaya ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I also recommend this 3-star family-friendly hotel in Pattaya, it’s right next to Holiday Inn Pattaya because they are managed under the same international corporation. So the quality is great for the value and the service is top-notch.
Matter of fact I stay here more often when I plan to stay in Pattaya for 3 to 4 days. And they’ve got a great swim area with a water slide for kids. And a much longer water slide for bigger kids like me!
There’s even a small rocking climb wall plus a small kids’ play room. But overall I think one can appreciate a compact play area. This way you can laze away on one of the beach chairs knowing that your little one can’t wander away too far from sight.
I usually stay in one of the standard rooms which are also compact at 26 square meters. But it’s more than enough space for my wife, myself, and my little one. And costs around $85 USD per night which isn’t so bad.
I gotta admit Grand Mercure Pattaya could improve its breakfast buffet choices.
Read reviews and find discounts for Grand Mercure Pattaya on Agoda.com
Centara Grande Beach Resort Pattaya ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Want to stay at a hotel with a mini theme park? And it’s right on the beach too. The Centara Grande Beach Resort no doubt is a bit pricey. But not so crazy expensive when you compare it to the outrageous 5-star Western hotel rates.
So once in a while as a treat, we stay here for a day or two all to the benefit of our little girl. One night here will set you back around $250 USD with no taxes and breakfast included. This means if you can find it lower than that you should book the room.
And those are the rates for standard rooms, which are around 40 square meters. So it’s comfortable with enough space for your kid to run around and drive you nuts.
And it’s right on the beach!
Read reviews and find discounts for Centara Grande Beach Resort on Agoda.com
In Conclusion
To wrap it up, while Pattaya is often known for its vibrant nightlife, it’s also becoming a hotspot for family-friendly hotels that are perfect for those traveling with kids.
These places offer spacious rooms, fun pool areas, and easy access to the beach, making it a breeze for families to have a great time together.
Whether you need a hotel with amenities for the little ones or just want a chill spot to relax, Pattaya has a ton of options that cater to both parents and kids, ensuring everyone has a blast.
So, when you’re planning your next family getaway to Thailand, don’t forget to check out the family-friendly side of Pattaya—you might be in for a nice surprise!
I certainly do!
