ABIZZ Hotel KwanPhayao — Curtains Open onto the Lake and Mountains at a Price You Can Book Without Thinking Twice
If you want a Phayao stay where you wake up to the lake and the sunrise over the mountain ridge, ABIZZ Hotel KwanPhayao is the name guests bring up most often. It's a small 3-star hotel in Ban Tom, sitting right on the edge of Kwan Phayao. The rooms aren't fancy — a simple blue-grey design — but what people keep coming back to mention is the room balcony that looks straight out at the lake and the ฿80 buffet breakfast that fills you up well beyond its price. The result is a 9.0 from 111 Trip.com reviews, all on a budget of a few hundred baht.
ABIZZ Hotel KwanPhayao is a small white five-storey building in Ban Tom, a little outside Phayao town but right on the lakeshore. It has 73 rooms in a plain blue-grey palette that leans on being clean and comfortable rather than luxurious. Rooms run 17 sqm for the twin and double categories, with a 19 sqm Family room for small groups. Most rooms come with a balcony looking out at Kwan Phayao and the mountains behind it — and that single detail is what guests mention more than anything, even more than the room itself.
What sets this place apart from the hotels in town is the lakeside terrace behind the building. In the evening you can walk out to the railing at the water's edge and watch the sun drop behind the ridge across the lake, with lotus beds and water birds in the foreground. Several reviewers say that view alone justifies the room. Before 7 am, mist still hangs over the surface and the air is cool — the quietest, prettiest part of the day.
One guest recalls opening the curtains to "the lake with a thin layer of mist over it, sitting with a quiet coffee on the balcony" — and not expecting to find that feeling at a few-hundred-baht rate.
Breakfast is another point guests praise. It's a ฿80-per-person buffet (฿50 for children 17 and under) with rice porridge, eggs, simple Thai dishes and a few basic Western options. It isn't as varied as a big hotel's spread, but plenty of reviews call it filling and well above what you pay for. There's also a small restaurant and snack bar on site, plus room service if you'd rather not head out.
Facilities are about what you'd expect from a 3-star — free Wi-Fi throughout, free parking, and an EV charging point. The front desk is staffed 24 hours with multilingual staff, and luggage storage is free. Worth stating up front: there's no pool and no spa. If you're after a resort-style stay with a swimming pool, this isn't it. What ABIZZ sells is the lakeside location and the price, not a full set of amenities.
The location is Ban Tom, a few steps from the lakeshore. Wat Phra That Chom Thong is about 1.2 km away and Wat Sri Khom Kham (the Phra Chao Ton Luang temple) roughly 1.7 km. It's about a 10-minute drive into Phayao town and the lakeside walking street. The thing to know before booking: the hotel sits slightly outside the town centre, and a car makes life easiest here. Without one you can hire a local ride, but public transport doesn't pass through this area often, so it pays to plan your trips a little.
The Trip.com score is 9.0/10 from 111 reviews, with cleanliness (9.1) and location (9.1) leading the categories. The honest complaints, fairly enough, are that rooms are on the small side, pillows are fairly thin, and soundproofing between rooms is weak — you'll hear the neighbours at times. Some bathroom showers run light on pressure. Worth flagging so you don't over-expect — but for a lakeside room at this budget, it's still strong value.
The bottom line: ABIZZ Hotel KwanPhayao suits road-trippers touring the north who want to sleep beside Kwan Phayao and wake up to the view, all at a few-hundred-baht rate. Don't expect spacious rooms or a pool, but you do get the location, the atmosphere, and a breakfast that's worth the money. If you want the full lake view, ask for a Double Lake View room on a higher floor at booking — a small premium for a picture that earns every baht.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Lakeside location on Kwan Phayao, steps from the water
- ✓ Clean rooms in a simple blue-grey design
- ✓ ฿80 buffet breakfast — filling and good value
- ✓ Free parking and helpful staff
- ! Rooms are on the small side (17 sqm)
- ! Soundproofing between rooms is weak
- ! Outside the town centre — harder to reach without a car
- ✓ Lake and sunset views from room balconies and the lakeside terrace
- ✓ Starts at a few hundred baht — excellent value for a lakeside spot
- ✓ Friendly, multilingual staff
- ✓ EV charging point and free parking
- ! Pillows are fairly thin, some showers run light on pressure
- ! No swimming pool and no spa
- ! Public transport rarely passes through Ban Tom
- 💡If you want the full lake view — specify a Double Bed With Lake View room and ask for a higher floor at booking → some interior rooms look only onto the garden or car park, not the lake
- 💡If you're a light sleeper — soundproofing between rooms is weak and you may hear the neighbours → pack ear plugs to be safe, especially over long weekends when the hotel is busy
- 💡If you don't have a car — the hotel is in Ban Tom outside the town centre and public transport rarely passes → arrange a local ride in advance, or rent a car or motorbike to get around Phayao far more easily