Avani Pattaya Resort — A Pool Under Coconut Palms, Steps From Pattaya Beach
The thing guests mention most about Avani isn't the rooms — it's the mature coconut garden wrapped around a 650 sqm pool. You're standing in the middle of Pattaya, yet walk into that garden and it turns shaded and quiet, as if the city dropped away. The resort sits right on Beach Road, opened back in 1978, and had a major refresh in 2016. Its real edge: a back gate that puts you on Pattaya Beach in a few steps, while the front entrance is just 150 metres from Royal Garden Plaza — a location that's genuinely hard to match in Pattaya.
Avani Pattaya has been here since 1978 (it ran as the Pattaya Marriott earlier) before joining the Avani group and getting a full renovation in 2016. Because it's an older resort on a prime plot, the coconut palms in the garden are tall and throw a kind of shade that newer towers simply can't fake. There are 300 rooms in total, every one with a balcony or terrace, split between pool-, garden- and sea-facing. The rooms read as warm modern Thai — timber tones and teal Thai-pattern fabrics, some with a bathtub. If a sea view matters to you, ask for Ocean View when booking, since those open right onto the Gulf.
The heart of the place is the 650 sqm outdoor pool tucked under the coconut canopy. There's a waterslide, a swim-up bar, and Manao Bar poolside for food and drinks through the day, plus a separate kids' pool and shaded cabanas. Guests say the same thing over and over: the pool stays cooler than expected because of the tree cover, so even a hot afternoon is swimmable. It's open from 6 am to 8 pm — get in early and you'll have most of it to yourself.
"Coffee by the pool in the morning, just birdsong and the sea breeze coming through — you forget you're in the middle of Pattaya."
Dining runs across four outlets on the grounds. The standout is Benihana, the Japanese teppanyaki room where chefs cook tableside — a branch Pattaya regulars know well, and it's open to non-guests too. Garden Café is the main restaurant, serving Thai and international dishes plus a breakfast buffet that guests rate highly. Elephant Bar and the poolside Manao Bar cover lighter bites and drinks. More than a few reviews single out the Garden Café breakfast as the reason they were up early every day without an alarm.
Location is Avani's strongest card. The back gate puts you on Pattaya Beach in a few steps, while the front is 150 metres from Royal Garden Plaza. Central Festival Pattaya Beach is about 800 metres on foot, and Walking Street is roughly a 9-minute walk. There's a 7-Eleven right across from the entrance, handy for a late-night snack run. In short, you get a quiet garden-resort feel, then step out the gate straight into the buzz of central Pattaya.
The overall Trip.com score sits at 9.2/10 from 305 reviews. Guests praise the location, the pool and breakfast; the honest complaints are worth knowing too. The building and some rooms still feel like an older-generation resort — it's been renovated, but it isn't a brand-new design hotel. A few reviews note street-side rooms catching Pattaya traffic noise at night, and weak Wi-Fi at some spots out in the garden. Set expectations accordingly.
On price — a Superior Room starts around ฿2,900/night in normal periods, which is strong value for a 5-star beachfront resort with a pool this size. Sea-view rooms or a Pool Access room cost a bit more. High season (November–February) and long weekends push rates up and fill rooms fast, so book 2–4 weeks ahead. Always compare Agoda, Booking and Trip.com before you commit — the gap between platforms can be meaningful here.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Excellent location — back gate opens onto Pattaya Beach
- ✓ Large, shaded pool under the coconut garden with a waterslide
- ✓ Garden Café breakfast varied and good
- ✓ Staff attentive and friendly
- ! Building and some rooms still feel like an older-generation resort
- ! Street-side rooms catch traffic noise at night
- ! Wi-Fi weak at some spots in the garden
- ✓ Mature coconut garden gives real shade and a quiet feel in central Pattaya
- ✓ Benihana teppanyaki on-site, open to non-guests
- ✓ Walkable to Royal Garden Plaza and Central Festival
- ✓ Most rooms have a balcony with pool, garden or sea views
- ! Some rooms and furnishings look dated next to newer resorts
- ! Pool gets busy on long-weekend afternoons
- ! Parking fills quickly at peak times
- 💡If you want a sea view — ask for Ocean View at booking, as those rooms open right onto the Gulf → garden- and pool-facing rooms are pleasant but have no sea, and street-side rooms can catch traffic noise at night
- 💡If you want a brand-new design — this is an older resort renovated in 2016, built around its garden rather than a fresh tower → if newness is a priority, compare it against the high-rise hotels along Beach Road first
- 💡If you're travelling with kids — there's a separate kids' pool and a waterslide for all-day play → the pool gets busy on long-weekend afternoons, so swim before 10 am for more space