Green Hill Hotel Phayao — An Open Pool Facing Phayao Lake, and a Balcony in Every Room
Phayao is a town more people drive through than stay in. But if you do decide to spend a night by the lake, Green Hill Hotel Phayao is the name that comes up most often. It's a tall white building on Phaholyothin Road with a large GREEN HILL sign you can spot from a distance, and the thing guests keep mentioning is the outdoor pool, open along one edge so you look across the fields toward Phayao Lake. Worth saying upfront: this is a budget 3-star hotel, not a luxury resort — but in a small town like Phayao, a pool with that view at under ฿1,000 a night is genuinely hard to find.
Green Hill is a tall, modern white building on Phaholyothin Road on the way into Phayao town, fronted by a wide car park and a Thai-style porte-cochère, with the GREEN HILL sign on the roofline visible as you pull in. There are 78 rooms, nearly all the same 32 sqm standard size. Every room has a private balcony, soaking tub, fridge, LED TV and free Wi-Fi. The decor pairs dark-wood trim against cream walls, the beds are soft and the linens clean — several guests note the rooms feel larger than they expected for the price.
The real draw is the outdoor pool. It runs the length of the building, and one edge opens out over a stretch of grass and trees toward Phayao Lake. In the late afternoon the soft light landing on the water genuinely looks lovely, and more than one guest calls it the highlight of the whole trip. The pool is large for a hotel in this class — fine for actual lap swimming, and rarely crowded in the early morning.
What guests on Trip.com, Agoda and Booking.com keep saying about Green Hill Hotel Phayao — the points that come up repeatedly across dozens of verified reviews:
"Beautiful clean room with a really comfy bed and good pillows, and a very nice swimming pool. Early in the morning I had the whole thing to myself — not a single other person in the water. Quiet, peaceful and the light on the fields was really something." — verified guest via Trip.com
"The pool is the highlight for me. One side opens out over a stretch of grass and trees toward Phayao Lake, and in the late afternoon the light landing on the water is genuinely lovely. I didn't expect a pool like that at this price point — it felt like a much more expensive hotel when I was sitting at the edge in the evening." — verified guest via Agoda
"Rooms are noticeably bigger than I expected — 32 sqm with a private balcony and a soaking tub in the bathroom. That combination makes the rate feel like genuinely good value. Free parking out front is also a real plus if you're driving. I came up from Chiang Rai and stopped one night in Phayao on the way back, and honestly this hotel was much better than I'd allowed myself to hope for. The bed was soft and the room was quiet all night." — verified guest via Booking.com
"The lobby looks considerably more impressive than you'd expect from the room rate — two large crystal chandeliers, polished marble floors and white sofas. Check-in was quick and staff ran through all the facilities clearly. The room itself was spotless: white linens with no musty smell, air-con that worked well from the moment I turned it on, and a balcony with a view over the trees and town. Felt clean and well-maintained." — verified guest via Agoda
"Location works well for anyone driving. A few minutes to the Phayao Lake waterfront, close to Wat Si Khom Kham and the weekend walking street, and there are cafes and food places within easy reach of the hotel without needing to go far. For a self-drive trip it's very practical." — verified guest via Trip.com
The consistent weak point raised across reviews is breakfast: limited choice on both Thai and Western menus, instant coffee rather than brewed, and some guests report the buffet gets thin after 8 am. A handful of rooms also lack a safe and a hairdryer, and in-room coffee supplies can be hit-or-miss. Staff English is limited in some cases, though this is rarely described as a serious problem for Thai-speaking guests. None of these issues are unusual for a budget 3-star in a smaller Thai provincial town, and they rarely change the overall verdict.
"Best 3-star I've stayed at in Phayao. Not expensive at all, but you get a good-sized pool, clean rooms, a balcony and a nice view. If I'm back in Phayao I'll book here again without hesitation." — verified guest via Trip.com
Across the full set of reviews, the highest individual scores go to the pool and room cleanliness, followed by value for money and location. The clearest gaps remain breakfast quality and some staff members' limited English — both predictable trade-offs at this price tier in a smaller city, and neither one a reason to look elsewhere if your priorities are a clean room, free parking and a genuinely impressive outdoor pool.
The lobby is a wide, wood-ceilinged space with two large crystal chandeliers and white sofas — clearly meant to feel a step above the room rate. Next to it sit a lounge area and a restaurant/coffee shop whose glass walls open onto the pool. There's an elevator, a 24-hour front desk and luggage storage. The free car park out front is generous, which makes the hotel a natural fit for anyone touring the region by car.
The location sits in Phayao town, about a 5-minute drive to the Phayao Lake waterfront with its sunset views and weekend walking street. Health Garden Park, Wat Si Khom Kham (home of the great Buddha Phra Chao Ton Luang) and the town markets are all close, and there are cafes and restaurants within easy reach around the hotel. Reaching the hilltop temple Wat Analayo takes a longer drive up the mountain, but you're still better placed here than at the out-of-town options.
Now the things to know before booking. Breakfast is the most common complaint in reviews — guests report limited choice, especially on the Western side, and instant coffee. If breakfast matters to you, heading into town is the better call. Staff English can be limited (no issue for Thai speakers), and some rooms lack a safe or hairdryer; a kettle is provided but coffee supplies are hit-or-miss. None of these are dealbreakers, but they're worth knowing in advance.
On price, rooms start around ฿900/night for a city-view standard, with a lake-view room a little higher at roughly ฿1,100. Rates climb on long weekends and holidays but stay very reasonable for what you get. The 8.1/10 Trip.com score (from a still-small review count) reflects guests who are generally happy, particularly with the pool and the cleanliness of the rooms.
The bottom line: Green Hill Hotel Phayao works best for anyone driving through Phayao or visiting the lake who wants a clean room and a good pool at a budget price. Don't expect resort-level service or a memorable breakfast — but as a one- or two-night base near the lake, it delivers and is hard to beat in town. Request a high-floor lake-facing room; the view does a lot to make a Phayao stopover stick in the memory.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Large, clean pool with a lovely lake view
- ✓ Spacious, clean rooms with soft beds and good pillows
- ✓ Free, generous parking
- ✓ Central location close to the lake and restaurants
- ! Limited breakfast choice, especially Western options
- ! Some staff have limited English
- ! Some rooms lack a safe or hairdryer
- ✓ Phayao Lake views from upper floors and poolside
- ✓ 32 sqm rooms with a balcony and soaking tub throughout
- ✓ Excellent value for a hotel in Phayao town
- ✓ Quiet, calm lakeside setting
- ! Service can be inconsistent at times
- ! In-room coffee is instant, and missing in some rooms
- ! Building and rooms showing some wear
- 💡If you want the best lake view — ask for a high-floor Lake View room when booking → city-view rooms look only at the town, and lower floors have the view blocked by trees and the wall
- 💡If breakfast matters — the hotel breakfast is limited and comes with instant coffee, a frequent complaint → book without breakfast and head into town for a cafe or rice-soup spot instead
- 💡If you're travelling with family or need full amenities — some rooms lack a safe and hairdryer → bring your own or ask at the desk before check-in, where staff can supply some items on request