M2 Hotel Waterside — Open the Curtains to Kwan Phayao and a Rooftop Built for Sunset
Phayao is the town most travellers drive straight past on the way to Chiang Rai — but anyone who has stopped overnight on the lake knows the sunset over Kwan Phayao is hard to walk away from. M2 Hotel Waterside is a 4-star property planted on the Ban Tom side, a one-minute walk across the road from the lakefront. What guests keep coming back to is twofold: floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the lake and the mountain ridge behind it, and the 7th-floor Atmosphere Sky Bar, which turns into the best seat in town as the sun drops behind the hills.
M2 Hotel Waterside is a roughly seven-storey block on the Ban Tom road, facing out over Kwan Phayao. There are 40 rooms across several layouts, from Standard singles and doubles up to a Family Room of around 35 sqm. The detail guests mention most is the floor-to-ceiling glass — pull the curtains back in the morning and the lake and the mountain ridge are right there in front of you. Rooms are finished in pale wood and kept simple and clean, and several reviewers note they feel more spacious than expected for a provincial-town rate.
The real draw is Atmosphere Sky Bar & Restaurant on the 7th floor — a semi-open rooftop that looks straight down the length of Kwan Phayao to the mountains. The hour before sunset is when it fills up: golden light sits on the water and slowly shifts to violet and deep blue. It runs from 6:30 am to 9:00 pm and serves both Thai and Western dishes. Guests agree the buffet breakfast up here earns its keep on the view alone, even if the menu itself is narrower than what you'd get at a big-city hotel.
One guest describes nursing a coffee on the 7th floor, watching the sun drop behind the ridge as the lake turned gold, and deciding the room rate had already paid for itself.
Down at ground level there's an outdoor pool on the lawn in front of the building. It's modest — more a cool-off dip than a lap pool — and a few reviews wish for more loungers and lounging space around it. The thing worth knowing in advance is the hot water: several guests report that in some rooms it arrives slowly or runs lukewarm. If that happens, flag it at reception rather than putting up with a cold shower.
The location works in your favour for a Phayao trip. It's a one-minute walk across the road to the lakefront and its walking-and-cycling path, and about 8 minutes on foot (roughly 540 m) to Wat Sri Khom Kham, home to Phra Chao Ton Luang, the great Buddha image that is Phayao's signature. Wat Tilok Aram sits out on the lake itself and needs a short boat ride from a nearby pier. Phayao is a small town — everything is close by car — but a private vehicle or a rented motorbike makes getting around far easier.
The overall score is 8.2/10 from 36 Trip.com reviews, and 4.1/5 on Tripadvisor, where it ranks #2 of 11 hotels in Phayao City. The praise is consistent: the views, the cleanliness, and friendly staff. The honest gripes are also consistent — room rates and in-house food prices run high for Phayao, one reviewer mentions a ceiling leak in the breakfast room during rain, and the Starbucks sold on site is called out as overpriced. Worth knowing so the bill doesn't surprise you.
On price, a Standard room starts around ฿1,500/night on weekdays, climbing on weekends and through the cool season (November–January) when crowds come for the lake — a good lake-view room or a family room can reach ฿2,500–3,500. The cool season is Phayao's peak, so book at least 2–3 weeks ahead. As always, compare Agoda, Booking and Trip.com before you commit, since the discounts vary noticeably between them.
The bottom line: M2 Hotel Waterside suits travellers who come to Phayao wanting to wake up to the lake and have a rooftop to watch the sunset from. Rooms are clean and roomy, and you can walk to both the lakefront and Wat Sri Khom Kham. If you can live with occasionally slow hot water and rates a touch above the Phayao average, it's one of the most well-rounded lakeside options in town. For the best view, ask for a high floor on the lake-facing side.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Kwan Phayao views from the rooms and rooftop are excellent
- ✓ Rooms clean, spacious, simply finished in pale wood
- ✓ Walkable to the lakefront and Wat Sri Khom Kham
- ✓ Friendly, attentive staff
- ! Hot water slow to arrive in some bathrooms
- ! Room and in-house food prices above the Phayao average
- ! Pool is small with limited lounging space
- ✓ 7th-floor Atmosphere Sky Bar — sunset view well worth it
- ✓ Buffet breakfast with a lake view and good atmosphere
- ✓ Family rooms spacious and good for kids
- ✓ Lakeside setting is quiet and unhurried
- ! In-house menu less varied than big-city hotels
- ! A ceiling leak in the breakfast room reported during rain
- ! Parking is off-building and tight when busy
- 💡If you want the full lake view — specify a high floor on the lake-facing side when booking → inner or lower rooms have the view partly blocked by the building and trees
- 💡If hot water matters to you — run the water heater for a moment before showering, and tell reception immediately if it stays cool → several guests hit slow hot water in some rooms
- 💡If you plan to eat every meal here — in-house food is pricey and the menu is limited → a 5–10 minute drive into Phayao town has more lakefront eateries and northern-Thai food at lower prices