Modena by Fraser Buriram — Walking Distance to Chang Arena, Rooms Twice the Size of In-Town Hotels
When there's a MotoGP round or a big match in Buriram, the first question every visitor asks is which hotel sits closest to the venue. The answer that comes up most often from people who've actually been is Modena by Fraser Buriram — a 4-star serviced apartment from Frasers Hospitality that sits directly beside Chang International Circuit and is a short walk from Chang Arena. What guests keep mentioning is the room size: serviced-apartment units starting at 28 sqm, noticeably larger than the standard hotels in town, plus two outdoor pools and a 24-hour gym that are hard to find anywhere else in Buriram.
Modena is the midscale brand under Singapore's Frasers Hospitality, and the Buriram property runs as a 152-unit serviced apartment. The rooms split into Superior at 28 sqm, Deluxe Terrace at 36 sqm, Loft Studio at 44 sqm, and One-Bedroom Superior at 67 sqm. The reason most people pick it comes down to floor space — even the entry 28 sqm Superior is wider than the typical 20–24 sqm rooms you get at hotels in central Buriram. Each room is minimalist in design with a fridge, in-room safe, and a work desk, which suits both race-weekend visitors and anyone settling in for a longer stay.
Location is the main reason people pay for it. The hotel sits directly beside Chang International Circuit, the FIA-grade racetrack, and it's roughly a 5-minute walk to Chang Arena, home of Buriram United football club. During a MotoGP round, World Superbike weekend, or a major match, being close enough to walk back is something money struggles to buy elsewhere, because traffic around the circuit gets heavy. There's a convenience store and a small night market nearby, but reaching central Buriram (around 6 km away) means a car ride.
"Came for MotoGP this year and just walked back to the hotel when the session ended — no fighting for a ride with tens of thousands of other people. Worth every baht."
The shared facilities go further than you'd expect from a provincial hotel. There are two outdoor pools ringed with sun loungers and blue umbrellas, with a genuine resort feel. The 24-hour fitness centre has floor-to-ceiling glass looking onto the pool, with a full set of treadmills and cardio machines. There's also a steam room and a massage room on site. Guests staying through a multi-day race weekend say a cool-down swim after a full day on your feet at the circuit is what makes the trip far more comfortable.
The in-house restaurant is Bistro@M, serving Thai and international food across breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is a mix of à la carte and buffet, with hot items cooked to order, running 6:00–10:30. The bar shares the same room and opens in the evening with terrace seating facing the pool. Several guests praise the fresh, made-to-order breakfast and the attentive front-desk team — a point that earns compliments about as often as the rooms do.
The overall score sits at 9.4/10 from 111 Trip.com reviews. The highest-rated category is facilities (9.5), followed by cleanliness and location (both 9.4). On TripAdvisor it ranks 3rd of 47 hotels in Buriram with a 4.5/5 rating. The honest limitations worth knowing: the hotel is outside the city and the immediate area still has few restaurants or late-night food options, and when there's no event on, the surroundings get very quiet. Some reviews note that without your own vehicle, getting around feels a little awkward.
On price — a Superior Room starts around ฿1,600/night in normal periods, which is strong value given the room size and the facilities you get. But during MotoGP (late October) or a big football fixture, rates climb to ฿3,500–6,000 and sell out fast. Anyone planning around a race should book at least 2–3 months ahead, since there are only a handful of hotels this close to the circuit. Outside race season, a week's notice is usually enough to land a room.
The bottom line: Modena by Fraser Buriram works best for visitors heading to Chang International Circuit who want to stay as close to the venue as possible in a genuinely roomy unit. You get the pools, the gym, and a solid breakfast at a reachable price. If your trip is mainly about exploring central Buriram, or you don't have a car, the distance is worth weighing up. But if the circuit is the goal, this is the most sensible pick among the hotels around the track.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Walkable to Chang Arena — closest of the group to the venue
- ✓ Rooms larger than in-town hotels, starting at 28 sqm
- ✓ Front-desk staff attentive and genuinely helpful
- ✓ Breakfast cooked fresh, clean, with good variety
- ! Outside the city, few late-night food options nearby
- ! Very quiet when there's no event on
- ! Awkward to reach town without your own vehicle
- ✓ Two pools with a resort feel — ideal for cooling off
- ✓ 24-hour gym with pool views and a full machine set
- ✓ Soft beds, clean rooms, well-kept throughout
- ✓ Free parking, spacious — handy when arriving by car
- ! MotoGP-period rates climb and sell out quickly
- ! Around 6 km from central Buriram
- ! Buriram Airport is a fair distance (around 37 km)
- 💡If you're coming for MotoGP or a big match — book 2–3 months ahead; rates rise to ฿3,500–6,000 and sell out fast → only a few hotels are walkable to the venue, so late means missing out
- 💡If you don't have a car — the immediate area has no on-site restaurant strip or 7-Eleven, and town is around 6 km away → budget for Grab/motorbike taxi, or renting a car is far more convenient
- 💡If you visit outside event season — the area around the circuit goes very quiet and suits a pool/gym break → if you want city buzz, look at a hotel in central Buriram instead