The Rice Hotel — A Green-Lit Building on the Road with Isaan Silk-Patterned Rooms
If you drive into Roi Et in the evening and notice a four-storey building lit up in green by the roadside with a "The Rice" sign — that's the place locals casually call the new hotel in the centre · The Rice Hotel opened only a few years ago, a 3-star property with 65 rooms. What guests bring up again and again is the wide car park out front and the rooms decorated with purple-and-pink Isaan silk patterns, which give them a touch of local character you don't usually get from a budget hotel · honestly, rates start at about ฿700, and you get a room that's cleaner and brighter than you'd expect.
The Rice Hotel is a property built in just the last few years — a four-storey block painted grey and white with green trim, its sign lighting up bright enough to spot from a distance at night · there are 65 rooms in total, split into Standard with a king bed · Standard with twin beds · and a Suite with both a king and a single bed · every room has a private balcony, air conditioning, a fridge, a minibar, a 32-inch flat-screen TV and a bathroom with a water heater · what sets the rooms apart from other hotels at the same price is the headboard wall trimmed with a purple-and-pink khit silk band plus line-pattern plasterwork, giving the place a contemporary Isaan feel.
The thing guests agree on most is cleanliness — the score in this category on Trip.com sits at 8.7, the highest of all the sub-ratings · the tile floors are glossy, the beds soft, the linens clean, and there are power sockets next to the bed so charging your phone is easy · many people say the rooms are quieter than you'd expect for a roadside hotel, because the thick glass blocks sound well · but if you end up in a room right on the road, you may hear some traffic in the morning — that's just part of a city-centre location.
"New building, clean room, a very wide car park that's easy to pull in and out of — at this price in Roi Et it's about as good value as it gets."
Breakfast here is a small buffet, served from 6 am to 9:30 am in the ground-floor dining room with its green wave-pattern walls · the menu has both Isaan dishes like rice porridge and home-style sides alongside eggs, sausages and toast, plus fresh coffee and juice · to be straight about it, it's a simple breakfast, nothing fancy, but enough to fill you up and start the day · anyone who wants something more substantial can walk out and find a breakfast spot in the centre — it's not far.
The location has an edge — about a 10-minute walk to the centre and just a 5-minute drive to Bueng Phlan Chai, the island lake park that's Roi Et's landmark, with a walking Buddha statue on the central island to pay respects to and photograph · Wat Pa Si Phraiwan is only 520 metres away, close enough to walk · Big C is within 1.5 kilometres too, handy for shopping · and Roi Et Airport is about 18 kilometres away, roughly a 22-minute drive.
The overall score is 8.2/10 from 30 reviews on Trip.com · the categories that score well are cleanliness (8.7) and location (8.4), while facilities come in at 7.6 — which reflects the reality that there's no swimming pool and no gym · the things guests grumble about a little are being charged for a lost key card at check-out, and the breakfast not having a huge spread — worth flagging so you're not surprised · but for a hotel focused on a clean room and easy parking, that's all you need.
On price — The Rice starts at about ฿700/night for a Standard, moving up to around ฿1,200 on busy days or when there's an event in town · book the bigger Suite with its separate seating area and you're looking at around ฿1,500 and up · when Roi Et holds a big event like the Bun Phawet festival or the rice festival, rooms fill quickly, so book two to three weeks ahead.
In short — The Rice Hotel suits people driving through Isaan or in Roi Et on business who want a clean room, a new building and easy parking at a low price · it isn't a resort you'd spend the whole day at, but as a place to sleep in the centre it does its job well · if you want a relaxing riverside setting close to nature, look at somewhere in the Bueng Phlan Chai area instead — but if convenience, cleanliness and value are what you're after, this is the right pick for Roi Et.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ New building, clean rooms, glossy tile floors
- ✓ Very wide car park, easy to come and go
- ✓ Free breakfast with Isaan dishes to try
- ✓ City-centre location, a 10-minute walk to the centre
- ! No swimming pool or gym
- ! Roadside rooms get some traffic noise in the morning
- ! Breakfast doesn't have a big spread
- ✓ Rooms decorated with Isaan silk patterns, more stylish than the price suggests
- ✓ Soft beds, comfortable, with charging sockets by the bed
- ✓ Friendly staff, quick check-in and check-out
- ✓ Near Bueng Phlan Chai and Big C, a few minutes' drive
- ! Some guests get charged for a lost key card at check-out
- ! Bathrooms are shower-only, no tub
- ! The hotel isn't right in the dead centre — a short walk away
- 💡If you want the quietest room — say at booking that you'd like an inner room not facing Roi Et Road → roadside rooms may hear early-morning traffic
- 💡If you're after a place with a pool — there's no pool and no gym here → if you need one, pick a 4-star hotel in town instead, though it'll cost a fair bit more
- 💡If you're travelling during a city event — during the Bun Phawet festival or the Roi Et rice festival, rooms fill fast and prices climb → book two to three weeks ahead and compare Agoda/Booking/Trip every time first