Centara Ubon — A New Hotel Attached to CentralPlaza with a Rooftop Salt Pool over the City
If you're coming to Ubon Ratchathani and want a hotel where you can walk straight into the mall without stepping outside, the name that comes up first right now is Centara Ubon. It opened in 2023 as the accommodation wing of the CentralPlaza Ubon Ratchathani development — a terracotta-and-sand façade with 160 modern rooms. What guests mention most is the rooftop saltwater pool with its wide view over the city, and a breakfast that several reviewers call better than they expected from a provincial hotel.
Centara Ubon opened in 2023 as a Centara-managed hotel built alongside the CentralPlaza Ubon Ratchathani shopping centre. The building uses terracotta brick against sand-coloured walls and still feels new and clean. Its 160 rooms run from 32 sqm Deluxe King and Deluxe Twin up to Premium Deluxe and a One Bedroom Suite with a separate sitting area. Most rooms use warm timber tones with a cushioned window seat looking over the city — and that window nook is the detail guests photograph most. Reviewers single out the beds in particular, with more than one calling them among the most comfortable they've slept in, and the rooms stay quiet once the door is shut.
The real draw here is the location. The hotel is directly connected to CentralPlaza, so you can walk from the lobby into the mall without facing the sun or rain. Inside there's a supermarket, restaurants, and a cinema all in one place. For anyone here on business or travelling with family who would rather not drive out in the evening, that's an advantage no other hotel in the city can offer.
One guest recalls: "They went down from the room, walked into the mall for shopping, dinner and a movie, all in the same building — never called a taxi the whole night. More convenient than expected."
The rooftop saltwater pool is the other feature guests keep mentioning. It's an open-air pool with a wide view across Ubon, lined with sun loungers and white umbrellas, and the light and breeze in the late afternoon are far better than at midday. There's a fitness centre and a Cenvaree spa in the same building. The honest gripe is that there aren't quite enough loungers on busy weekends — if you want a good spot, head up early.
Breakfast is a buffet that draws more praise than you'd expect from a provincial hotel. There's Thai food, international options, and a few northeastern Isan dishes worth trying. Reviewers agree the food is fresh and topped up consistently, rather than left sitting out, and the spread is wider than the room rate would suggest. The staff are another point guests are unanimous about — warm, quick to help, and welcoming in a way that feels personal, with several reviews mentioning being greeted with a smile by name. That's the Centara service standard, and it's rare to find it this dependable at this price.
The Trip.com score sits at 9.5/10 from 594 reviews, with cleanliness and location tied at the top (9.5 each). The honest feedback from lower-rated reviews flags housekeeping that is occasionally slow and a few bathrooms with stains or minor fixture damage. Some reviewers note hearing the room above because the ceilings are fairly thin — worth knowing before you book. Even so, that's a very high score for a hotel in Ubon.
The bottom line: Centara Ubon works best for anyone who wants a new, clean, mall-attached hotel at a price that's still reasonable. Rooms start around ฿1,990/night for a Deluxe, which is strong value for what you get. During the Candle Festival in July or long weekends, rates climb and rooms fill fast, so book ahead. If you want more space with a separate living area, the One Bedroom Suite is worth a look.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Directly connected to CentralPlaza — walk straight in
- ✓ Breakfast good and topped up consistently
- ✓ Staff warm and quick to help
- ✓ New rooms with very comfortable beds
- ! Housekeeping occasionally slow
- ! Some bathrooms have stains or minor fixture damage
- ! Can hear the room above through thin ceilings
- ✓ Excellent location next to the largest mall in the province
- ✓ Rooftop saltwater pool with a good city view
- ✓ Just 10 minutes from the airport — easy for fly-in trips
- ✓ Strong value for a new 4-star hotel
- ! Not enough loungers at the pool on weekends
- ! Rates rise and rooms fill fast during the Candle Festival
- ! Some rooms look onto the mall car park rather than the city
- 💡If you want the quietest room — request a higher floor and avoid being directly below a room with children → the ceilings are fairly thin and you may hear footsteps from above on some nights
- 💡If you want a genuine city view — specify a room on the side facing away from the mall car park when booking → some rooms look onto the parking deck rather than the city
- 💡If you're coming for the Candle Festival (July) — book at least 4–6 weeks ahead → that's when the whole city fills up and rooms sell out fastest in the year