Imperial Sakon Hotel — The City's Grand Ballroom with Big Rooms in Central Sakon Nakhon
When people in Sakon Nakhon plan a wedding, a class reunion or a large conference, Imperial Hotel & Convention Centre Sakon Nakhon — known locally as simply "Imperial Sakon" — is usually the first name that comes up. It's a large, older white tower that has stood downtown for years, and its main draw is a grand ballroom seating up to 1,200 guests. For overnight guests, the thing visitors mention again and again is rooms that are bigger than the price suggests, plus a central location within walking distance of the market and Wat Phra That Choeng Chum. One thing to say plainly up front: the building and rooms are dated, not new — if you're fine with that, this is genuinely good value.
Imperial Sakon has been part of Sakon Nakhon for a long time. The building is a tall white tower on Sukkasem Road, with a Thai-roofed entrance arch and a wide car park out front. Step into the lobby and you find brown-wood columns, a polished stone floor, and glass cabinets displaying trophies and souvenirs that tell you the hotel's age right away — this is an older property that has been kept running, not a new opening. There are around 150 rooms across Standard, Superior and Deluxe categories, in both twin and double layouts. What guests praise most isn't newness but room size that exceeds the rate; many say they got a far larger room than they would at the same price in other towns.
Rooms are decorated in an older style — brown wood on the headboard wall, the wardrobe and the dressing table. Each has air conditioning, a refrigerator, a flat-screen TV, free bottled water and an en-suite bathroom. To be straight about it, the furniture and fittings show their age: the air conditioning is an older type, some rooms still have small TVs, and a few guests report water pressure that runs strong then weak. What you get in return is space. Many twin rooms fit two beds with room to walk around comfortably and a small sitting area. Families and longer-stay guests like that it doesn't feel cramped. Linens are clean and the beds are firm — some say a touch too firm, which comes down to preference.
I booked this because the rate was low and I needed one night on the way through — I genuinely expected nothing more than a bed and a working shower. When I opened the door I found a room far bigger than anything I'd expected at that price: two proper beds with enough space between them to walk around comfortably, a wardrobe, a dressing table, a small sitting area by the window, and a fridge that actually worked cold. The furniture is clearly old — brown wood everywhere, the kind of fittings you'd find in a Thai hotel built in the nineties — and the air conditioning is a wall unit that rattles a little when it starts up, but it cooled the room down without a problem and kept the room at a comfortable temperature all night without needing to adjust it. The bathroom showed its age — the tiles are old, the fittings have been there a while — but it was clean. No mould, no unpleasant smells, fresh towels folded on the rack. The water pressure was fine in my room, though I've read that it varies between rooms, so your experience may differ. The front-desk staff were one of the genuine surprises of the stay. They spoke enough English to have a real conversation, were warm and helpful without being over the top, and when I asked about somewhere nearby to eat they didn't just point vaguely down the road — they told me exactly which stall at the market did the best khao tom, how late it stays open, and which side of the market has the most food options in the morning. That kind of local knowledge from hotel staff is genuinely useful and not something you always get. In the morning I walked five minutes to Charoen Si market and had a proper breakfast for almost nothing — a bowl of noodles, some fried things, a bag of fresh-squeezed juice — which was better and cheaper than any hotel breakfast buffet I've paid extra for. The market is lively early, worth going for the food alone. Wat Phra That Choeng Chum is under a kilometre from the hotel and I walked over before checking out — the temple is calm in the morning, the light is good, and it's genuinely one of the more impressive temples in the northeast. I'd have missed it if the staff hadn't mentioned it was walkable. Would I stay again if I were passing through Sakon Nakhon? Without question. The building is old and the decor is dated, there's no pool, and I wouldn't pick it for a leisure trip where the room itself matters. But for a stopover night, or if you need a base in the city on a tight budget, the room is far larger than the price, the staff are genuinely helpful, the location puts you right next to the market and the temple, and the free car park is wide enough that I didn't have to think about parking at all. It did the job properly, and then some.
The real heart of Imperial Sakon is the banquet and conference side. The hotel has a grand ballroom that seats up to 1,200 guests, finished in earth tones with full lighting, sound and video systems. There's a mid-size banquet hall for around 300 people and several seminar rooms in different sizes. Sakon Nakhon locals have used this place for weddings, class reunions, ordination parties and company conferences for so long that it has become the province's default venue. If you're coming to town for a function, there's a good chance it's here — and being able to book a room in the same building makes the whole thing easy.
The location is a genuine strength. The hotel sits downtown, a roughly 5-minute walk to Charoen Si night market, which is full of food and open late. Wat Phra That Choeng Chum, the temple at the centre of the city's religious life, is under a kilometre away — an easy morning walk to pay respects. Big C and the local souvenir shops are close by, and Nong Han, the largest freshwater lake in Isan, is just over two kilometres by car. Sakon Nakhon Airport is about 11 km away, and the hotel runs an airport transfer. Drivers can relax too: there's free on-site parking on a wide lot, so no circling for a street space.
For food and facilities, the hotel has a restaurant and coffee shop on site, a karaoke room for anyone who likes to sing, and a small fitness room. Guests who tried the breakfast describe it as fairly basic with limited choice — honestly, walking out to the market in front of the hotel for breakfast is cheaper and more fun. The staff are the thing guests praise most consistently: they speak enough English to communicate, they're friendly, and they're helpful, which counts for a lot at a small provincial hotel. Worth knowing up front: there is no swimming pool here, so if you're set on swimming, look elsewhere.
The score sits at 8.2/10 from 19 reviews on Trip.com. On Tripadvisor it runs lower — around 2.8/5 and near the bottom of the city ranking — and the main reason is the age of the building and rooms, which some guests simply can't get past. The recurring complaints are old air conditioning and TVs, dated bathrooms, inconsistent water flow, and a plain breakfast. The recurring praise is spacious rooms, good staff, a central location, working Wi-Fi, and a very low price. Better to know all of that before booking — this isn't a polished hotel, it's a large, budget-friendly one that does the job.
The bottom line: Imperial Sakon works best for travellers who want a big room in central Sakon Nakhon on a budget, with parking, or who are attending a banquet or conference held in the hotel itself. From around ฿650/night, it's very cheap for the room size you get. But if a new room, modern design or a swimming pool matters to you, this isn't the right choice — look at Hotel Le Naga or The Majestic, both with newer rooms in the same city.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Very spacious rooms — strong value for the size
- ✓ Central location, walkable to the market and Wat Phra That Choeng Chum
- ✓ Friendly staff who speak enough English to help
- ✓ Wide free parking, convenient for drivers
- ! Building and rooms are dated, furniture shows its age
- ! No swimming pool
- ! Water flow inconsistent in some rooms
- ✓ The go-to banquet and conference venue in Sakon Nakhon
- ✓ Large rooms, well suited to families or longer stays
- ✓ Near Charoen Si market, Big C and souvenir shops
- ✓ Working Wi-Fi and a budget-friendly price
- ! Old air conditioning and TVs in some rooms
- ! Basic breakfast with limited choice
- ! Dated design — not for travellers who want a modern room
- 💡If you can't tolerate an old hotel — study the real photos in the booking listing carefully → rooms here are large and clean, but the furniture, air conditioning, TVs and bathrooms clearly show their age; for a newer room try Hotel Le Naga or The Majestic instead
- 💡If you're attending a banquet or conference in the hotel — book a room in the same building for the easiest night → the grand ballroom seats up to 1,200 and you can walk straight up to your room afterwards with no transport to arrange
- 💡If you want a pool or a resort feel — there is no swimming pool at all here → the appeal is a big budget room in the city centre, not a holiday retreat