Prajaktra Design Hotel — A Saltwater Pool by Nong Prajak Lake and Rooms Unlike Anything Else in Udon
Ask anyone in Udon which hotel is the boldest with colour and Prajaktra Design Hotel tends to come up first. It's a 4-star design hotel that opened in 2010, sitting right beside Nong Prajak public park — the green lung where locals come to run and cycle every evening. What guests keep returning to in their reviews is the outdoor saltwater pool in front of the two-storey glass building, which glows warm orange at dusk, and the colour-led rooms with glossy orange feature walls and violet headboards. This is not the plain beige box you usually find in a secondary city.
Prajaktra opened in 2010 as a full design hotel for Udon Thani. The main building is two storeys of open glass, and at night the warm orange light from inside reflects across the pool out front. There are 79 rooms split between Superior at 30 sqm, Deluxe at 40 sqm, Design Suite at 48 sqm and Grand Design Suite at 64 sqm. The thing people remember is the colour — glossy orange accent walls, violet-upholstered headboards, real wood floors, and a big sofa in the suites. Not everyone will love colour this strong, but if you're tired of the brown-and-beige rooms you get everywhere else, this genuinely feels different.
Location is the hotel's strongest card. It's under a 3-minute walk to Nong Prajak Park, the lake at the centre of town with a running track, a cycling loop and a giant yellow rubber duck as its landmark. You can wake up, walk over for a lap of the lake, and be back for breakfast without ever touching a car. Wat Pothisomphon, a royal temple, is about 500 metres away, while the bigger malls — Central Udon and UD Town — are a 5–7 minute drive. Udon Thani airport sits around 5–6 km out, and the hotel runs a free shuttle to it.
Guests describe opening the curtains to the lake, walking across the road for a morning run around the park, then coming back to shower and eat — "never needed to get in a car all day."
The outdoor saltwater pool is another part guests single out. Salt water stings the eyes less than chlorine, which suits families, and there's a separate children's pool too. Loungers and a small lounging deck face the garden side. One honest note up front — a few reviews mention the pool isn't always maintained consistently in the low season, so if you're coming specifically for the pool, it's worth checking the most recent review photos in the booking app first.
Breakfast is a buffet with hot dishes cooked to order. Most Thai guests say it fills you up nicely, with plenty of Thai options. If you don't want rice porridge in the morning, you can ask for scrambled eggs or toast. That said, if you're expecting a full Western spread like the big chains run, it's fairly limited here. There's a café and restaurant on site, plus a rooftop terrace that's sometimes set up for events, with a wide view across the lake and the town.
The overall score sits at 8.8/10 from 61 Trip.com reviews, with location the standout at 9.4, followed by cleanliness and service. The honest complaints are worth stating plainly — room walls are on the thin side, and some rooms catch the neighbour's TV. Wi-Fi is slow in a few spots, the lighting in some rooms is a touch dim, and the car park sits a fair distance from the building, which isn't fun to walk in the rainy season. These are real limitations worth knowing before you book, so there are no surprises.
On price, Prajaktra starts around ฿900/night for a Superior, which is strong value for a central 4-star design hotel. The 48–64 sqm suites still land in the low thousands of baht — a fraction of what a suite this size costs in Chiang Mai or Bangkok. During the year-end Thung Si Mueang festival and the mudmee silk fair, rooms fill quickly, so book 2–3 weeks ahead for those dates.
The short version: Prajaktra suits anyone who wants a room with real design character and a central, park-side location on a few-thousand-baht budget. It works for couples, families coming for the pool, and business travellers flying into Udon who want to be near the food and the sights. If you're a light sleeper, request a high floor on the garden side. But if you want the polished, exacting service of a five-star chain, look elsewhere — this place sells design and location, not luxury precision.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Spacious rooms, comfortable beds and real design character
- ✓ Friendly staff, quick check-in and helpful throughout
- ✓ Excellent location — walkable to Nong Prajak Park
- ✓ Saltwater pool with a separate kids' pool, good for families
- ! Room walls are thin — some rooms catch neighbour noise
- ! Car park sits a fair walk away, awkward in the rain
- ! Wi-Fi slow in spots and lighting dim in some rooms
- ✓ Bold, colour-led design — a surprise for a secondary city
- ✓ Lakeside setting — step out to run or cycle each morning
- ✓ Plenty of Thai breakfast options, filling and varied
- ✓ Few-thousand-baht rates, strong value for a 4-star design room
- ! Service isn't as polished as the big chains in places
- ! Western breakfast choices are fairly limited
- ! Pool maintenance can be inconsistent in low season
- 💡If you're a light sleeper — request a high floor on the garden side, away from the central corridor → walls are on the thin side and some rooms clearly catch a neighbour's TV or footsteps
- 💡If you're coming for the pool — check the most recent review photos in the booking app first → a few low-season reviews note inconsistent pool upkeep, though high season is usually fine
- 💡If you're driving in — allow time to walk from the car park to the building, especially in the rain → the lot is a fair distance, so drop heavy bags at the lobby first if you can