Sunee Grand Ubon Ratchathani — Step Out of Your Room Into a Mall and Cinema in One Building
If you want a stay in Ubon Ratchathani where you can drop down from your room and walk straight into a shopping mall without calling a car, Sunee Grand Hotel & Convention Center is the name locals reach for first. The hotel tower connects directly to the Sunee City complex — a mall, restaurants and a cinema all under one roof. What guests mention again and again is the rooms that feel larger than the price and the outdoor pool and water park that work for families with kids — plus a large convention hall that keeps the city's seminars and weddings coming back here.
Sunee Grand opened in 2009 and had a major renovation in 2022. It's a 222-room tower built into the Sunee City complex — and that connection is the main reason people pick it over other hotels in town. Rain or shine, you walk from the lobby straight into the mall, where there are restaurants, a supermarket and a cinema. Rooms start at the Standard category around 35 sqm, which is genuinely larger than many same-price hotels in the area. Higher floors have wide windows on two sides looking out over Ubon, with comfortable beds and fresh linens from the refurbishment — repeat guests consistently point to the floor space as the reason they come back.
The pools are another talking point. There's an outdoor pool, a children's pool and a separate water-park zone, which makes this a sensible pick for families travelling with kids. Several reviews note the water is clean and well maintained. The water-park area carries a separate admission fee on top of the room rate. The main restaurant, Ruen Sunee, sits under tall golden columns and runs a breakfast buffet plus à la carte. One honest note up front: over a longer stay the breakfast menu starts to repeat — but for a one or two-night trip it's a solid, filling spread.
Guests describe it like this: "It rained all day and it didn't matter — down to the mall, watched a film, had dinner, then back up to bed. Never had to step outside. That kind of convenience is hard to find in a smaller city."
Beyond the pools there's a spa, sauna, massage rooms and a fitness centre. The spa focuses on Thai and oil massage and is charged separately, and the gym is open for guests who don't want to skip a workout. What sets Sunee Grand apart from an ordinary city hotel is its large convention hall and ballroom, which scales from a company seminar up to a Chinese-banquet wedding running several hundred tables. It's why the biggest events in Ubon tend to land here — and a real advantage if you're attending one, since you walk down from your room to the function rather than travelling to it.
Location is the strongest card here. The hotel sits on Chayangkun Road in central Ubon, only about 4 km from Ubon Ratchathani Airport (the hotel runs a free shuttle — check the schedule at the desk). It's a short drive to Thung Si Mueang and Nong Bua Public Park, and the city's temples and well-known food spots are all close by. If you come during the Candle Festival in July, this central position is a real advantage for walking to the processions compared with out-of-town properties — though rooms fill fast and rates climb in that window, so plan ahead.
The Trip.com score sits at 9.2/10 from 378 verified reviews — high for a regional-city hotel. The standout sub-score is location (9.5), followed by service and cleanliness. The honest feedback flags three recurring issues: hallway carpets on some floors are worn and stained, and furniture in certain rooms looks dated even though the rooms themselves were refreshed; the Wi-Fi signal is inconsistent in some areas and needs re-logging in; and the breakfast repeats on longer stays. Worth knowing before you book so the expectation is set.
On price, Sunee Grand starts around ฿1,100/night for a Standard room, which is strong value given the room size, the pool and gym, and the attached-to-the-mall location in the city centre. If you want more space, the Junior Suite runs about 45 sqm and the Royal Suite about 70 sqm — good for larger families or anyone who wants a sitting area in the room. During the Candle Festival or other major events, rates rise and rooms sell out quickly, so book at least 3–4 weeks ahead.
The bottom line, told plainly: Sunee Grand works best for families bringing kids for the pool, anyone attending a conference or wedding, and travellers who want the convenience of stepping from their room straight into a mall. You get roomy spaces, an accessible price, a central location and a free airport shuttle. If you expect a brand-new building in every corner or polished Luxury-grade design, this isn't that — but if you want the most convenient, best-value option in Ubon, this is the name people in the city recommend first.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Rooms larger than same-price hotels, comfortable beds
- ✓ Walk straight from your room into Sunee City mall
- ✓ Pool and water park clean — good for kids
- ✓ Helpful staff and a free airport shuttle
- ! Hallway carpets on some floors are worn and stained
- ! Wi-Fi signal inconsistent in some areas
- ! Breakfast menu repeats over longer stays
- ✓ Central location attached to mall and cinema — very convenient
- ✓ High-floor rooms with open city views and wide windows
- ✓ Large convention hall, good for seminars and weddings
- ✓ Only 4 km from the airport, easy to reach
- ! Furniture in some rooms looks dated despite the refurbishment
- ! Rates rise and rooms sell out fast during the Candle Festival
- ! Water-park zone charges a separate admission fee
- 💡If you want the best-condition room — ask at booking for a renovated/higher-floor room → some floors still have older hallway carpets and furniture, so requesting a refreshed floor is the safer call
- 💡If you plan to use the water park — check that the water-park admission is separate from the room rate and confirm opening hours → the regular pool is usually included, but the water-park zone is charged on top; ask at check-in
- 💡If you come during the Candle Festival (July) — book 4–6 weeks ahead → the central location means rooms fill very quickly and rates climb during the festival period