VELA Dhi Udon Thani — An Aviation-Themed Design Hotel Built Around the City's Air Base History
Ask anyone in Udon Thani about a design hotel and VELA Dhi tends to come up first. The angular dark-blue glass building sits under a canopy shaped like an aircraft wing, and at night a glowing "VELADHI" sign lights it up — this isn't decoration for its own sake. The entire hotel tells one story: Udon Thani's history as a US Air Force base during the Vietnam War. Rooms are named after cabin classes, the lobby is called a lounge, and since opening in 2020 the property has earned 9.4 from 651 Trip.com reviews. For a secondary Thai city, this is one of the most photographed places to stay in the whole province.
VELA Dhi opened in 2020 as a Lifestyle hotel built around a single idea — Udon Thani's past as a US Air Force base during the Vietnam War. The VELA name comes from a word for travel, several room categories take their names from aircraft cabin classes, and the lobby is styled and named as a lounge, the way an airport departure lounge would be. The detail people remember instantly is the entrance canopy shaped like an aircraft wing, lit purple and white after dark with the glowing VELADHI sign — it turns up on local Instagram feeds constantly.
There are 149 rooms, running from the 28 sqm Superior and 35 sqm Deluxe up to a 48 sqm Corner Suite and a 165 sqm Presidential Suite. Interiors keep things clean and uncluttered — pale marble walls, rain showers, large windows. Guests consistently note that the air conditioning cools fast and the water pressure is strong, two things that sound minor but that plenty of provincial hotels get wrong. One thing worth knowing up front: only a limited number of rooms have a bathtub, so if soaking matters to you, you'll need to request it when you book.
One guest recalls: "Walked up to the entrance at night and saw the lit sign and that wing-shaped canopy — far better looking than they expected. Spent ages taking photos before they even checked in."
The space most guests single out is the outdoor saltwater pool, set as a long strip along a timber deck with the glass building reflecting in the water. Saltwater stings the eyes far less than chlorine, so it's easy on kids. Alongside the pool there's a sauna, a hammam (Turkish bath) and a gym — a complete set for a hotel at this level. The honest caveat that reviews raise: the pool and gym aren't large, and on busy weekends you may wait for a poolside lounger.
The in-house restaurant, Yham Arun, leans into Isan and Thai cooking and runs breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bar in the lounge zone — dark marble with blue lighting — makes a decent spot for an evening drink. Breakfast is where reviews split: some guests like it, others feel the spread is thinner than they'd expect from a design hotel. If breakfast is a priority for you, heading out for khao piak (rice noodle soup) or coffee at one of Udon's well-known cafes is a good alternative.
The location is on Adulyadej Road — not exactly in the commercial core, but not far either. Nong Prajak Park is a 3-minute drive, where locals run and cycle in the evenings. UD Town is about 1.6 km away and Central Udon roughly 2 km; the train station sits around 1.7 km out, and Udon Thani International Airport is a 17-minute drive (6.8 km). Lower-rated reviews flag that you can't really walk anywhere — you'll be calling a Grab or driving — so without your own transport, budget for the extra trips.
The overall Trip.com score is 9.4/10 from 651 reviews, with cleanliness (9.3) and service (9.1) scoring well — a lot of guests call the staff friendly and genuinely helpful. On price, VELA Dhi starts around ฿1,200/night for a Superior room on weekdays, which is strong value for the design you get. Over long weekends and festivals rates climb to ฿1,800–2,500, so book ahead for those dates.
The bottom line: VELA Dhi works best for travellers who want a good-looking design hotel they can photograph from every angle, at secondary-city prices. The aviation theme tied to the city's real history gives it a personality that chain hotels lack. If you have your own transport (or don't mind a Grab into town) and aren't expecting a lavish breakfast buffet, it's one of the best-value stays in Udon Thani.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Striking building design, especially the lit sign at night
- ✓ Friendly, helpful staff
- ✓ Clean rooms, fast air conditioning, strong water pressure
- ✓ Saltwater pool with a great atmosphere for photos
- ! Not in the city centre — hard to walk anywhere
- ! Breakfast selection thinner than expected
- ! Rooms with a bathtub are limited
- ✓ Aviation concept is unlike anything else and tells the city's story well
- ✓ Excellent value for the design on offer
- ✓ Saltwater pool, sauna and hammam — complete for a 4-star
- ✓ Close to Nong Prajak Park for running and cycling
- ! Pool and gym are on the small side; busy on weekends
- ! You need a car or a Grab to reach town
- ! Parking fills quickly during weddings and conferences
- 💡If you don't have your own transport — the hotel sits outside walking range of the shops, so you'll call a Grab into town each time → budget roughly ฿100–200 a day, or rent a car or motorbike
- 💡If you want a bathtub — only a limited number of rooms have one; most are rain-shower only → specify a room with a tub clearly at the time of booking or you may not get one
- 💡If breakfast matters a lot — reviews are split on the buffet and the selection is fairly limited → book without breakfast and head out for khao piak or coffee at a well-known Udon cafe instead