The Vela Warin — A Restored Old Shophouse in the Warin Chamrap Market Quarter
If you want somewhere in Ubon that isn't another box of identical rooms, The Vela Warin (Velawarin) is a name worth remembering. It's an old Chinese-influenced shophouse in the Warin Chamrap market quarter that the owner restored section by section — keeping the timber posts, the original doors, and the old floors — then fitting hotel-grade comfort inside. There are only 11 rooms, each dressed in Isan folk craft and custom timber furniture, and guests keep saying the same thing: they came for one night and ended up staying longer than planned.
The Vela Warin wasn't built new — it's a row of old shophouse units in the middle of the Warin Chamrap market that has been restored into a hotel. Step into the lobby and the intent is obvious: dark timber posts, polished stone floor, original wooden windows, all left in place and layered with red lanterns and a mix of Chinese and Isan curios. It's the kind of atmosphere you won't find easily in Ubon, and anyone tired of chain hotels with interchangeable rooms tends to warm to it from the first step inside.
There are just 11 rooms, named after the seasons — Summer Deluxe, Winter Balcony, Autumn Family, Superior Spring and Courtyard Deluxe. The detail guests repeat most is that the rooms are larger than expected, with ceilings opened up to reveal the original timber frame. The styling is rustic chic — terracotta tile floors, wooden desks, earth-toned linen, plenty of power outlets, with TV and air-conditioning included. The owner describes part of the look as tradition meeting brutalism: raw but warm, not resort-polished, but the sort of room you remember afterwards.
"Guests describe booking one night and staying three — the room comfortable, the owner lovely, and the building with a story built into it. They don't quite know how to explain it, but it's the kind of place where you feel like staying before you've even unpacked. The Winter Balcony room has a small terrace looking out over the old tiled rooftops of the market quarter. Inside, the ceiling is opened right up to show the original timber frame — big wooden posts still standing in the corner, terracotta tile floors cool underfoot, a wide bed guests say they fell asleep on almost instantly. It's not luxurious in a resort kind of way, but it's warmer than that. \n\nThe first morning down at VELABAR for breakfast, the coffee comes in genuinely better than expected — Thai beans, brewed by hand. Guests recall sitting with a croissant watching the market outside start to fill up, in a room of mosaic-tile bar, vintage speaker, deep-red curtains and copper-toned lamps — the kind of atmosphere that makes you feel like you're inside an old photograph that still has people living in it. \n\nOn the second day many borrow one of the hotel bicycles and head out early. The Warin Chamrap quarter has a lot of heritage shophouses that most visitors never see. The owner gives a rough route — along Thahan Road, past several Chinese-influenced buildings still operating as small shops, some of them over eighty years old. Two hours later they're back, pleasantly tired, and the steam room sorts out the rest. \n\nGuests describe ending up talking to the owner for a long time. He explains that the restoration took years — working section by section, saving every piece that could be saved: the timber posts, the old doors, the original floor tiles in certain rooms. There was a clear intention that this place should tell the story of the Warin quarter, not just be a hotel that happened to occupy an old building. Hearing that, guests say they understood immediately why it feels different from everywhere else. \n\nThe honest downsides guests raise: on one evening sound from the bar drifted up to the room — not loud, but light sleepers would notice it. And the on-site parking is on the small side. Neither thing matters much against what you get. \n\nOne more thing guests mention: the hotel has a resident cat named Stephan who wanders the corridors and turns up in quite a number of guest photographs. Even self-confessed non-cat-people find it charming in context — just another detail that makes the place feel lived-in rather than staged. \n\nOn the way out it's a walk to Warin Chamrap railway station — genuinely walkable, no taxi needed. For anyone doing the overnight train from Bangkok this is about as convenient an arrival as you'll find anywhere in Ubon. Guests put it on any shortlist for the city without hesitation. This is the kind of stay people remember long after they've forgotten every large hotel they've ever checked into."
The heart of the place is VELABAR — the restaurant and cafe set in the same old building. It has a mosaic-tiled bar, a vintage speaker, deep-red curtains, and rows of old wooden tables. Breakfast is served à la carte with continental or American options. The thing guests praise most often is the fresh coffee alongside breakfast; several reviews note the coffee here is better than you'd expect from a small hotel in Warin.
Location is a genuine advantage. The Vela Warin sits in the old Warin Chamrap market quarter, within walking distance of Warin Chamrap railway station — ideal if you arrive in Ubon by train. Markets and local restaurants ring the hotel on foot. Ubon Ratchathani Airport is about 6 km away, roughly 13 minutes by car, and the main Ubon town centre (across the Mun River) is under 15 minutes' drive — close enough to head into the city for temples and food, then come back to sleep in a quieter quarter.
Beyond the rooms and the cafe, there's a massage room, a steam room, and bicycles to borrow for a slow ride around the old market. Folding-bike (Brompton) riders stop here fairly often, since the Warin quarter suits a slow pedal past the heritage buildings. There's free on-site parking and an airport transfer (charged separately). One small aside: the hotel has a resident cat named Stephan who shows up in a lot of guest reviews.
The 9.4 score comes from reviews across several platforms (Trip.com rates it 9.5, Tripadvisor 5/5) — strong numbers, but it's only fair to say the review base is still small because this is a young, tiny hotel. Worth knowing before you book: it's an old building, so some rooms carry sound between them; there's no swimming pool; and with only 11 rooms it fills fast over long weekends and during the Candle Festival. If you've got your eye on it, book ahead.
The bottom line: The Vela Warin suits travellers who want somewhere with character, at an accessible price, in a quarter you can explore on foot — more than anyone who needs the full facility list of a big hotel. If you're arriving in Ubon by train, you like old buildings and a good morning coffee, and you don't mind skipping the pool and gym, this is a stay you'll remember longer than the standard roadside hotel. From around ฿1,150/night, it's good value for the experience.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Beautifully restored shophouse with character unlike anywhere else
- ✓ Spacious rooms, comfortable beds, plenty of power outlets
- ✓ Owner and staff attentive and warm
- ✓ Fresh coffee and breakfast widely praised
- ! Old building — some rooms carry sound between them
- ! No swimming pool or gym
- ! Only 11 rooms, fills fast around festivals
- ✓ Central Warin market location, walk to station and restaurants
- ✓ Rustic-chic design with charming Isan folk craft
- ✓ Bicycles to borrow for riding around the old quarter
- ✓ Massage room and steam room on site
- ! Small room count — book ahead
- ! On the Warin Chamrap side, across the Mun River from Ubon town
- ! Fewer facilities than a large hotel
- 💡If you want the quietest room — ask at booking for a room away from the bar and common areas → it's an old building with thin walls in places, so sound can carry between some rooms
- 💡If you need a pool or gym — there isn't one here; the focus is the boutique, old-building experience → if a pool is essential, look at a larger hotel on the Ubon town side instead
- 💡If you're visiting during the Candle Festival (July) or a long weekend — only 11 rooms means it sells out fast → book at least 4–6 weeks ahead and choose a free-cancellation rate to be safe