The VELO'S Hotel — A Water-Slide Pool Above the Pump Track in Aranyaprathet
Drive through Aranyaprathet and spot a long ribbon of curving dirt berms sitting in front of a grey modern building — that's The VELO'S Hotel and Pumptrack. It styles itself as Thailand's first full bicycle hotel, and two features come up again and again in guest reviews: an international-standard pump track over 400 metres long, built by a world-champion rider, and an outdoor pool with two water slides that looks straight down onto the whole track. Kids stay in the water for hours, and adults tend to like a design that looks nothing like the usual upcountry hotel.
The VELO'S opened in 2016 and had a major refurbishment in 2019. What sets it apart is the international-standard pump track running over 400 metres, designed and built by a world-champion rider — a looping circuit of paved rollers and berms made for BMX, mountain bikes, skateboards and surfskates. Guests ride it for free, and if you didn't bring a bike you can rent one at the hotel. The track is floodlit after dark, so the serious riders keep going well into the evening.
The part families gravitate to is the outdoor pool with two water slides. The pool sits slightly raised, so you look down over the entire pump track from the water's edge, where black sun loungers and white umbrellas line a timber deck. Reviews say the same thing over and over: kids ride the slides and stay in for hours, while parents nurse a coffee and watch the track. It's a simple setup that earns the hotel its strongest praise.
There are 90 rooms, from twin-bed Superior rooms and king Junior Suites up to two-bedroom Family Rooms for larger groups. The look is exposed concrete against warm wood, and several rooms carry wall art of BMX riders mid-trick alongside cushions stitched with "Ride" — the cycling theme runs through every corner. Pool-side rooms get a balcony overlooking the pool and track. Clean rooms, comfortable beds and cold air-conditioning are the comments that recur most in reviews.
One family recalls spending the whole afternoon on the slides, then "collapsing onto the bed back in the room" — and calling it remarkable value for the price.
Breakfast is a buffet served from 7:00–10:00 at the Big Bite café, one corner of which doubles as a game room with board-game shelves and light fixtures built from bicycle wheels. Here's the honest part: reviewers consistently rate the lunch and dinner from the restaurant well, but the breakfast spread is limited and some items run out early. A few guests flag the coffee and tea as below par. If a proper morning coffee matters to you, plan to pick one up off-site.
The hotel sits on Thanavithee Road in central Aranyaprathet. It's about a 10-minute drive to Rong Kluea Market, the huge secondhand-goods market on the border, and to the Ban Khlong Luek border market. Wat Anubanpot, Kanchanaphisek Park and several local restaurants are within walking distance. Anyone crossing into Poipet or onward to Siem Reap on the Cambodian side can use it as a comfortable base before the border. There's free parking and an airport shuttle on request.
The overall score is 9.3/10 from 50 Trip.com reviews, with 4.1/5 on Tripadvisor (ranked #2 of 7 hotels in Aranyaprathet). Guests rate the pool, the track and the modern design most highly. Two things to know before you go: the building is three storeys with no lift, so request a ground-floor room if you have heavy luggage or struggle with stairs. And a number of reviews note that some front-desk staff are still finding their feet on service — worth knowing so expectations stay realistic.
The bottom line: The VELO'S works best for families with kids, cyclists, and anyone who wants a well-designed stay at an affordable price near the border. From around ฿1,400/night you get a water-slide pool, free access to the pump track, and a genuinely modern room — strong value for Sa Kaeo. If you're travelling as a group or a large family, the two-bedroom Family Room beats booking several separate rooms.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Pool and water slides that kids love
- ✓ A pump track unlike anything else — free to use
- ✓ Clean rooms, modern design, comfortable beds
- ✓ Central location near Rong Kluea Market and the border
- ! Breakfast choice is limited and runs out early
- ! Morning coffee and tea are below par
- ! Three-storey building with no lift
- ✓ Large pool area and a safe track for kids to ride and run
- ✓ Spacious rooms with fridge, kettle and safe
- ✓ Well suited to families or groups of cycling friends
- ✓ Handy base before crossing the border into Cambodia
- ! Some front-desk staff still developing service polish
- ! Restaurant menu is limited and dishes sell out at times
- ! No lift — second- and third-floor rooms mean stairs
- 💡If you're travelling with kids or cyclists — this is the right pick; the slide pool and pump track keep children busy all day → but solo travellers seeking quiet may find it lively when riders are out on the track
- 💡If stairs are difficult for you — the three-storey building has no lift, so request a ground-floor room at booking → otherwise you'll be carrying bags up the stairs yourself
- 💡If breakfast matters — the morning buffet is limited and the coffee is average → but the restaurant's lunch and dinner draw praise, and a 10-minute drive into town opens up plenty of local options