NIDA Rooms Udon Sakon 132 Nong Bua

There’s a pool, though the loungers didn’t have shade and weren’t comfortable. Parking was another plus, with plenty of spaces, most of them covered. The hotel is a little remote, with no shops or restaurants within walking distance, and the rooms only have a small fridge. We slept well in the quiet surroundings. The rooms were spacious and clean, the bed was comfortable, and the AC cooled well. There’s also a good sized flat screen. The seats are ottomans rather than proper chairs, so they weren’t comfortable for working on a laptop for long. We had a good stay and thought it was good value for the price.

The only things that bothered us were the slightly musty smell in the room and bathroom, the curtains that didn’t block much light, and the lack of an extra inside door lock. The room itself was very clean and quiet, with working air conditioning, a large flat screen TV, a small fridge, and an outdoor balcony without furniture. The firm bed was still comfortable, and there was lots of storage. The bathroom had separate wet and dry areas, fan ventilation with no window, and simple toiletries. There’s a big elevator, plus a small trolley and ramp to bring your things up to it. Parking is in two covered areas, and there’s a pool with loungers. A hot and cold water machine is in the lobby, along with 3in1 coffee packets in the morning. The neighborhood and rooms were quiet. Big C is nearby, and Chabaabarn, an excellent Isaan Lao restaurant, is only 3km away.

The only real issue was the shower stall, which didn’t keep the water in well, so it spread across the main bathroom floor. Otherwise, the rooms were clean and nice for a very good price. There’s a pool, an elevator, good parking, and coffee and snacks in the lobby in the morning.

The ants were awful. My daughter left a Pez dispenser out for about two hours, and when we got back, it was covered in ants. Bring zip lock bags for toothbrushes and other things, or the ants may get to those too. For a longer stay, I’d go elsewhere. Maybe it would be okay for just one night before getting up and leaving early. The floor was so slippery that my little girl fell a few times, and I nearly fell more than once. The curtains were as bad as other reviews said: thin and pale pink, letting in all the light. The pool also looked much smaller than in the pictures, and the photo showing water running from the umbrella in the kids section was old. It doesn’t work. I booked for my five days in Udon Thani based on the reviews and pictures, and wish I hadn’t.