Sunee Grand Hotel

The selling point here is simple. You're inside a shopping complex on Chayangkun Road, one of the main roads through Ubon Ratchathani. That means shops, food outlets and services an elevator ride from your room, which matters more than it sounds when you land late or need to eat at an odd hour. It's a practical base rather than a romantic one, and I'd pick it for exactly that reason.

Rooms are modern and the facilities go past the usual. The rooftop pool is the bit I'd actually use, because Ubon in the hot months is punishing and a swim at the end of the day fixes a lot. There's a spa if you want it and a restaurant downstairs, though with a whole city of local food outside I wouldn't eat in more than once. Good for business trips, good for anyone using the city as a staging post before heading east toward the Mekong border.