Napalai Hotel in Udorn Thani, Thailand

Maybe the most fun I ever had at the Napalai was watching a Thai businessman friend go berserk when he couldn't get the same room rate as me. It's a long and mostly boring story of why the staff at the Napalai decided to make this old farang a special guest.

The second most fun I have at the Napalai is actually across the street. It's a lively western theme pub called the Western Pub, no less .. with an owner who is a cheerleader for the pretty good western music band and waitresses who dress a lot like cowboy cheerleaders .. except none of their hats match.

Besides being pretty and friendly, a number of the waitresses are pretty friendly uni students.

But this review is about the Napalai hotel .. which offers what I would call 2-3 star rooms and service for a fair price. The rooms are spacious, well furnished and comfortable. Sometimes the breakfast falls short, but my Thai food was excellent.

I had ordered moo-dad-diaw which is sort of a fried pork jerky. That was no problem .. but I wanted a dipping sauce called jaew. I probably kept saying it wrong so I tried to explain the ingredients. That's when the waitress got really confused.

She excused herself for a couple of minutes then came back with a tray of condiments .. probably 20 of them .. every conceivable ingredient they could imagine.

I added some ground dried red pepper, fish sauce, lime juice, shaved garlic and chopped green onions until I got a nice consistency. I would learn years later that the secret ingredient for truly great jaew is a bit of tamarind juice .. but that's another story.

Not only did I get a nice compliment on my culinary skills, but outstanding service the rest of my stay

One evening while relaxing in the lobby lounge, the bartender pointed out the owner. "He come here every day. Check everything." Then she gave a hearty "thumbs up".

The Napalai is convenient to the airport as well since it stands nearby the Udorn Ring Road. I believe they have airport transfer as well.

Getting into downtown via seelor is very straight forward.

Do I recommend the Napalai? You bet. Depending on you, it can be a very personal experience.

 

Issan Hotels