The best way to write about something is to experience it for yourself. I have stayed in many hotels, of varied classes in numerous locations around this planet, but I have never stayed in a newly opened hotel. The limited operation opening of Sunee Grand Hotel presented an opportunity, so I decided to become a guest for a night.

You can enter the hotel from two entrances. One entrance is facing the open area between the hotel and City Mall, and can be accessed on foot from Chayangkul Road. The other entrance is at Chayangkul Soi 16. There is still ongoing construction and finish work so you will find activity whichever entry you choose.

Check-in is quick and painless. It took less than 5 minutes. A bell hop took the key card and led us to the elevators or lifts, whichever you prefer, located to the left side of the front desk. There is a bank of 3 elevators. Inside there are mini video monitors inside each that provides you with something to look at during your short journey to your designated floor.

At the door to room 808 you just hold the key card in front of the sensor and the flashing green light lets you know you can enter now. There is also a door ajar alarm which alerts you if the room door isn’t completely closed. Beep, beep, beep. Our escort slid the key card into the slot to activate the power, introduced us to the room and disappeared out the door.

The hotel room is dominated by a king size bed. The mattress is firm and comfortable. You will not find a hotdog bun mattress the folds around you when you lay on it. Plenty of pillows to suit any style of sleeping you might use. In the far corner is a sofa you can use for relaxing, reading or sit comfortable while having a conversation. The other corner offers a desk with a hanging light to illuminate your reading, writing or computer work.

The solid row of windows gives you a panoramic view of the town. Things always look different as seen from above. A wide screen plasma TV is attached to the wall across from the foot of the bed. There is cable but no non-Thai entertainment channels are provided.

You will find a bit of convenience through a mini-bar, water heating device and some free drinking water. When you open the wardrobe you will find robes, house shoes and a room safe. Room 808 is a superior room so in the bathroom is a bath shower combo and a large mirrored sink area.

The room is decorated with relaxation in mind. No loud colors to distract your mind. The theme is local but the inspiration appears to be nature. If you just need a place to crash for the night after a long evening of partying the state of the room don’t really matter much, but if you want a relaxing atmosphere how the room is presented makes all the difference.

We waited until around 7pm to go down to dinner because that is when the entertainment is scheduled to begin. We crossed the bridge to the “Warin” side of “Mun River” where the restaurant is situated. There are several sections to choose from, but we sat next to the river with a good view of the piano. Only a few tables were occupied as it was still early for many locals to out to eat.

Menus quickly appeared from the hand of one of the waitresses on duty. The pages of the menu are mostly filled with Thai and Chinese dishes but there is also a selection of European cuisine as well. The prices are in line with what you might expect to pay considering the environment. The meals you are served are well worth the price. When your dish arrives you can expect it to be presented well and served politely with a smile.

The piano man, the evenings dining entertainment arrived in a white suit that reminded me of John Travolta character in “Saturday Night Fever”. He hopped across to the island where his piano awaited him. While we dined the piano man played and sang softly in the background. The songs were in English and older, Elton John, Eric Clapton and Credence Clearwater. A good meal with some good music.

The rooms are non-smoking but there is a smoking room available on each floor. If you smoke you don’t have to leave the hotel to do so.

I was reading a novel by Stephen King and had watched “1408” on Star Movies a few nights before. “1408” is a movie staring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson based on a Stephen King novel about a hotel room with a life of its own. Maybe that was on my mind as I walked down the corridor on the 8th floor. Since this newest hotel in Ubon is not fully operational yet not all the rooms have guests. I was noticing the deep quiet that hung in the hallway. A total lack of noise from outside, from other rooms and from other people. I thought Mr. King might come up with a story about a guy who woke up in the middle of the night at a fully booked hotel only to find he was the only guest.

I didn’t let imaginative thoughts to disturb my sleep. The bed was big and comfortable and the pillows were like marshmallows. I was disappointed that I didn’t have any dreams about hotels, but I was refreshed. I heated some water and had a quick cup of coffee, then enjoyed a long hot shower with rare high water pressure.

The next morning I was relieved to notice other rooms had e

nvelopes with service satisfaction surveys stuck under the doors. So much for the great novel. It could also be considered a VIP service. So those were my thoughts as we headed down to breakfast.

Breakfast was from the menu because there aren’t enough guests yet to justify a buffet. You can choose from American, European or Asian breakfast selection. Morning serenade, in the beginning, was provided by an opera singer. Opera is definitely quality music but not on my top 100 list of favorite genres. I am thinking the faces I made convinced the staff to change to modern contemporary songs. Ah, much better.

After a good breakfast, a relaxing shower and a good nights sleep it was time to check out. This process was painless as well. Granted, there is a low occupancy rate but the staff is getting good training. There are a few staff members who can speak English so if you visit Sunee Grand Hotel and have a challenge just be patient.

If you are traveling on a budget this would not be the place for you to stay. There are plenty of accommodations and hotels around Ubon for under 500TB per night. If you are looking for affordable luxury, whether for business or pleasure, then this would be for you and definitely worth a try if you are in Ubon or planning to visit soon.

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A Night at Sunee Grand Hotel Ubon

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If you are coming through the town of Khong Jiam you turn left just across the Mun River. If you are coming from Sirinthon heading north to Khong Jiam you turn right just before the bridge. You would not expect to find much down this road, by the scenery. On the right is a National Park and on the left are scattering small buildings. Just after cross a small bridge a bit more than 2 kilometers into the road you will see a grouping of signs prompting you to turn left for Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort.

You still will not feel like you are close to anything, but soon you see the entrance to the accommodation. It looks like not much more than a facade, but in fact it is the resort lobby. It is a small lobby containing only the reception area and a small gift shop. You will be greeted by the staff and offered a nice welcome drink.

After checking in you are ushered through an opening opposite the entrance. You are greeted by a designer wall that provides a bit of privacy for the swimming pool on the other side. A walkway that is there as well and if you turn right will lead you to the villa rooms and turn left leads to the deluxe and superior rooms.

The rooms are housed in two 3-story buildings between the front wall the Mekhong River. The doors are all facing a garden area and windows facing the scenic river. Superior rooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floors on both ends of the two buildings. What makes them different and more valuable are the sun decks. Here you can sit on the lounge chairs and sunbathe, take in the view, read or just relax.

Inside the room you will find a large comfortable bed seemingly covered in pillows, a wall mounted plasma TV, riverside view completely windows, mini bar and room safe. The bathroom features a separate stand up shower, a bath quite comfortable for me but might not be the same for a professional basketball player. The room experience is enhanced by a peaceful room decor. The only thing that breaks the river view is the trees which provide shade to your room against the afternoon setting sun.

Outside again exploring the facilities, first was the swimming pool. It is small and 1.5 meters deep. There are lounge chairs surrounding the deck. Directly, behind the pool is the restaurant, Cafe De Terrace. It offers opening air dining on a deck overlooking the river. There is also an enclosed section for those days when it is raining or cold. Moreover, some might not enjoy eating in the great outdoors.

The menu is varied, containing both Thai and Western dishes. The food is good quality, tastes great, presented well and reasonable priced. My experience with the staff was they were friendly and helpful. Two waiters who served us several times, Mom and Chang, always wore a smile and were anxious to use and improve their English skills.

My one disappointed with the restaurant was the evening entertainment. For me it was poor quality, something akin to a karaoke. I would have preferred taped music, a DJ or silence. It seemed very much out of place at a quality resort.

Walking through the restaurant you will pass a gift shop that offers clothing and other items. They are Thai silk mostly and made there locally. Beyond the gift shop is the spa, you can get relaxing Thai, foot or aroma therapy massages for relatively cheap compared with other spas where I have stayed.

The Garden Terrace is where the breakfast buffet is served. Each morning you get a choice of continental, American, Thai and Kai Grata. Of course also available are the usual suspects of drinks, coffee, tea, water, orange juice, grape juice and Bolan (Black coffee or coffee Lao).

At the end past the Garden Terrace, the villas are situated. They are few in number but all have an unobstructed view of the river. Besides the view they offer more space, more privacy and a deck to enjoy your meals at your room or just to relax.

Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort is not large, but it is in a great location and offers a peaceful atmosphere. It is great for a weekend away from Bangkok or whatever city you are living in. There are cheaper accommodations in Khong Jiam but if a hotel adds resort to the end of its name you can have greater expectations. You can expect to pay more, have a more relaxing environment and great service. Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort in Khong Jiam district Ubon Ratchathani province can meet such expectations.

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Ubon New Year Tohsang Khong Jiam Part 2

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The rental car from Chow Wattana (Wattana Rental) arrived at 09:55 A.M.. After a quick check to make sure the residence was safe and secure, I locked the gate, hopped in the car, shut the door and our New Year 2009 Khong Jiam Mekhong adventure officially began.

I love driving but for the past eight years I have, by choice, not owned a car. I have managed quite well without one. When I need it I use buses, trains, planes, bicycles, motorcycles, public transportation and rental cars, with and without driver.

This was a time for a rental car, with driver. I wanted to be free to take in the scenery during the journey. We headed north on Chayangkul Road to the intersection of Highway 212 and Highway 231 (Ring Road) and turned East by South East.

We were looking for the road to Tan Sum which eventually becomes Highway 2364. There were two reasons for taking this route, one I have never been down this road before and I wanted to determine the location of a certain temple.

During the Christmas celebration at Suan Loong Daeng I met someone who is doing research on the interesting story of Wat Pak Nam. I wanted to get eyes on it so I could pursue a story about it in the near future.

It never ceases to amaze me how, a few kilometers out of town you seem to pass through an invisible time warp. It could be 30 to 40 years ago and I imagine it looked much the same as it does today. The only thing to really keep it in the present are the red TrueVision/UBC satellite dish antennas attached to wobbly looking wooden structures with corrugated tin roofs.

Numerous Thai Buddhist Temples dotted the landscape. Though they are less bright and ornamental then the temples in town the appear to be the center of the rural communities. Many things seemed incongruous with the side of a highway but I suspect they were there long before the paved road we were driving on was built.

A wonderful thing about taking a road never traveled before is the opportunity to discover places for future exploration and adventure. Besides Wat Pak Nam this route also passes by the way to Had Sripirom which is a location for sunny warm afternoon picnic on Mun River.

After what seemed like too short a time I recognized Wat Tam Khuha Sawan, that might be called the gateway to Khong Jiam. It sits on a plateau overlooking and maybe offering protection to the mighty Mekong on it’s journey southward far below. Little did I know this temple would be the focus of an accidental adventure the next day.

Ninety minutes after take off we touched down at Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort. Our room was not ready yet so after our bags were secured behind the front desk a bit of exploring was in order. Our recon began passing the swimming pool in which a flotilla of fallen leaves were sailing upon. Out on the deck beside the pool providing outdoor scenic dining tables we were able to enjoy a great view of the Mekong.

From the vantage point it was easy to see where the staff was already setting up the site for tomorrow’s festivities. Directly below the deck a sign had been erected with a lighted message wishing us a Happy New Year 2009 in both Thai and English.

A vegetation lined path beckoned leading passed the restaurant, passed the gift shop, passed the spa, passed the individual bungalow rooms to a stair leading down to the river. At the base of the stairs was the place we would bring in the New Year tomorrow. It was an area that is covered by the depths of the river during the height of monsoon season but now had been abandoned by the receding waters to create a new identity and character.

Sand and rocks, at other times covered by water that might have began it’s journey to the delta and South China Sea, gave access far out into the former riverbed. On the opposite bank lay a small Laotian village, it looked as though one could wade across to Laos but I was not feeling brave enough to test that thought. I confined myself to enjoying the Thai side.

The Happy New Year sign we had seen from the deck above was built above several large boulders. Since I didn’t conquer crossing the river I climbed upon nature’s platform and was feeling as though I had reached the summit of Everest. I had worked up an appetite so the decision was made, it’s time for lunch.

Sitting on the deck at a nice table with a panoramic view I ordered a Chang beer and looked through the menu. Since I am a connoisseur of fine cheeseburgers there was no question what my order would be when I spotted one on the menu. When the order came I noticed my burger didn’t come with an traditional bun. It was a portioned of what looked like a loaf a French bread. The cheeseburger itself was a bit average but the bread the housed it was fresh, soft, sweet and seemed to melt in my mouth. The bun made a potentially average cheeseburger a bit remarkable.

Our room was ready. It is located on the second floor on the end of the first section. The great thing about end rooms is they offer a veranda with deck chairs. You can sit out in the environment taking in the masterpiece nature has painted for us to enjoy.

A new way to begin the ending of 2008 and prepare to welcome 2009 on the banks of Mekong River at Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort in the far eastern portion of Thailand and the province of Ubon Ratchathani.

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Ubon New Year Tohsang Khong Jiam Part 1

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One nearly completed project is Sunee Grand Hotel. It has been a work in progress for nearly two years. Many people who have visited my blog and website have asked me, “When will this new hotel open?” I had to admit I had no idea. People who live here have gone passed the site many times. Visitors arriving by air have seen a poster at the baggage claim area and curiosities have been piqued.

Being that I had no answer I invested in a phone call and an email to request a meeting with management for a short interview. The request was granted and on January 3, 2009 I visited Sunee Grand Hotel.

I expected to be guided into an office and be offered a chair, facing a desk with a senior member of management behind it. I was pleasantly surprised that it was going to be an informal interview in the lobby area. We took seats on easy chairs on the banks of the symbolic “Mun River” which runs through the lobby separating the restaurant and the reception area.

The informal interview lasted little more than an hour and then transitioned to a guided tour of the facilities. I must say I was quite impressed. Present for the inter view were Mr Sutud Triyangkulsri, Managing Director and Miss Runglawan Poomjun, Front Office Manager. Below is a transcript of that interview, which I hope answers many questions.

Q. When will Sunee Grand Hotel be fully open?

A: We tentatively plan for our grand opening around the middle of March this year. We have a soft opening in place with limited rooms and facilities available until the grand opening. At the present we have 79 rooms ready which guests can book, our lobby lounge and restaurant is open, the convention center is available and City Mall has two floors of shopping. We are fully staffed so good service is here now.

Q: What is your vision for Sunee Grand Hotel?

A: In the past Ubon Ratchathani was a center for government events, meetings, workshops and seminars. In recent years due to many factors this trend has faded. With the opening of Sunee Grand Hotel we hope reverse that trend and make Ubon once again an attractive location for not only government events but also business, family and of course tourists, both Thai and foreign.

With our convention center and business center we can support a variety of functions in both size and diversity. Our largest room can seat up to 5,000 guests or participants. Our rooms are also equipped with state of the art IT support.

Q:These buildings before were a hospital, Index, restaurants and a mansion, why transform into hotel?

A: Originally we constructed a hospital on this site, but due to the economic crises of ’97-’98 it never became fully functional. Only one floor was used and then eventually it was downsized to a clinic. We had some restaurants open on site and also City Mansion for a time. Index leased our building but decided to build one of their own so they left at the end of the lease.

Q: What makes Sunee Grand Hotel different from other hotels?

A: We believe our service will make us stand out and also our convention center, business center and other facilities available for our guests.

Q: What are you doing to attract foreign visitors to Sunee Grand Hotel?A: We believe we have created an affordable luxury accommodation with a family friendly environment.

Q: What services do you offer specifically for foreign guests?

A: For our foreigner guests we offer foreigner currency exchange, convenient shopping, great location with easy access to local transportation, tours, and English speaking management.

Q: Do you have a plan to help foreigners who have an emergency while guest at your hotel?
A: We can provide needed assistance or information if our guests need help with medical attention, visa or passport problems, local or long range transportation needs, embassy contact, emergency travel and connection to police or tourist police.

Q: Why should foreign tourists come to Ubon Ratchathani?

A: Ubon attraction includes natural sites, people, food, culture and experience.

Q: What is the best quality of Sunee Grand Hotel?

A: The service offered and the environment created.

Q:What personal message would you like to give to people who are thinking to visit Ubon Ratchathani?

A: We say “Welcome to Ubon Ratchathani. Please come and experience Ubon and our hotel for yourself”.

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