Hugpua Hotel — a Thai Lue wooden house in central Pua, a cosy bed before Doi Phu Kha
If you want a place in Pua town with a Lanna–Thai Lue feel rather than a plain concrete block, and you'd like to walk to the market and coffee shops — Hugpua Hotel is a small wooden boutique hotel of about 25 rooms that many travellers pick as a base before driving up Doi Phu Kha or on to Bo Kluea. The buildings are warm timber, with a garden and terrace to sit out on, plus an on-site restaurant, bar and massage service. Real guest reviews praise the central location and friendly staff. From approx. ฿1,200/night.
Hugpua Hotel sits at 316 Moo 2 in central Pua district, just a few minutes from the heart of Pua town. What sets it apart from other places in Pua is that the buildings are warm timber drawing on a Thai Lue feel — the woodwork, the terraces and the garden seating. Guests consistently describe the mood as homely and warm rather than a standard hotel block, and the in-town location makes it easy to walk to Pua market, coffee shops and restaurants.
There are about 25 rooms across several types, from Standard and Deluxe Twin to Deluxe Triple and Deluxe King. Rooms are finished in wood for a warm tone and come with air-con, TV, fridge and hot water. Most reviews say the rooms are clean, well kept and comfortable to sleep in — but there's also a recurring note that this is an older timber building, and some rooms carry a slightly musty wood smell, especially when the air-con has been off for a while. It's worth airing the room out when you check in.
"Clean room, lovely warm wooden décor, very friendly staff. It's right in Pua town so it's easy to walk to the market and find food — perfect for a stopover before heading up Doi Phu Kha."
The communal areas include a restaurant and bar with seating both indoors and on the terrace. Breakfast is a simple Western/Thai set charged at around ฿100 per person. Reviews say the food is fine but the menu isn't very varied, so many guests walk out to eat at nearby Pua market instead. There's also a massage service, a small convenience store and garden corners to relax in — touches that make the atmosphere feel more easygoing than most places at this price.
On facilities, the hotel keeps things practical. There's free parking, free Wi-Fi throughout, a 24-hour front desk and an airport shuttle (arrange ahead). To be straight about it, there's no swimming pool, and parking can be tight when the place is busy. If you're after an open rice-field-view resort or a pool, this isn't it — but if you want a warm wooden house in the centre of Pua, it does that well.
Honestly, Hugpua Hotel sells atmosphere and a central location more than luxury. The building has some age, a few rooms smell of wood and facilities are limited — things worth knowing up front. But for travellers who want to sleep in a Lanna-style timber house close to the market and coffee shops, using Pua as a base for Doi Phu Kha or Bo Kluea, at an accessible price, it's a well-judged choice.
In short, if you want a stay in central Pua with genuine wooden-house charm, walking distance to the market and walking street, and friendly staff — Hugpua Hotel lands exactly there. Real-guest scores sit around 8.5–9.1 on Trip.com and 4 out of 5 on TripAdvisor from a still-small number of reviews. The consistent verdict is warm atmosphere, clean rooms and good staff, traded against an older building and basic facilities.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Warm Thai Lue-style timber buildings, homely feel
- ✓ Central Pua location, walk to market and restaurants
- ✓ Friendly staff who help with trip routes
- ✓ Free parking, handy as a base for driving up Doi Phu Kha
- ! Older timber building, some rooms smell of wood
- ! No swimming pool, facilities are basic
- ! Parking can be tight when busy
- ✓ Lovely wood décor, warm tones, photogenic
- ✓ Clean, well-kept rooms, comfortable to sleep in
- ✓ In Pua town, easy to walk out for food
- ✓ On-site restaurant, bar and massage
- ! Breakfast menu isn't varied, charged separately
- ! Some rooms feel older with the building's age
- ! No open rice-field view like a hillside resort
- 💡If you're coming to Pua mainly for rice-field and mountain views — this is in town, with no open view like a hillside resort → consider PuaDeView Boutique Resort, which is built for the view.
- 💡If you're sensitive to musty or wood smells — it's an older timber building and some rooms smell of wood → ask to air the room on arrival and pick one freshly cleaned with good light.
- 💡If you want a pool or guaranteed easy parking — there's no pool and parking can be limited when busy → arrive early or book ahead, and allow for tight parking on long weekends.