Whereder Poshtel — A Design Hostel with an Isan Soul in Central Udon
If you want a budget stay that looks good, has real character, and sits right in central Udon Thani — Whereder Poshtel is a name backpackers mention often. The name comes from the Isan phrase "wae der", meaning "come stop by". It's a 40-plus-year-old concrete building on Prajak Sillapakom Road, reborn as a poshtel (hostel meets boutique) whose design restacks a traditional Isan house vertically. There's a ground-floor cafe, dorm beds with their own curtains and reading lights, and made-to-order breakfast. From approx. ฿480/night for a dorm bed, it scores 9.2 from 18 reviews on Trip.com.
Whereder Poshtel began as a 40-plus-year-old concrete building on Prajak Sillapakom Road, said to be one of the first multi-storey buildings on the street. The owner and design team reborn it by restacking a traditional Isan wooden house vertically — the ground floor becomes the under-house gathering space, the upper floors hold the sleeping areas, and the middle becomes a living zone. The word "Whereder" comes from the Isan "wae der", meaning "come stop by", which sums up the place well.
It calls itself a "poshtel" — a hostel that lifts service, design and food toward boutique-hotel level. The design leans fully into Isan detail: woven textiles, mudmee patterns, fishing tools repurposed as light fixtures, and bright yellow-blue-red-green colours. A vintage yellow pulley lift still works and has become a favourite photo spot. The hostel was also picked for the book "100 Best Design Small Hotels & Hostels".
"By far the best hostel I've ever stayed at. The staff are incredible, rooms are clean, the new beds have privacy curtains, and breakfast is made to order, kitchen to table. Great value."
Rooms come as both dorms and private rooms. Every dorm bed has a privacy curtain, a reading light and a personal locker, which helps a lot if you've never slept in a dorm. Bathrooms are shared, but many reviews praise them as clean and well-kept. Some private rooms have an en-suite, ideal for couples or anyone wanting more privacy. Worth knowing: rooms are on the small side, in keeping with a hostel set in an old building — if space is your priority, this isn't it.
Breakfast comes up a lot in reviews. It's made to order and served to your table, with a choice of an American set or a Thai fried-egg pan, alongside fresh fruit, rice crackers, fresh milk, juice and good coffee from the hostel's own cafe. The ground-floor cafe, called "Underhouse", is open to guests and locals alike, serving coffee, tea, bakery and food, with relaxed seating on Isan-patterned cushions.
The common areas offer plenty for a hostel this size. Floor 4 is a game room with Netflix, board games and books, while the rooftop is open for relaxing in the evening with city views. There's a shared kitchen, coin-operated laundry, luggage storage and a small bar. Staff speak English and are praised for being warm and happy to recommend places to eat and visit in town.
The location is a strength. It sits on Prajak Sillapakom Road near the Clock Roundabout, a central-city landmark, about a 15-minute walk to CentralPlaza Udon Thani and UD Town. It's close to the bus station and city markets, so it suits travellers without a car. Lively by day, fairly quiet at night. Udon Thani Airport is about 10–15 minutes by car.
To be honest about the gripes. Rooms are small, as you'd expect in an old building; some reviews note a slight musty smell, common for older city buildings in a humid climate. One review mentioned a cigarette smell. And it's a hostel with shared dorm bathrooms, which takes adjusting to if you're not used to it. On balance, though, cleanliness, breakfast and service consistently earn more praise than the gripes.
Rates start around ฿480/night for a dorm bed (4–10 bed dorms run roughly ฿480–฿550), with private rooms around ฿950–฿1,350, some with en-suite, and breakfast included throughout. It scores 9.2 from 18 reviews on Trip.com and 5.0/5 on Tripadvisor. For anyone wanting a well-designed stay with a story to it, for a few hundred baht in central Udon — Whereder Poshtel is great value and hard to match in its class.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Stylish, full of character, with a clear Isan atmosphere
- ✓ Warm, English-speaking staff happy to recommend things to do
- ✓ Made-to-order breakfast served to your table, widely praised
- ✓ Central location near the clock tower, walkable to Central
- ! Small rooms, in keeping with the old building
- ! Some reviews note a slight musty smell (older city building, humid climate)
- ! Dorm rooms use shared bathrooms, which takes adjusting to
- ✓ Dorm beds with privacy curtains and reading lights, comfortable
- ✓ Clean rooms and well-kept shared bathrooms
- ✓ Netflix game room and a rooftop with city views to relax
- ✓ Excellent value for this level of design
- ! Room space is fairly limited
- ! One review mentioned a cigarette smell
- ! It's a hostel, so no full hotel-style facilities
- 💡If you want a spacious room with its own bathroom — this is a hostel in an old building with small rooms and shared dorm bathrooms → pick a private room with en-suite, or look at city hotels like Civilize or VELA Dhi.
- 💡If you're sensitive to musty smells — it's an older central-city building in a humid climate and some reviews note a slight smell → ask for a higher floor and run the air-con or fan to air the room on arrival.
- 💡If you're not used to dorms — even with curtains and lockers, you still share space with others → book a private room for full privacy.