Travel Channel

Where to Stay

Though Vientiane is a small city, there is accommodation on offer to match any visitor’s requirements, from luxury hotels with comfortable suites, leisure facilities and opulent surroundings to small, family run guest-houses with rooms at budget prices. Whatever the price range, you will be welcomed with a genuine Lao smile.

This is a pleasant city to walk around, with its historical attractions, markets, shops and banks in a compact central area. If your feet need a rest, a tuk-tuk—the cheapest form of local transport--is easily hailed. Cycling, on a rented bicycle or motorbike, is also a good way to move about the city, and there are a few taxis around. If you plan to spend evenings exploring Vientiane’s nightlife, though, it would be best to choose accommodation in the city center, as cheap forms of transport melt away into the night.

Historical Riverfront Quarter, Ban Mixay
The historical center of Vientiane, a peaceful residential area, is an excellent, central location, with accommodation ranging from cheap, pleasant guest-houses to comfortable, modern hotels. Here, you can observe daily life, browse in craft shops and galleries, choose from a wide selection of cafes and restaurants and enjoy waterfront walks.

In Ban Mixay, the Tai Pan Hotel and Douang Deuane, on roads off the waterfront, are both modern hotels, in the upper bracket for comfort, facilities and price. The Lane Xang Hotel, facing the river, is a large, recently refurbished 1950s building. Despite its stylish origins and history, it offers rooms and suites at modest prices, with swimming and leisure facilities included. In the same price range, the Lani Guest House is in a leafy 1950s setting, and caters for many regular guests. For the more budget-conscious traveler, the small Khamvongsa Guesthouse is pleasant and a great deal, while Sabaidy Guesthouse offers cheerful dormitory accommodation.

Thanon Samsenthai and the Chinese Quarter
Thanon Samsenthai, one of Vientiane’s main thoroughfares, runs parallel to the Mekong River. Just a few minute's walk from the historical quarter, this is where you will find the new Lao National Culture Hall, the Lao National Museum, craft and jewelry shops, travel agents and mini-marts selling imported foods. This district is also home to the pinnacle of Vientiane accommodations, the Lao Plaza Hotel. Its convenient location, as well as its top quality leisure and business facilities, makes this a favorite among visiting dignitaries and business delegations. Close by is the Settha Palace Hotel, an oasis of elegant luxury on a more personal scale, beautifully situated in a recently renovated colonial building.

Further west, small streets leading off Thanon Samsenthai make up Vientiane’s Chinese District. Lao and Chinese cafes and food stalls are busy at lunchtime and in the evening, giving the area a bustling atmosphere. Set on quiet residential lanes that hide from the excitement are a couple cute places to stay including the Thawee Guesthouse, with its charming atmosphere and very friendly staff.

Thanon Luang Prabang
At the beginning of Thanon Luang Prabang, en route to Wattay Airport, is one of Vientiane’s premier business and leisure hotels, the Novotel Hotel. Although west of the city center, it is only a five-minute drive away, with transport easily available. Nightclubs and restaurants are nearby and the minimal distance from town is easily made up for in quality services and top-notch facilities. The modern Mekong Hotel, popular with business travelers and offering serviced apartments for longer stays, is across the road.

Morning Market/Ban Sailom
The small commercial heart of Vientiane is centered around the Morning Market and bus station. The Morning Market is a covered complex displaying an impressive range of goods for tourists and locals alike, from hand-woven Lao textiles to Chinese washing machines. In this area, you can find banks, the Post Office, and immigration and tourist offices. Accommodation in the Ban Sailom area is close by, where Saylomyen and Nita Guesthouses offer low-priced comfort. On the main road north, near the imposing 1970s monument Patuxai, the large Royal Dokmaideng Hotel has excellent business and leisure facilities at reasonable rates. In the neighboring residential Ban Sisavad area, local cafes and restaurants are pleasant alternatives to the riverfront tourist haunts. Here you will find the small Villa Sisivad with a swimming pool and with low prices that make it a great value for families and backpackers.

That Luang and beyond
A 10-minute drive from Patuxai takes you to That Luang, the golden-spired stupa, which is the symbol of Laos. Nearby are several guesthouses and restaurants, and a good local market. For visitors with transportation this is a comfortable area to stay, away from the tourist center. The Vansana Hotel, set in a quiet village, offers mid-priced accommodations and a swimming pool.

If ever Vientiane’s quiet, city charms become tiring, there are day and weekend trips into the countryside to be enjoyed. A popular spot is the eco-friendly Lao Pako Resort, about 25 kilometers from the city. Accessible by public and private transportation, it offers comfortable Lao-style accommodations overlooking the Nam Ngum River.

Whether you want your accommodations to be a place to cater to your every whim, to be simply a place to dump your backpack, or to be an environment to conduct business affairs, Vientiane has what you need. Having trouble deciding? Sit down, sip a cold Beerlao, and think about it a while. In Laos, there is never a reason to rush.

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