The Best of Cambodia & Laos

214
VIENTIANE
11
WHERE TO STAY
Lao Plaza This luxury hotel is about as central as you can get, which is its main
advantage. It has everything you need but it is not very interesting. Every time we have
visited, there seems to be some sort of Lao-Vietnam government conference going on
involving huge numbers of serious-looking military types. Rooms are either beige or
blue, with solid wood furniture, thick rugs, firm beds, and small marble-tile bathrooms
with terry-cloth robes. The pool is big and inviting. The May Yuan restaurant has admirable
Chinese food, while a cheery cafe has buffet meals and a deli/bakery. The rooms are
huge, the fitness center is the best in town, and the staff is very friendly, but it simply
can’t match either the Settha Palace or the Novotel for style. Maybe because they don’t
want to—the Lao Plaza fulfills a function and is the main venue for conferences.
63 Samsenthai Rd., P.O. Box 6708, Vientiane. & 021/218-800. Fax 021/218-808. www.laoplazahotel.com.
142 units. $120–$140 superior single/twin; $150–$170 plaza single/twin; $230–$480 suite. AE, MC, V.
Amenities: 3 restaurants; bar; popular nightclub; beer garden; bakery; conference rooms; gym; Jacuzzi;
nice pool; sauna; travel agency; smoke-free rooms. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, Internet access (Plaza
rooms free), minibar.
Novotel Vientiane Just a short ride west of the town center, the Novotel Vientiane
is a pleasant oasis from the dusty streets and downtown tuk-tuk clamor. The building
itself is from the French era and very stylish. The foyer is cavernous with a sweeping
staircase and decorated in a classic Art Deco theme, with stylish woodwork and a domed
ceiling painted in a muted pastel yellow. Somehow one expects Humphrey Bogart to
emerge from the dining room and say something cynical—it’s that kind of a place.
Renovated executive rooms have fine wood furniture and marble bathrooms. They also
come with perks such as free laundry, a minibar, and Internet access. Standard rooms are
done in pastels with cane furnishings and plain tile bathrooms, and suites are enormous
with high ceilings and plenty of light. All units feature hangings and artwork that keep
your mind in Indochina.
The fantastic pool area is leafy and atmospheric. Adjoining the lobby is a wellappointed
Continental restaurant with indoor and outdoor by-the-pool seating. The staff
is friendly and helpful, and the hotel offers a wealth of facilities and services, including
use of its smart business center and chic executive lounge. It’s a bit far from town but has
very convenient amenities and good transportation. The busy disco, Dtec, is always a
happening spot. Along with the Settha Palace Hotel (below), this is one of the two best
luxury options in town.
Unit 9, Samsenthai Rd., P.O. Box 585, Vientiane. & 800/221-4542 or 021/213-570. Fax 021/213-572. www.
novotel.com. 172 units. $90 standard; $110 superior; $180 executive; $450 executive suite. AE, MC, V.
Amenities: Restaurant; 3 bars; babysitting; health club; nice outdoor pool; room service; sauna; steam
bath; tennis; free and frequent transport to the town center. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, Internet, minibar.
Settha Palace Hotel Once the distinguished address for visitors
from the adjacent colonies of Indochina, this masterfully restored, early-20th-century
French colonial mansion traced a long history of decline before its multimillion-dollar
face-lift and 1999 reopening. As you walk up the leafy driveway you will be greeted by
the site of a genuine London minicab, used to ferry guests to the airport. As you enter
this rambling complex, you will then be greeted by friendly staff in a columned marble
entry, where light coming through the large windows lends a softness to the lobby that
is not unlike stepping into a sepia photograph of a distant time. Rooms are cozy, with
antique details, dark-wood reproduction furnishings, and stalwart four-poster beds. If a
stay at the Palace is a trip to the past, modern amenities such as in-room Internet access