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