At a Glance
The white-washed villa that holds this boutique hotel used to be a palace owned by the royal family.
Review
This property at the tip of town overlooking the Mekong is located in walking distance to all major town sights but away from the clogged drag near the Royal Palace, make it an appealing option. Overlooking the Mekong and adjacent to fabled Wat Xiengthong, this boutique hotel is housed in a former palace owned by the royal family (which was ousted in 1975 with the arrival of the Communists). The white French Colonial buildings house the 26 rooms whose interiors are classic southeast Asian (polished wood, stone floors, embroidered fabrics). Some of the suites come with small plunge pools. Lovely touches, like a mural depicting traditional Lao scenes, can be seen throughout.
The only drawback is that despite months of negotiation and petitions, the Xienthong Palace was not granted permission to build a pool on the sizeable premises (one reason that I heard was that the nearby monastery houses many young—and presumably impressionable—teenage monks). The property has solved the dilemma by adding a very pretty water feature, a shallow wading pool, but it’s a shame that guests cannot lounge in the gardens of this special place. A pool surely would have given it an edge over such properties as the Kiridara , which are comparable in look, design and price but that don’t have this great in-town location.
Written by Indagare
