Villa Phonethip Mekong Riverside

The only real plus for us was the excellent spot in the historic centre. We spent three nights here, but it wasn't a pleasant stay. There was no internet in our room, despite trying two new laptops and two phones, and we needed it for work. There wasn't a lobby, restaurant, or any comfortable shared place to sit and work, just wooden chairs outside our room with no privacy. We asked twice to switch rooms and spoke with two different people, but they didn't speak English and didn't understand what we wanted. The windows all looked onto very close walls, there was no sound insulation, and the local family next door was noisy.

The reception guy was nice and tried to help, but the motorbike service man made a very unfair and unrealistic situation. He seemed to take advantage of us as tourists who were new to Laos, and left us with a bad impression of the hotel, Luang Prabang, and Laos. I strongly recommend replacing him.

The location is really nice, and for the price the room seems reasonable to me, even though its comfort could be better. I especially appreciated that my room had a bathtub.

The staff were always smiling and welcoming, and they helped arrange a few tours and bike rental. I stayed nine nights at Villa Phonetip, in room 4, which had a private entrance up a little lane and a view of the Meekong. Sitting on my own balcony to watch the sunset each evening was lovely. The location worked perfectly, with riverside restaurants close by and just a few minutes' walk to the Main Street and night markets. My room was spacious, bright, clean, and had good air con. I'd happily recommend the hotel and hope to return someday.