Ou River House

I felt so at home here that I extended my stay twice, and would’ve stayed another week if I could. The staff were friendly and helpful, and they’d bring drinks or breakfast right to the room. I had pancakes every morning, and the latte was great. My deluxe room was spotless, with a comfortable bed, hot shower, new AC, and a magical view from the deck. They’d just added a sundeck too, where you could lie in the sun and swim in the river. My favorite place I’ve ever stayed. I can’t wait to return.

For $23, I guess you get what you pay for. The room has a lovely riverside setting, but getting there means crossing an active construction site and going down lots of steps that don’t look like they’ll hold up much longer. A group of smoking 14 year olds were there to help people across the worn astroturf and exposed wood dock. The water looks tempting, though I did wonder where the waste from the six or so units goes. The manager was nice and accommodating.

The view was lovely, and I did sleep warmly. The linens and blanket seemed clean, the towels were soft and absorbent, the mattress was decent, and the shower had hot water. Those were the good parts. I paid $28 USD per night, which felt ridiculously expensive for a place in this condition. The first thing I saw on entering was an unflushed toilet. The toilet seat wobbled and eventually came off completely. The bathroom shelves and mirror were filthy, and there were spiders in there. My neighbor said he found a rat in his room overnight. Holes near the floor in my walls looked like an animal had gotten in; some had been patched carelessly, and some were still open. At night I could hear a mysterious animal chirping inside the wall behind my bed, as well as every sound from guests in the rooms on either side because the walls were paper thin. The dock and the steps down from the road felt dangerous. Boards on the dock stuck up at one end or sank when stepped on, and there were holes covered with worn green material. I tripped a few times at night. The outside lights were dim or burned out, and the one over my door didn’t work until staff replaced its bulb after I mentioned it. The steps had missing or loose boards, there was no usable handrail for most of them, and there were no warning signs. Inside, it got extremely hot during the day. Thick curtains blocked the screens, and opening them let sunlight through the glass and made the room hotter. There was an ugly, oversized fan machine unplugged in the corner, even though the ceiling fan did basically the same thing. There was no lamp or outlet near the bed. The mosquito net had holes and wouldn’t close properly. Dirty, oversized carpets, mats, and curtains didn’t help the room’s appearance. There wasn’t a bin in the main room, only a small uncovered one in the bathroom for used paper. The door had a flimsy latch, so I worried about my belongings when I went out. I asked for a larger, uncracked coffee cup and watched a young kid grab a used one, quickly rinse it in nasty water that can make you sick, then hand it over still dirty and wet. It had a huge chip where you put your mouth. There was also a black hair on my breakfast plate, nearly touching my pancakes. My laundry came back slightly damp, and is now drying on a line in Luang Prabang. Half the very young staff, I counted four kids easily younger than 16, were rather unfriendly and seemed more interested in their phones.

The new section is lovely, modern, and very well put together. The older part is falling apart and needs a lot of attention. There’s no restaurant on site, though breakfast is provided for guests.