Inthira Thakhek

We ate at the restaurant, and the spring rolls were suuuper tasty, with good peanut sauce too. The menu doesn’t mention that the veggie rolls contain egg. You can ask them to make a vegan version.

The room itself has some useful comforts: the bed is good, about a 5/10 for firmness, the pillows and towels are good, Wi-Fi is stable and strong, the air conditioning works great, and there’s a functional ceiling fan and a small fridge that works well. The Junior Suite is expensive, but it does have its own bathroom and a bigger balcony. In most rooms, there isn’t a separate bathroom, just toilet and shower cubicles plus a washbasin and large mirror in the room. Some people may find that arrangement odd, especially since there are no exhaust fans. The complimentary toiletries didn’t include a toothbrush kit, which I thought was particularly bad. The main problem is the condition of the rooms. They need significant renovation, especially the soundproofing, old colonial-style doors, and shower cubicles. The wooden shutters, balcony, and front doors were warped or water-damaged. At this price, the place should be in much better shape. A balcony room means traffic noise around the clock, which is particularly disturbing at night. The stairs to the upper floor are steep and may be hard for older guests or anyone with mobility issues. You also have to take off your shoes before going upstairs and leave them in the shoe storage. The in-house restaurant looks nice in its old colonial style and has ceiling fans, but the portions are small and the prices high, especially at breakfast. I found the food very average, and better tasting, better quality meals at better prices elsewhere. The staff were nice, though sometimes a bit shy, which some guests might mistake for rudeness or inattention. There are different kinds of tables, including outdoor ones on the terraced footpath, a pleasant option in the early evening when the sun goes down and a breeze picks up. There are many cheaper restaurants nearby and several convenience stores, including Star Mart, 7/11, and Giraffe Supermarket. The hotel is near the Mekong River front, which is currently undergoing major construction. ATMs are inconvenient: of the two by the 7/11, one rarely works and the other only takes Visa. The nearest working ones are about 1 km away. For the price, the overall experience is too expensive. It seems aimed at visitors coming to Thakhek just once who want an upmarket place. I wouldn’t stay again and would hesitate to recommend it.

The hotel is in a great spot, a short walk from the water for sunset and close to lots of restaurants. Our room was spacious and comfortable, the bed was good, the air conditioning worked well, and it was nice to have a balcony for fresh air. The hotel looked clean and cozy, though the stairs are quite steep. We’d requested a quiet room when booking, but ours was very noisy and that affected our stay. Service was the biggest letdown. Check-in was meant to be at 2pm, but when we arrived at 3pm there was nobody at reception. The next morning, no one greeted or acknowledged us. It felt odd after the warm hospitality we’d found elsewhere in Laos. We spent three weeks traveling around the country, and this was the only hotel where the staff didn’t feel friendly. The location and comfortable rooms are good, but the noise and service didn’t match the otherwise wonderful stays we had in Laos.

We stayed here for three nights. It’s a pretty hotel in Thakhek, and the restaurant is good and felt safe. They also kept our bags while we were doing the Thakhek loop.