Souphattra Hotel Vientiane

Good value for the money, with friendly, helpful staff and a nicely designed room. It’s a new hotel, and the room was clean, spacious and full of amenities. The one drawback is that it’s a little away from Vientiane’s main busy area, so you’ll probably need transport.

The pool was noticeably colder than pools in Thailand, so perhaps they could have heated it a little. Apart from that, a very impressive hotel: the rooms, shared areas, breakfast, rooftop bar and service were all top class.

A superior hotel at a very fair price. It was spotless, with top-level rooms and amenities, and the staff were friendly and helpful, especially Annie at check-in. The bed was the most comfortable we’d slept in during more than three weeks in SE Asia.

Meh. The room itself was stunning: huge, immaculate, quiet and comfortable, with luxury materials. If I were rating only the room, it would be 11/10. The location is excellent too, right in the heart of Vientiane, with attractions nearby and plenty of restaurants, monuments and other things to see within a short drive. It felt very safe. Service was poor, close to abysmal. For a five-star resort aimed at world travelers and high-end stays, I expected better English comprehension. At the Japanese Restaurant onsite, I asked the manager for recommendations. They suggested steak. I explained I couldn’t eat meat because of a stomach condition and asked what else they’d suggest. After a pause, they said beef. I reminded them I’d said I couldn’t eat meat, and they then suggested pork. Really? We ordered appetizers, but they arrived at the same time as everything else. At the included breakfast, I wasn’t allowed to make my own coffee. They kept giving me espresso when I asked for black coffee, which was available. I also ordered a veggie omelet from the menu and got a plain egg omelet with nothing inside. We’d booked a couples massage ahead of time, but the spa manager didn’t speak English when we arrived. We also had to get massages one at a time because there was only one person working on a weekend. The security deposit was another surprise: it had to be exactly US$100 in US currency, as a single $100 bill. I didn’t have that, and none of the hotel materials mentioned it beyond saying there was a $100 deposit. When I pointed out the discrepancy, they said I could spend $100 onsite instead. Huh? Be ready to spend $100 either way. I won’t return, purely because of the service.