Spinomad Hostel

The place is close to the bus terminal, night market, food, foot massage, and Clock tower. I hadn’t realized there was a pub on the first floor, so the music, Adele, Beyoncé, and others, caught me off guard. I usually go to sleep early, so it bothered me a little at first, but then I slept well. I was in a double room with a shared toilet.

We stayed two nights. The hotel is near the night bazaar and Main Street, and the White Temple and Blue Temple are one Grab ride away. They kindly provided complimentary water and crackers. We didn’t mind the noise, and would definitely come back.

The room kept vibrating, and there was a steady low hum from some machine outside the window, which couldn't be opened. The wooden building and crooked stairs meant even thunder made the whole room shake. I expected to hear singing from the bar downstairs, so that didn't bother me. With the bathroom door open, though, the smell of urine from the toilet spread through the room.

Miss Smiley, the manager, was the one bright spot, and the restaurant was pretty good too. The place has no dorms or kitchen, so it felt more like a guesthouse or hotel than a hostel. I booked the most expensive room, but it faced the street, was much smaller than described, and was extremely noisy. The TV didn't work either. They moved me to an even smaller room without a window, which was okay. On Sunday, my last day, I asked the four staff members around for help finding a barber and a place for a facial. Nobody knew or seemed willing to help, and they were all busy on their phones. I took a picture and will post it elsewhere. I contacted the owner about that and some other problems but got no reply. Later she said she'd never received my message and claimed I had the wrong number. That was a lie. I'm a travel writer and consultant. You can find reviews, travel stories, and more on VisitorsGuideTravel on Faceb and Insta. This was my worst hotel experience in Laos and Thailand.