Lakhangthong Boutique Hotel

On my flight to Laos, I grabbed the magazine inserted infront of my seat. Somewhere in that edition, it says that the true value of hotel is if it makes you feel at home more than just giving a temporary shelter to homeless travelers. When we got at the  Lakhangthong Boutique Hotel, I remembered what I've read and I instantly knew this is what they meant.

We arrived past 8 in the morning and check in was not until 2 in the afternoon, but the hotel staff happily welcomed us and offered us free breakfast while waiting for our room to be served. It only took them half an hour until the suite was ready instead of waiting for the standard check in time which was a couple of hours more. That alone made me appreciate Lakhangthong Hotel because they have a genuine desire to give a home to travelers such as ourselves. They could have just asked us to pay for another half day rate, but they didn't. 

The entire look and feel of the hotel was a hybrid of Asian and Western touch. The wooden interiors and floorings added sophistication to the already exquisite architecture. 

The hotel comes prepared with anything that the guests need, they can help book you for some bus tickets or a ride towards where you want to go. This added service comes in very handy to us as we didn't had to worry ourselves for finding our way around our itinerary.

One more interesting feature about their rooms is the use of traditional padlocks to secure the room. It's really very bizarre and I love that idea.   

One afternoon, we were randomly sitting on one of the tables outside our room and one of the staff approached us and offered us with free drinks even if we weren't really asking nor were we giving a hint that we wanted one. They were consistent of making us feel so well taken cared of that things unuttered are attended even before we ask for it. 

They also has a bookshelf beside the reception which actually keeps a lot of good read to borrow. We had a Paolo Coelho and a Lonely Planet book that kept us company during our stay in Luang Prabang. For breakfast, their pancakes are something we couldn't stop ourselves from wanting more.

When asking for directions, they willingly helped us and explained even the micro details such as the perfect time and routes to where we want to go. There also are bikes parked inside the hotel, and are free for guests to use if we wanted to wander around. 

The also has a refrigerator within the premise with cold drinks inside, I asked how much for a bottle of water and was surprised when they told me I could just get one for free. After that, I sat beside one of the guests in the hotel and learned that she has been staying with them for 21 days and did not have a single reason to complain. I fully agreed with all her sentiments, the staff were just so genuine and very warm, we couldn't find a better hotel than what Lakhangthong already is. There were some glitches in the bathroom's bidet and the lack of a shower curtain but those seem insignificant to me anymore because the entire stay was such a delight.

I don't know if Luang Prabang has five star hotels but if I could give this hotel a rating, I wouldn't doubt giving them five at a cost that is so friendly in the pocket.