Elsewhere, Trahan, 35, was also responsible for the guesthouse Villa Maydou, consisting of two attractive traditional Laotian houses, and the 15-room boutique hotel Les 3 Nagas, which is due to be renovated this year. Until recently he managed Les 3 Nagas himself but, with more and more demands for his services as a noted preservation architect, Trahan decided to appoint the Alila Hotels and Resorts group to manage the property.

Les 3 Nagas, described as a marriage of contemporary design and Laos heritage, features exotic timber floors, traditional cob walls and clay tile roofs...