Chapter 17: Villa Ban Phanluang, Luang Prabang, Laos
Whatever your budget is, there is a wide choice of accommodation in Luang Prabang, ranging from party hostels to boutique hotels and from budget guesthouses to out-of-town resorts.After a long while deliberating which hotel to choose, I ended booking a three-night-stay at Villa Ban Phanluang as it checked all my boxes.
At 32 USD per night for a double room including breakfast, Villa Ban Phanluang was a good deal. The rooms looked pretty, it had excellent ratings and also has a good – yet unusual – location. More on that bit later!
Hotel reception
I arrived in Luang Prabang by minibus from Vang Vieng. From the minibus drop-off point just south of the old town it was an easy, laid-back 20 minute walk to Villa Ban Phanluang.
The villa is situated in a small side-street off a riverside road. It was easy to find as there were some signposts on the main road.
At the villa I was immediately warmly welcomed by one of the family members running the villa, which feels more like a warm, homely guesthouse than a hotel. After some check-in formalities the man showed me the way to my double room, which was located on the first floor of the villa.
Double room
Villa Ban Phanluang is an old Lao-French colonial villa and oozes local charm throughout the building. Like other villas typical of this era, it means a lot of dark wooden finishes wherever you look in the common areas such as the staircase.
The same was the case in my well-appointed deluxe double room. It featured a large comfortable, double bed, ample storage space, a flat screen TV, two wooden chairs and a small cupboard on which two complimentary water bottles were placed.
Another door opened to a narrow shared terrace which is shared by all the rooms. However, each room has its own little table with seats, which made for an excellent spot to have breakfast in the morning.
Throughout the room there were plenty of power sockets. The WiFi connection was strong and fast throughout the building.
Bathroom
The bathroom of my deluxe double room was large and well-equipped and had a large bath, separate shower, toilet and washbasin. After having two previous hotels with minor bathroom issues I was happy to finally stay in a room where I had no complaints at all about it.
Breakfast
Each morning, breakfast is served by the family which runs the guesthouse. You can choose out of different breakfast sets which are highlighted on a small menu. With each breakfast also tea or coffee and your choice of fresh juice is served.
I opted to have breakfast each morning on the terrace just outside my room, which was an ideal place to have my morning food and coffee in the fresh air.
Quality of the breakfast was actually quite good. It being a guesthouse you shouldn’t expect haute cuisine, but rather some good homemade food. I really liked it and especially appreciated the freshly pressed juice each morning.
On one morning I opted for the banana pancake with jam, to which I selected some fresh water melon juice. Another day I went for some delicious noodles and lime juice.
Villa Ban Phanluang location
Most Luang Prabang hotels are located in the old town, which is situated on a peninsula straddled by the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Villa Ban Phanluang is however located on the opposite shore of the Nam Khan River across a rickety bamboo bridge.
It means that the hotel is therefore close by all the old town sights, bars and restaurants, but isn’t located in the middle of the action but rather in a quiet local neighbourhood.
During the dry season (October to April) you can just walk across the bamboo bridge to the old town, which takes only five minutes. As the wooden bridge needs to be built up each year again by the locals running it, there is a small toll of 5,000 kip (0.50 EUR) for a return ticket.
Rainy season
Do however note that this bridge is deconstructed during the rainy season as the handmade bridge cannot withstand the strong river currents.
Instead of quick hop across the bamboo bridge, you would need to take a 30-minute detour over one of the fixed bridges further away in the wet season. I’m therefore not sure whether I would have opted for the hotel if I would have visited Luang Prabang out of the dry season.
Service
One aspect in which Villa Ban Phanluang excelled was the great service throughout my stay. Everyone working in the guesthouse was amazingly friendly, welcoming and helpful and you are really made to feel like you are staying in your second home.
Although the rooms lacked a kettle, there were tea and coffee facilities in the lobby which are free to use throughout the day.
The villa staff was also extremely helpful all kinds of extras, such as arranging day trips, a taxi to the airport or doing laundry for a minor fee.
For the full Villa Ban Phanluang review, you can read the entire article on my website (Disclaimer: This link is to a website to which I contribute/have a financial interest).
Next up: Three days in Luang Prabang - the pearl of Laos!