Where to stay
Lao hotel standards do not map onto star ratings anywhere else. Here is what each price band actually buys, and which towns simply have nothing above a certain level.
The three standards we quote
| Standard | Per double per night | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | USD 15 - 38 | Family-run guesthouse or small hotel. Clean, private bathroom, hot water, air conditioning in the lowlands. No lift, thin walls, breakfast is eggs and a baguette |
| Standard | USD 35 - 95 | Well-run small hotel or modest boutique. Proper beds, reliable water pressure, a terrace or a garden, staff who speak English. This is where most people book |
| Comfortable | USD 80 - 320 | The best rooms in each town. In Luang Prabang that means genuinely excellent converted colonial houses; in Phonsavan it means the nicest of five hotels |
The third row is the one to read twice. "Comfortable" in Luang Prabang and "comfortable" in Nong Khiaw are not the same product, and no amount of money closes the gap, because the rooms do not exist. Any operator quoting a uniform luxury standard across a Lao itinerary is describing something that is not there.
Town by town
| Town | Best available | Realistic |
|---|---|---|
| Luang Prabang | Excellent - converted colonial houses, 8 to 25 rooms, USD 150 - 320 | Very good boutique at USD 55 - 95 |
| Vientiane | Good international-standard hotels, USD 120 - 260 | Comfortable mid-range at USD 45 - 85 |
| Vang Vieng | Good, with karst views, USD 60 - 140 | Plenty at USD 25 - 50 |
| Nong Khiaw | Good riverside bungalows, USD 60 - 110 | Simple bungalows at USD 18 - 45 |
| Muang Ngoi | Simple only, USD 10 - 25 | Simple, and that is the point |
| Phonsavan | Adequate, USD 40 - 70 | Guesthouses at USD 14 - 25 |
| Thakhek and the loop | Simple to modest, USD 15 - 50 | Simple |
| Pakse | Decent hotels, USD 40 - 90 | USD 20 - 45 |
| Bolaven Plateau | A couple of lodges, USD 45 - 95 | Guesthouses at USD 12 - 28 |
| Four Thousand Islands | Small hotels with air conditioning, USD 35 - 80 | Bungalows at USD 8 - 20 |
Homestays
On the northern trek you sleep two nights in village houses. A mattress on a wooden floor, a mosquito net, a blanket, a shared shower block or a bucket, and meals with the household. There is no upgrade and there should not be.
The villages run these on a rota so that the income moves between households rather than settling on the one with the best house. Payment goes to the host and to a village fund. It is the part of that trip people talk about afterwards, and it is also the part that makes some people decide the trip is not for them, which is why we describe it plainly rather than call it authentic.
How far ahead to book
- November to February in Luang Prabang: three to five months. The twenty or so genuinely good small hotels in the country are mostly here and they fill first.
- November to February elsewhere: six to ten weeks is comfortable.
- March to October: three to four weeks, and you will have a choice.
- Festival weeks - Pi Mai in April, That Luang in November, boat racing in October - book as early as the high season, wherever the festival is.
Booking earlier does not usually get you a better rate in Laos. It gets you the room that makes the difference, which is a different thing.
Things worth knowing
- Hot water is not universal in the simple category, particularly in the mountains. We check it rather than assume.
- Heating is essentially non-existent. On the Xieng Khouang plateau and the Bolaven in December and January that matters - expect a blanket and an electric heater at best.
- Wi-fi is widespread and slow, and drops out for hours in the smaller places. A local SIM with data is far more reliable and costs a few dollars.
- Twin and double are not interchangeable. Small Lao hotels often have one or the other only, so tell us which you need at the time of booking rather than at check-in.
- Ground floor rooms are worth asking for in towns without lifts, which is most of them.
What we book, and why
We use family-run and owner-operated places wherever there is a good one, which in Laos is most of the time. It is not a moral position - they are simply better run than the chain alternatives at the same price, and the owner answers the phone when something goes wrong at 22:00.
Every hotel in a quote from us is named. If you see "3-star hotel or similar" in a quote from anyone, ask which hotel, because that phrase is what allows a substitution downwards after you have paid.
Questions travellers ask most
Can we upgrade just one or two nights?
Yes, and it is often the best use of a budget. One excellent room in Luang Prabang and simple rooms elsewhere is a better trip than a uniform middle standard.
Tell us where you want the money and we will move it there.
Are there luxury hotels in Laos?
A handful, almost all in Luang Prabang, and one or two elsewhere. They are genuinely good.
Outside those, the ceiling is a very nice small hotel. A trip planned on the assumption of five-star rooms in every town will not work.
Do you take a commission from hotels?
We book at contracted rates, which is standard in the industry, and our margin is in the trip price rather than in which hotel you choose.
That is why we will happily book a cheaper hotel you have found yourself and adjust the price down.
What about air conditioning?
Standard in the lowlands and in most simple rooms. In the mountains it is often absent because it is not needed.
On the Bolaven and at Phonsavan, ask about heating rather than cooling.
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Tell us what you want out of Laos
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.