- ★★★★½
- Reviews & advice
- Laos
A charming and luxe stay in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage town
By Mark Daffy
The hotel
Avani+ Luang Prabang, Laos
Trees reflected in the guest pool.
Check-in
Cleverly designed to blend in with Luang Prabang’s colonial architectural heritage, the hotel originally served as the living quarters for French officers in the early-20th century. The landmark buildings eventually came under the auspices of the Minor Hotels group that includes the Anantara, Oaks and Tivoli-branded hotels and resorts. After an extensive makeover, it reopened in March, 2018, as the group’s first Avani+ hotel focused on historic and design-led properties.
The look
Nestled in the heart of Luang Prabang’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town, the property is surrounded by picturesque mountains and perched at the entrance to a narrow peninsula bordered by the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. You’ll notice the gargantuan banyan tree shading the courtyard’s 25-metre pool the first time you walk past it, but it will take a few more goes before you really begin to appreciate this leafy centurion’s outsized majesty. Then you learn that the entire property’s blueprint was tweaked to fit around it, escalating its value. But it’s especially striking at night when clever lighting accentuates its impressive dimensions.
The banyan tree looms over the hotel.
Fifty-three open-plan rooms with teak flooring, indigenous fabrics and sleek design looking inwardly towards the tree and pool, or outwardly over private courtyards. Spa facilities are above the entrance lobby, next door to the gym. Fortifying guests’ privacy against the bustling Chaofa Ngum Road, beneath an upstairs bar, is the Main Street Grill restaurant.
The room
Guest room - modern design blended seamlessly.
We’re in a corner suite with a king-sized bed and a foldaway added for our teenage son. French timber bi-fold doors open out onto a grassy, L-shaped courtyard with lazy sun lounges. Features include rain shower, twin vanities, indoor daybed, wall-mounted flatscreen TV, coffee machine and plenty of power and USB charging outlets.
Food + drink
After honing his craft in Brazil, France and Oman, Seychellois executive chef, Marcus Freminot, was appointed to the head position at the Main Street Grill and Bar soon after our stay. He was tasked with overhauling the menu to marry together international flavours using locally sourced ingredients. Examples at the time included New Zealand mussels with curry powder and local herbs, freshly baked pizza topped with spicy meat and mozzarella, or a Luang Prabang-style French baguette filled with fermented pork and assorted vegetables – all for $US12 ($18) or less. Buffet breakfasts and lunches are served in the same venue, with snacks available from a poolside bar.
Out + about
Guest lounge.
Across the road from the hotel is the Night Market, with textiles, ceramics, jewellery and artworks at bargain prices. The Royal Palace, dating back to when Luang Prabang was the capital of a powerful kingdom, is around the corner. Saffron-robed monks march past the front door each morning during their ritualistic quest for alms. Some of South-East Asia’s most richly decorated temples can be found within an arc of a monk’s straw broom. Sisavangvong Road’s funky restaurants are close by and all can be surveyed from the top of Phoussi Hill, a short walk away. Mekong Kingdoms’ sunset river cruises are a relaxing way to observe river life. Daytime cruises also drift upriver to the Pak Ou Caves, where hundreds of Buddha figurines crowd wall ledges. West of town, Kuang Si’s tiered, turquoise-coloured cascades qualify it as one of the prettiest waterfalls on the planet. There’s also a rescue centre for rare Asiatic black bears inside the entrance. On your way back to town, stop for an ice-cream at the Laos Buffalo Dairy, the country’s first (and only) buffalo farm producing rich cheeses and yoghurts.
Guest bar … “cleverly designed to blend in with Luang Prabang’s colonial architectural heritage”.
The verdict
Convenience with a touch of luxury in one of the most charmingly compact cities in Asia.
Essentials
Rooms at the Avani+ Luang Prabang from $265 a night for three-night stays, including breakfast. Suites from $389 a night. See avanihotels.com/en/luang-prabang
Our rating out of five
★★★★½
Highlight
Why go to the monks when the monks will come to you? The morning alms procession, passing by the front steps of the hotel, is one of this city’s unique cultural attractions.
Lowlight
Leaving insufficient time in our itinerary to thoroughly explore the jewel in Laos’ tourism crown.
The writer was a guest of the Minor Hotels group that includes Anantara and Avani.
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