Xaysomboun Boutique Hotel (Vientiane, Laos) Review

Xaysomboun Boutique Hotel is a new hotel (opened in December 2016) close to Vientiane's city centre. Its address at Khounbulum Road makes it very convenient to walk to Talat Sao Shopping Mall and Khua Din Bus Station (for bus #14 service to Buddha Park) and the morning wet market (interesting for those interested in a slice of local life). Famous Vientiane attractions such as Wat Sisaket and Haw Phra Kaew(Temple of Emerald Buddha) are just a short walk away. Whilst tuk-tuks are plentiful, I walked easily from the hotel to the night markets and Patuxai Victory Monument.

Certainly, what makes Xaysomboun Boutique Hotel stands out amongst the small and boutique hotels in the area is its picturesque outdoor pool and a small fitness gym on the 2nd floor. Though the gym is basic, there's a treadmill and a bench/free weights for a good work out.

The Superior Double Room that I stayed in is wide and spacious, even the bathroom is huge. I like the mini-bar/fridge is large and wonderfully cold - allowing me to enjoy ice-cold Beer Lao, which I could purchase from a small family restaurant on the right of the hotel (it closes by evening though).There are two complimentary small bottles of water daily, as well as coffee-and-tea making facilities. There is also an in-room safe next to the bed, for the convenience of the guests. Though the furniture seems dated, the room is kept spick-and-span. I appreciate greatly how thoroughly the staff clean up the room for its guests. It feels wonderful to come back to an immaculately clean room after a day of exploring. The flat-screen television shows a good variety of local, Thai, and international cable channels.

I love the rain shower feature in the huge bathroom, with a tap and a regular shower head available as well. There is the full range of amenities provided (dental kits, bar soap, shaving kits, shampoo and body foam, etc) for the convenience of guests. These are refilled every day, which I appreciate. Thumbs up!

Noise, though, can be an issue at the hotel. A rooster (living somewhere really near) was crowing at exactly 5.30am each morning, which on the bright side, enabled me to start my day early. The lift gives out a crisp "ding" when it arrives on each floor, which can be bothersome for some. Since the room doors have alarms which are triggered if the doors are not closed properly (a good feature since it is hard to tell sometimes if the doors are firmly closed), once a while, once a while, a careless guest sets off the alarm that breaks the silence.

I thought the highlight of my stay was the daily buffet breakfast, located at the 5th floor City View Restaurant. Aptly named, the restaurant provides a nice view of the neighbourhood. There are a variety of Asian and Western dishes on offer, and I think the buffet set-up looks welcoming and wonderful. Many local fresh fruits are also on offer, for a healthy start to the day. You may also order eggs anyway-you-want, and noodle soup (choice of chicken or beef) from the chef. There are many attentive and smiling staff who created a nice start to my day. The drinks were a bit disappointing though, with only cold water, and sweet cordial drinks rather than juices, available. Coffee, on a self-service table where you add hot water to coffee powder, tastes strangely sourish. However, the good selection of food items more than makes up the lackluster beverage aspects.

The hotel employees (whether they are the cleaning staff or the restaurant waiters) are nice and always smile when they pass you along the corridor. When checking out, the bell boy was helpful in taking intiative to flag a tuk-tuk for me, after learning I wanted to take one to the airport. I thought it was a nice service touch.

In all, I had an enjoyable stay with Xaysomboun Boutique Hotel. Thank you for reading this hotel review.

You may visit the official Xaysomboun Boutique Hotel website here.

For a video experience of my stay with Xaysomboun Boutique Hotel, see below:

#Vientiane #destination #travel #vacation #travelling #Laos #hotelreviews #accommodation #hotelstays #hotels