Le Thatluang D’oR has launched its palatial boutique hotel in the heart of historic “Old Vientiane”, the Lane Xang Kingdom’s last capital, to offer alternative luxury accommodation in an authentic, quiet neighbourhood.
The hotel’s owner Kotsada Soukhabandith said he wanted to build the 49-room Le Thatluang D’oR in the original site of Vientiane Capital, established some 450 years ago, when the Lane Xang Kingdom moved its royal centre from Luang Prabang to the area around the iconic That Luang stupa.
“My aim was to construct a palace-like property in a historic neighbourhood, where life is peaceful and quiet,” he said. “Le Thatluang D’oR presents relaxing elegance that opens to an authentic, preserved corner of Vientiane, not like the downtown area near the Mekong.”
This becomes clear early every morning, when the hotel invites guests to step out front, and participate in the solemn Buddhist alms giving ritual. Le Thatluang D’oR also offers cycles to pedal on a short 9-stop tour around the historic neighbourhood, which begins 750 metres away at That Luang.
“The brand new hotel’s design tries to link ornate Lane Xang Kingdom and Buddhist structures with French colonial sophistication,” Mr Kotsada said. “The triangular, pyramid structure employs a five-step Luang Prabang-style roof, reflecting the sacred nine-tier That Luang stupa.”
The result is a construction masterpiece set in a garden, which earned the Lao Government’s 2019 Award for Best Architecture. Merging the Lao-French colonial styles, in a U-shape hotel surrounding a courtyard pool, led to six distinct room layouts with various views, each presenting posh colonial furnishings with subtle Lao details.
“The décor in the rooms is all Laos,” Mr Kotsada said. “It’s all made in Laos and not commercial. The design is unique to the hotel, from the patterned upholstery and carpets alongside furniture details to the original drawings and vintage photographs on the walls, and crafts on the shelves.”
Stepping into a room is like crossing the threshold into a bygone era, but with modern amenities including updated antique phones and flat screen TVs. The chambers greet guests to a colonial parlour-like living room and dining area, with plenty of workspace. Large bedrooms and sizeable marble-coated bathrooms sit apart, and the unique layout showcases a variety of views.
Ground-floor Premier Rooms open to green-laced patios with courtyard pool access, or shrub-enclosed gardens for solitude. Upper level Premier View room overlook the courtyard’s twin pools, or the locale’s old wooden homes, with chickens roaming the yards.
Sizeable Premier Suites attract businesspeople who need a comfortable workspace on top of luxurious accommodation, with a setting befit for greeting clients and employees. A wide desk, with access to plenty of outlets, and a window view provide a perfect, away-from-home, office. Tables and comfortable chairs offer small meeting spaces. Balconies present a pleasant place to relax with morning coffee or an evening drink, with a panoramic scene of the neighbourhood and possible peek of the tip of That Luang.
Guests will find the ultimate in personalised comfort in the That Luang and Duplex suites, with their curved staircases leading to lofts and daybeds above luxurious living spaces. For families or groups seeking to adjoin accommodation, doors connect suite lofts to cosy Deluxe Rooms with spacious balconies.
Across the narrow lane running in front of Le Thatluang D’oR, guests can pull up a chair at the Green Pepper restaurant, and open a menu that presents sections on Northern, Central, and Southern Lao favourites. Turn the pages for cuisine from around ASEAN, before a line-up of tempting Western dishes. Bookend your meal with luring appetizers and desserts.
Located in a new colonial-style house, the Green Pepper comfortably seats 50 for inside and outside dining. The bar serves soft drinks, international beers, a selection of fine wines, and top-shelf liquor and cognac. The staff can easily arrange tables to meet all needs: from couples to families and larger groups. For more privacy, book the niche behind the curtain.
Guests can sit down down to a complimentary “Buffet-Plus” breakfast at the Green Pepper. Diners choose an Asian or Western meal with pastries from a set menu and order eggs anyway they want. Breakfast includes favourite specialty coffees: Americano, cappuccino, espresso, and latte. The staff delivers dishes hot and fast, as you add the extras from the buffet.
Back in their rooms, guests can dine in privacy, with a meal from the full Green Pepper menu at the same price. The staff will arrive, set guests’ tables, and serve the meals. Couples can enjoy a romantic dinner with a bottle of wine. Families and friends find comfort in eating together in solitude. In-room working lunches are productive for time-stretched businesspeople.
Le Thatluang D’oR wraps around the courtyard pool, placing it at the heart of the palatial surroundings. Guests can take a dip in a pair of the hotel’s pools. The main swimming pool is perfect for doing laps or just cooling off. The adjacent wading pool presents a peaceful seat in a soaking tub. Guests can pull up a lounge chair and table in the shaded patio and have a drink, or sit in a bamboo alcove or the bench swing for a relaxing view of the royal-like mansion.
The hotel’s two meeting rooms can accommodate up to 80 people, and configured for presentations, forums, seminars, and conferences, or board and business meetings around a table. The hotel staff can also convert the rooms, and the courtyard pool, for banquets, special functions, dinner parties, and cocktail hours.
Le Thatluang D’Or provides a shuttle service to the airport and for tours. A morning van takes guests on an hour-long visit to That Luang and the Patuxay Monument. The 17:00 shuttle van takes guests to the Mekong tourist centre to explore the Mekong Night Market, and check out the shops and bars.
For those seeking palace-like accommodation in a relaxing authentic Old Vientiane neighbourhood, Le Thatluang D’oR delivers luxury with a difference.
Website: www.lethatluangdor.com
Email: info@LeThatluangDoR.com
