Lao Plaza Hotel
by the TopOfHotel team
Lao Plaza is the first 5-star hotel Laos ever opened, planted in the middle of Vientiane's business district — a European-meets-Eastern building within walking distance of the old town, stronger on location and history than on fresh-from-renovation rooms.
Lao Plaza is the first 5-star hotel Laos ever opened, planted in the middle of Vientiane's business district — a European-meets-Eastern building within walking distance of the old town, stronger on location and history than on fresh-from-renovation rooms.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a 1990s 5-star that was once the grandest hotel in the country — Lao Plaza Hotel opened in 1997 as the first officially 5-star property in Laos. The 6-storey building stands out on Samsenthai Road, its design folding classic European architecture into soft Lan Xang motifs. The lobby runs high and open over cream marble, with a large chandelier, turned columns and a courtly painted ceiling. All 142 rooms lean warm, with brown wood and Lan Xang-patterned textiles, fairly large beds, and bathrooms with a separate tub and shower. South-facing rooms from the 4th floor up catch the golden spire of That Luang at sunset, over a Vientiane skyline still low and calm with no towers in the way. What makes this place is not the latest design but a period atmosphere — part Indochine, part European. Open the door and it feels like stepping back to a Vientiane just opening up to the outside world: plain, but with dignity.
Food and amenities
The heart of this hotel is how complete it feels for a business property in a still-quiet city. There are 3 restaurants, starting with Mekong Restaurant, which serves authentic Lao, Thai and Asian food — larb, tom saap, green papaya salad, steamed lime fish. A European dining room handles steak, pasta and Western plates, and an all-day lobby lounge covers tea, coffee and snacks. The breakfast buffet is the highlight reviewers mention most, with khao piak sen (Lao rice noodles, close to Vietnamese pho), fresh-baked bread, eggs to order, tropical fruit, and that distinctive dark-roast Lao coffee. Down in the middle of the building is an outdoor pool in a green garden, ringed with loungers — a quiet oasis with poolside food and drink service. Beyond it sit a full gym, a sauna, and a spa doing traditional Lao and oil massage. The top floor holds a ballroom and meeting rooms in several sizes built for national-level conferences — part of why Thai, Japanese and Korean business travelers keep coming back.
Location and getting there
Lao Plaza's location is its biggest selling point. The hotel sits in the middle of the Chanthabuly business district on Samsenthai Road, Vientiane's main artery — step out and you're among shopping centers, banks, foreign company offices and a spread of restaurants. The clincher is that the key sights are minutes on foot: the Lao National Museum (the former Presidential Palace) is about a 5-minute walk, the Vientiane Morning Market, the city's big mall, about 7, and the Mekong riverfront with its night market and riverside restaurants 10-12 minutes away. Drive to the Patuxai arch and the That Luang stupa, Laos's national symbol, and it's only 8-10 minutes. Wattay International Airport (VTE) is just 4 km off, a 10-15 minute drive, and the hotel runs an airport shuttle on advance request. Simply put: if you like waking early to walk the market, seeing the museum mid-morning, touring temples and the arch in the afternoon, then cooling off in the pool before dinner by the Mekong, this location lands almost perfectly.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. The point reviews echo most is the age of the building: Lao Plaza has been open since 1997, and although it has been renovated in stages, parts — bathrooms, taps, and furniture in some rooms — are starting to show their years. You'll find heavy older curtains and carpets worn by long use. If you expect the crisp newness of a fresh boutique, this may not reach it — think of it instead as a classic grand-hotel stay, and it will match what you get. Second is Wi-Fi: some rooms and some hours run slower than international standard, with weak signal in certain corners. If you work online a lot, ask the front desk at check-in which rooms hold the best signal, or use the in-room LAN cable. Third is price, which runs fairly high for Vientiane on both rooms and in-hotel food. On a tight budget you may get more from the mid-range boutiques spread through the same district, starting around $29-43 a night — but for international 5-star standards, full facilities and business-hotel service, the rate here is still reasonable.
Our take
After working through hundreds of real guest reviews, Lao Plaza Hotel sells one thing firmly: historical icon plus central business location plus complete facilities. If you're a business traveler or official in Vientiane for meetings who wants international standards within walking distance of government buildings and shopping, with Wi-Fi (even if patchy), ready meeting rooms, a full breakfast buffet and a spa to unwind after work, this is a strong fit. If you're a culture-first traveler who wants to explore old Vientiane dawn to dusk and come back to a quiet pool in a safe district, it works too. But if you're after fresh, modern, boutique design near the riverfront, the building's age may leave you wanting. Overall we give it 8.3/10 — best for business travelers, families needing full facilities, and culture-minded couples who value location and international 5-star standards in the center of Vientiane over the newest rooms.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- It was the first hotel in Laos to hold an official 5-star rating, open since 1997, with a long reputation and name recognition among foreign visitors and business travelers passing through Vientiane.
- The location is the heart of the Chanthabuly business district on Samsenthai Road: a roughly 5-minute walk to the Lao National Museum, about 7 minutes to the Vientiane Morning Market, and not far from the Mekong riverfront.
- Facilities are complete for the 5-star tier — an outdoor pool set in a garden, a full gym, a sauna, a spa offering Lao traditional massage, and meeting rooms built for business groups.
- There are 3 dining options: Mekong Restaurant for Lao and Asian dishes, a European dining room, and a lobby lounge for tea and coffee, plus a breakfast buffet that reviewers consistently praise for its variety.
- The 142 rooms are dressed in a European-Lan Xang mix and run fairly large for a city hotel; upper-floor rooms on the south side catch the That Luang spire and the Vientiane skyline.
- The building and interiors date to 1997, and while there have been renovations in stages, parts of it — bathrooms and furniture in particular — are starting to show their age. Anyone expecting the crisp newness of a recently opened boutique may feel it falls short.
- Wi-Fi in some rooms and at some hours runs slower than international standard, and reviews note weak signal in certain corners of the building. If you have online meetings, check with the front desk about the best-connected rooms first.
- Room rates and in-hotel dining sit noticeably above the Vientiane average because of the 5-star standard. On a tight budget you may get better value from the mid-range boutiques in the same district, which can start around $29-43 a night.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Vientiane
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a high floor (4th and up) facing south — you'll catch the That Luang spire at dusk and it's quieter than the Samsenthai Road side, which carries daytime traffic.
- The breakfast buffet runs Lao, Thai and Western; try the khao piak sen (Lao rice noodles) the kitchen is known for, and don't skip the dark-roast Lao coffee that's a signature here.
- Walk down to the Mekong riverfront in about 10-12 minutes — the evening night market and riverside restaurants there have far better value and atmosphere than eating in the hotel.