TTG Asia Luxury May 2018 | Page 61

Check-in A touch of modest royalty Left, La Residence building Above, Laos Room, formerly the Queen’s bedroom Name Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel No. of rooms 24 Address Rue Chao Fa Ngum, Ban Thatluang, Luang Prabang, Laos Contact Tel: (856) 71 254 609 Email: [email protected] Website: www.angsana. com/en/laos/maison- souvannaphoum By Raini Hamdi LOCATION Minutes’ walk to the old town, night market, museum (the former Royal Palace), Wat Xieng Thong Temple (Luang Prabang’s most visited monument) and just 50m to Wat Pramahatthat, where 100 monks receive alms from locals before sunrise, a sight not to be missed. AMBIENCE Once the home of Laos’ four- time prime minister, Prince Souvannaphoum, the two-storey La Residence building has a distinct French colonial architecture but its interior carries a palpable sense of localness. It boasts four luxurious rooms. A Garden Wing extension offers another 20 rooms. ROOMS My Laos Room in La Residence was formerly the Queen’s bedroom. It is large (45m 2 ) and, to my relief, is pleasantly homely rather than fussily regal. French windows overlook the pool and a lush tropical greenery – coconut and bamboo trees, tall banana leafs, tropical flowering plants such as hibiscus and bougainvilleas. I get a rush of nostalgia from the rustic scenery beyond the hotel: Laotian houses with their distinct long roofs; the absence of high rises; the peace and quiet, where the only sounds are from the pool’s waterfall feature, the chirping of birds and the occassional cock-a-doodle-doo. Now an affiliate hotel managed by Banyan Tree Holdings’ Angsana Hotels & Resorts, my room has lots of local touches: parquet flooring and Laotian fabrics for furnishing, a baldachin over the bed, and Angsana’s signature wall with three recesses in which are placed three small Laotian lanterns. It is a hugely comfortable room with modern comforts such as cable TV, Wi-Fi (also throughout hotel) and a beautiful free-standing bathtub. FACILITIES Elephant Blanc by the poolside serves Laotian and Indo-Chinese cuisine and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had steamed fish with lime sauce and spicy chicken salad; pretty delicious. There’s an Angsana Spa, which offers a whole range of treatments. My 90-minute Angsana massage, by a Thai lady named Kinara, was just wonderful. Bicycles are available for guests and are a wonderful way to explore Luang Prabang. SERVICE The hotel’s string of young local people may not be the fastest or the most polished, but they are simply unforgettable for their eagerness to please, communicate and serve. I love their sincerity. VERDICT Authentic, serene, restful. Luang Prabang is seeing newer luxury hotels but this ‘maison’ (house) will always remain unique because of its history and heartfelt service, led by manager Wattana In. TTG Asia luxury | May 2018 55