Champa Garden Hotel in Vientiane is located in the center of the city’s tourist area and close to the Mekong riverfront.
Champa Graden 29 - 60 USD
Pros
- Swimming pool
- Location
- Price for Vientiane
- Basic breakfast
- Manager was really helpful
Cons
- Did not offer a room earlier on my arrival (they don't have to but it's a thumbs up if they do)
- Trying to communicate with some of the staff was abit tricky
Over the years I’ve still never really found (as yet) anywhere in Vientiane that shouts out ‘what a great place to stay and perfect within its price range’. It’s usually just not too bad (but not great)…
Being spoilt in Thailand on many occasions with great hotels makes it difficult for Laos to compete with. Lowering expectations seems to work best.
Location
The location of Champa Garden is ideal if travelers wish to be close to restaurants, bars, and the Mekong riverfront (night market 3 mins walk). It’s the liveliest (not crazy lively – it’s not Thailand) part of Vientiane.
Hotel & Facilities
The name Champa Garden fits very well in terms of the quiet garden setting. It’s set back a little from the main street (Rue Francois Ngin) that enables it to be more peaceful.
If you want a swimming pool to relax near and near the riverfront location is important then Champa gets another thumbs up for you with having a pool.
Breakfast is pretty basic, but enough to get most people started for the day. Egg, toast, fruit and coffee sort of thing.
Wifi was better than expected, with a good connection.
The manager of the front desk was really helpful when I stayed and could book taxis and offered advice about anything else needed.
Rooms
Rooms are a decent size for a couple staying. Not large and not too small. The bathroom area is large, but you do need to close the curtains on the front windows as the shower area is glass.
The room I stayed was modern, clean and had a nice balcony area upstairs overlooking the swimming pool, with seating. Good for smokers.
The rooms have a small fridge, safety deposit box , kettle and fridge, so the necessary basics are well covered.
Staff & Service
The reception staff was very helpful and friendly. I had a couple of problems that staff helped with as soon as I asked. Communication was good in English and Thai.
The room cleaners and other staff was a little harder to communicate with, but this is the norm in my experience. These guys don’t get paid top dollar so lowering expectations helps me in this department.
I did make a complaint about staff that come to clean the room and just dumped some of my belongings on the floor. I told reception this just doesn’t happen in Thailand as they respect others belongings and he agreed, and we spoke about the attitude of a lot of the hotel and restaurant staff in Laos being very poor.
Overall
As mentioned above I have struggled in Vientiane over the years to find a hotel that meets my needs based on it’s price range and this has been the best (so far). This is partly due to experiencing much better options in Thailand.
If location to the riverfront, night market, and near plenty of eating options within a peaceful environment is important to you then Champa Garden hotel is a great option.
