We’ve stayed at some fantastic places over the years. I’ve listed my top eleven memorable hotels, which include a National Park lodge, a Japanese Ryokan, a casa in Havana, Cuba and the centuries-old Goldener Hirsch in Salzburg, Austria. While each location will remain in my mind forever, none compared to our stay at a luxury Belmond Resort in Luang Prabang, Laos.

We’ve never stayed somewhere I’d compare to a villa or a wealthy friend’s vacation compound, but that’s how I felt while staying at La Résidence Phou Vao, A Belmond Hotel.

We had just stayed at a Park Hyatt in Saigon, Hyatt Regency in Danang and the Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi, so we were adjusted to staying in fancy places. Nothing could have prepared us for this.

La Résidence Phou Vao, A Belmond Hotel
Naviengkham Village, Phu Vao Road, Luang Prabang 06000, Laos

The resort is a 12-minute drive (4km) from Luang Prabang Airport. Shared airport transfers to the airport are included in the room rate.

There are 34 suites on the property. The junior suites are 600 square feet, and the garden suites are 700 square feet. All accommodations include daily breakfast.

While the entrance is off a main road, you must go past a guard gate and up a mountain road to get to the resort buildings. The rooms are spread throughout the secluded property.

We were assigned room 304, a Garden View Junior Suite, which was a short walk from the lobby. The staff insisted on carrying our bags to the room.

The Room

We arrived at night, so the room was turned down before our arrival. We’ve never stayed in a room with mosquito netting, so that was a first.

A few things were immediately noticeable. The room was huge. It also exuded elegance with the polished dark wood floors and cabinets (which were spotless) and white walls. Local textiles gave an additional splash of color.

The entryway included a large closet but not like the oversized dressing rooms we had in Vietnam.

The bathroom was spacious, with a large vanity and a free-form terrazzo bath and shower.

Waiting for us was a welcome amenity of fruits and local treats.

All rooms have a complimentary mini-bar which contains water, soft drinks and Laos beers. Waters were replenished throughout our stay.

The following day we got a better sense of the view from our balconies. This was our main balcony, accessible via sliding doors in the living area and the bathroom. There was also a smaller seating balcony located at the back of the bedroom.

We had zero downtime in Laos and regrettably, we didn’t get to try these out for comfort. On our second day, we got to see the freshly made bed.

We also received another set of snacks and fruit with additional water bottles.

The Property

As I mentioned before, the property resembles a villa or vacation complex. The buildings have a French-Lao design influence. The grounds were carefully manicured but still had a natural feeling.

Like the rest of the resort, the lobby is immaculate. Tasteful design touches are throughout, showcasing Laotian culture.

The restaurant is located off of the lobby. This is where the breakfast buffet is served and they also offer lunch and dinner. There’s a connected bar that’s open from 11 AM daily.

The breakfast buffet was extensive, considering the size of the resort. The chef talked to guests during breakfast, which was a nice touch.

We also had dinner here for both nights of our stay. Tables are set up around the pool in the evening, which gives a romantic atmosphere. The entrees were top notch and prices weren’t terrible, considering that leaving to find a restaurant would have taken a considerable effort.

Speaking of the pool… The infinity pool looks out over the valley with Mount Phousi in the distance.

During our stay, many of the rice fields were burning the remains of the last crop which caused a haze over the area. The only time we could see Mount Phousi was in the evening, illuminated against the darkness.

The resort has a spa that looks very relaxing, complete with a rock garden for meditation.

What Did We Think Of Our First Belmond Experience?

Belmond is a brand I didn’t know much about before this trip. That’s primarily because they do not have any loyalty program (which is one of the downsides of using points to pay for trips). In addition, their properties would typically be out of our price range.

However, if you are looking at a Belmond property, booking with a travel agent affiliated with the Belmond Bellini Club would be beneficial. Like Hyatt Prive or AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts, bookings through the Belmond Bellini Club come with additional perks including property credits, room upgrades and VIP treatment. If you’re going to pay that much for a room, why not get some extras thrown in?

However, I don’t know how much more VIP treatment we could have received during our stay. The staff was all pretty awesome.

I will say that once you see how part of the world travels, it’s easy to understand why they’ll never go back to staying at a regular hotel. Why be cramped in a room when you can stay in a suite on top of a mountain with an infinity pool looking onto a sacred mountain?

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