Villa Suan Maak

Villa Suan Maak Guesthouse has been one of mine and my girlfriends favourite homestay’s across south east Asia! It’s just a little over £10 a night but this includes a pretty decent breakfast too. The rooms are cleaned daily, big and clearly trying to improve on the mosquito front. They have put barriers over both windows to try and prevent them from coming in. The staff, although a bit absent at times, are friendly and very accommodating. Also, they currently have one of the cutest puppies at the moment which is just an added bonus! This homestay was in a good location and was the perfect home for 4 nights, would recommend to anyone budget high or low 🙌🏼

First impressions are not always what they seem. The ambience was pleasant when I arrived at Villa Suan Maak in the late afternoon, a few people drinking Beer Lao in the garden to relaxed music. I didn't like that my unremarkable room had a view of the breakfast area, a flimsy curtain the only shield, but ambled to the Mekong for a sunset view content enough. And then the cockerel started at 2am. There is no solid barrier between the bathroom at the back of my room and the animal-filled dwelling next door. An open window, slatted bathroom door and ear plugs offered no protection against this insistent cock. It became cockerel stereo as dawn approached. As others have noted, the hotel manager is pretty invisible. But after locating her sleeping in a room (at 9.30am) she kindly agreed to cancel the rest of my booking. "It's like that everywhere" she said about the godawful racket. I didn't appreciate her over-charging me for my single night although this seemed to be from her limited mathematics rather than deliberate. Hotels pay up to 20 per cent to appear on booking websites. I wandered to a better-located hotel and agreed a cheaper price than the $22.50 I paid at the Villa Suan Maak. My room was bigger, nicer, with a bath and proper shower rather than the mediocre bathroom at Suan Maak. And had no outside noise disproving the dozy hotel manager. I wouldn't stay here. You can do much better in Luang Prabang.

I am on an extended tour and we stopped here. I stayed an extra couple days. The room was clean and neat, I had fair wifi reception even in my room, The family that runs the place were nice to me, If I come back thru here, I will likely stay here again.