Hotel or guesthouse?

I%26#39;d like some general advice on whether to look for a guesthouse or a hotel for our stays in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.

We%26#39;ll be bringing three teenagers with us and it%26#39;ll be their first holiday in a poor country so I%26#39;d rather we didn%26#39;t stay in a hotel. They can live like pampered Westerners at home, after all.

However there are three must haves that I%26#39;m not sure we%26#39;ll get in a guesthouse.

1. A room that all three teenagers can share.

2. Comfy beds - i.e. not traditional Asian hard ones.

3. Mozzie nets. I%26#39;m apparently an especially rare and delicious delicacy for the mozzie palate and they will seek me out like Exocets.

Now I%26#39;m sure I do sound exactly like a pampered Westerner with my special requirements but any tips/experiences would be very helpful, thanks.

Hotel or guesthouse?

TRy Villa Manoly in Vientiane.

Hotel or guesthouse?

Given your criteria, then I%26#39;d suggest a guesthouse but these days, quite a few guesthouses have been remodelled and are 2nd or 3rd generation which qualifies more as %26#39;villas%26#39; or small hotels. Anyways, for a more down-to-earth experience, I%26#39;d suggest Cold River Guesthouse on the banks of the Nam Khan River in Luang Prabang. It%26#39;s a very pleasant 10 minute walk to the mainstreet of town along the river road but it%26#39;s also considerably quieter than most places because it%26#39;s at the end of a small lane so there%26#39;s very little tuk tuk noise.

NO AC; no mozzie nets but they have fans that are great to sleep under and which also prevent mozzies from landing on you while snoozing.

Thanks guys. I%26#39;ll try the Villa Manoly.

The Cold River Guesthouse (which sounds like it could be the one I stayed in about 15 years ago, which would be fabulous to revisit) sounds good too but I%26#39;m not convinced those fans will keep the mozzies away. I remember living in Vientiane in the summer and having to choose between having the fans on to keep you cool or having the nets up (which block out the breeze from the fans) to keep the mozzies off.

Give the Lotus Villa a look in Luang Prabang. One block from the main street in a quiet area. A small hotel with, I think, 16 rooms. Rooms have good A/C, so no need for nets. Beds, firm but fine. We were there a month ago and liked it very much. Posted a review on here.

If you need a guide, let me know and I will post contact info for an excellent one. We thoroughly enjoyed L P.

Jim

Thanks Jim, I%26#39;ll have a look. I%26#39;m going round and round in circles with this one!