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by Richard Waters, The Daily Telegraph, October 12, 2016
Behind its high walls, this renovated 100-year-old former governor’s residence hides a paradise of mature palms and exotic flowers bordering a stunning cherry-tiled swimming pool and ornamental garden.
Location 6/100
Down a quiet street 10 minutes’ walk from the centre, it’s not ideally placed for those keen to wander straight to the sights of the old peninsula, but you can borrow a bike or catch the free hotel taxi.
Style & character 7/100
World class style with boutique touches. Recently revamped by the Accor group, this UNESCO listed building feels happier under new ownership and the space has come into its own with better service and a new restaurant in a cool-fanned pavilion in the centre of the courtyard.
Service & facilities 8/100
Gym, outdoor pool, spa (the traditional stilted Lao house where you find the spa, is authentic, it just happened to be in a different place in Laos before being taken apart and reassembled here), library, restaurant, reflexology in your room, free bicycles, free shuttle into town. The stylishly low-lit Sabai Library Lounge is cosy with bookshelves stacked floor to ceiling with thumbed Dick Francis novels, and the perfect place to savour a cocktail. You can even learn to cook here at the KaToke Cooking School.
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Bar
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Fitness centre
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Laundry
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Parking
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Pool
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Restaurant
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Room service
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Sauna
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Spa
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Wi-Fi
Rooms 8/100
Sumptuous and almost large enough to get lost in, 23 slate-grey suites sport high ceilings, walk-in showers, his and hers sinks; huge flatscreens, four posters, contemporary dark wood furniture and evocative black and white photography. They also have bijou back gardens and some have their own plunge pools.
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Food & drink 8/100
The Governor’s Grill restaurant sits in a romantic safari pavilion in the courtyard by the stylish bar. While the sister restaurant at Les 3 Nagas focuses on purely Lao food, the Governor serves up a western leaning menu here with well-executed dishes like buffalo steak.
Value for money 7/100
Rooms from 1,144,430 Laotian Kip (£114) in low season and 1,907,384 Laotian Kip (£190) in high season. With breakfast and Wi-Fi included, that’s a lot of bang for your buck.
Access for guests with disabilities?
There are a few steps to negotiate at the hotel’s entrance but much of the hotel is accessible by wheelchair, and all rooms are on the ground floor.
Family-friendly?
The pool is great for kids with a decked area to sunbathe, while all rooms have private back gardens, iPod docks, and huge flat-screens to watch the myriad English language DVDs available from reception.
Ban Mano, Luang Prabang 00600, Laos.00 856 71 260 777sofitel.com
This article was written by Richard Waters from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
