Not often in life does reality surpass promise, however, The Settha Palace Hotel qualifies for that description.

Dear Manager of the Settha Palace Hotel,

My wife and I stayed in your delightful hotel, first in room 211 from January 13th to 19th and then again, in room 107, from January 22nd to 25th.

I would like to congratulate you on what appears to be a PERFECT hotel, from every possible aspect. I am very well travelled, especially in the East, Japan, Korea, China, India.... but I do not think I have ever stayed in an hotel where there was absolutely NO reason to complain, about anything. (I am quite good at complaining!)

Firstly, the welcome - in the spacious and tasteful reception area. The furnishings throughout are of the highest standard and every corner and every nook and cranny is spotless! ly clean. Our two rooms, almost identical, were spacious and comfortable and high ceilinged, with comfortable beds and above all, a perfect bathroom with first class plumbing.

Your staff are without exception, smiling and pleasant and obliging. Now for the pool. It is the most beautifully landscaped pool in a charming and well kept garden, immaculate and welcoming. Comfortable seating all round, attentive service....

There was a trainee waiter at the poolside while we were there, almost every day, from 7 when I had my first swim, when he was setting out the chair cushions. So welcoming and with a ready smile, eager to serve but never being intrusive. His badge just said Trainee so I don't know his name. The restaurant is comfortable and pleasant and the breakfasts perfectly adequate, we particularly enjoyed the calm and quiet early in the morning. The service, again was excellent and one waiter in particular, whose name began with PHONE.... can't remember the rest, was outstanding in making us feel welcome and well looked after.

We ate in the restaurant one evening and the food was of the highest standard.

The bar was, again, comfortable and spacious. The outside sidewalk cafe was pleasant to sit in - and the staff outside the hotel, courteous and pleasant at all times, and I saw, someone there all night, though Vientiane seems so calm and unthreatening.

Thank you very much, staying at the Settha Palace was the highlight of our visit to Laos.

The Settha is perhaps the most charming of its colonial brethren.

In Vientiane, the finest place to stay is the 29-room Settha Palace Hotel, a former family mansion dating from 1930s.

For anyone visiting Laos for business or pleasure, the Settha offers lots of charm and an intriguing glimpse into the past.

In comparison to the bland or hideously gaudy hotels in Vientiane, Settha Palace has character, ambiance and refinement, with a good atmosphere for relaxing. It's like a small and understated Raffles Hotel. It was definitely a good choice and I would certainly recommend it...

Colonial style building with modern facilities. Nice pool in beautiful tropical garden. Helpful staff. Overall very good value, highly recommended.

Inside the hotel, It's another world. Staying in this hotel is like staying in a palace. It is a wonderful experience to make you forget about your daily life.

One of the best hotels we have stayed at in Asia. A beautifully renovated French colonial house, full of dark wood and fabulous artwork and antiques. Great staff, great location. We were genuinely sad to leave.

Possibly the best hotel in Vientiane! Central but quiet location. Beautifully restored colonial building with teak wood floors. Rooms are big. Nice swimming pool. Very friendly and helpful staff.

After roughing it (just a little..) up country, we landed at Settha and felt all the weight of the mud, dust, and griminess of the previous days. The first facility we enjoyed was the showers, and royal they were. The room was superb, with a BIG soft bed, and in tune with the refined atmosphere of the reception area, indeed of the whole hotel. Way above anything else we saw in Vientiane, a city that includes a number of modern monstrosities. Personnel was courteous, competent and smiling; and the London taxi to the airport a great way to go.
Minus: an overly efficient aircon. Didn't stop us from sleeping like logs. No opinion on the food, as we ate in town, save for breakfast, which was all right (perhaps more fresh fruit, in a tropical country, is always welcome?).

This hotel was by FAR the nicest hotel we stayed at in Laos, and as good as the Strand in Yangon, for a quarter of the price. The food was terrific and the room was very spacious and comfortable. I really recommend this hotel if you are staying in Vientiane.

The Settha Palace is arguably the best hotel in Vientiane. It has the same air of history and tradition as the Strand Hotel in Rangoon at a fraction of the price. The rooms and facilities were superb and the staff attentive. The hotel only lacks in not having an exercise room. The hotel is within easy walking distance of most local attractions.

This is a great hotel, by far the nicest in Vientiane (and, almost by definition, in all of Laos). The rooms are spotless, the service excellent, the price very reasonable for what you get. The location is good, within easy walking distance of the center of town and good restaurants. Highly recommended.

From what we saw this was by far the most attractive place to stay in Vientiane. The rooms were clean, comfortable and well equipped, the staff were friendly and helpful and the restaurant and bar provided a luxurious setting set at stark contrast from things found outside the hotel. A very good place to relax after a day in Vientiane. We would certainly stay there again and would recommend it to others.