History of the Settha Palace Hotel

Built in the early 1930s

The Settha Palace Hotel was built by the French in the 1930s and known as Le Bungalow.

What was once lost, has been found again ...

The Settha Palace Hotel of today was reimagined by Laotian born Frenchman, Billy Theodas who spent his childhood living at the back of the Settha Palace when it was run by his parents in the 1950s. Unfortunately in 1975 when the regime changed, the whole family left everything behind to begin a new life in France.

The hotel was then nationalised and converted into government housing. With little care or upkeep, it fell into total disrepair over the following years.

After 17 years in self exile, Billy and his mother returned to Laos for a visit. Seeing the cracked, falling walls and collapsing roof of the hotel broke their hearts once more. With his mother's urging, Billy decided to regain control of the hotel, and beginning in 1994 spent five long years passionately and persistently leading the difficult renovation and restoration work.

During this renovation, he discovered the signboard still in tact above the main entrance, which had been there since the hotel was built as Le Bungalow in the 1930s.

The hotel eventually reopened its doors of refined hospitality to the world in 1999. Today, Settha Palace Hotel is still owned and operated by the same family, providing guests with warm and genuine hospitality, comfortable rooms, fine dining and top notch meetings and events space in a uniquely nostalgic ambience.

So if your travels bring you to Vientiane. We truly hope to be able to welcome you to Laos and wish you "Sabaidee!" (Hello and Welcome!).