We'll be in Vientiane Jan 2-4 and hotels seem to be hard to come by. I've tried several sites and have written for accommodations at the Green Park and the Lao Plaza, but haven't heard back from either one, which surprised me. I should assume they have no vacancies?
So I'm asking for suggestions of where to try next. Any good websites or other hotels to check?
Thanks!~

I have not been, but in my own research for a trip next January, the Settha Palace looked like an appealing place to stay on the high end:


http://www.setthapalace.com/

To: patt 711 and ekscrunchy: Where did you stay in Vientiane? Do you have recommendations for us?
Thanks.

We are planning a trip to Laos for next January, and would appreciate comments on where you traveled.

Carol: I did not get to Vientiane on my trip last winter. I eliminated it because I found a direct flight from LP to Hanoi. But I hope to go in the future to visit friends..

Hi Carol,
We ended up staying at the Lao Plaza Hotel in Vientiane, which is a huge hotel. It's very nice, but if you want more of a cultural experience, you might want to try a smaller place. I had booked a boutique hotel, but couldn't get a confirmation by email--I tried several times to reach them, so made a new reservation at the Lao Plaza.
In Luang Prabang, we stayed at the 3 Nagas. It has been taken over by a group that plans to renovate it. The only downside was there were rats in the walls (no kidding) that scurry around at night, which was a bit unnerving. The rooms and grounds are lovely, however.
If you are at all interested in textiles, you must visit Carol Cassidy in Vientiane, but even better, arrange to take a class on dyeing silk and/or weaving at Ock Pop Tok. Check out their website www.ockpoptok.com. They also have galleries in town. The highlight of my trip was the day I spent dyeing and weaving.

The green park is outside the city and not as convenient as say the Lao Plaza. Also take a look at the Don Chan Palace right on the river. Friends stayed here and thought it was excellent.

You will probably get better rates through a hotel discounter but some do not have the 2008/9 high season rates as yet.

http://www.asiarooms.com/laos/vientiane.html

http://directrooms.com/laos/hotels/v...els/price1.htm

http://www.agoda.com/asia/laos/vientiane.html
Note that rates first shown do not include taxes etc. Check booking to find out net rate

Thank you all for your help. How much time do you recommend staying in Vientiane? What did you do while there? Carol

We only stayed 2 nights, and I could have used one more day. Our friends got out of the city to tour around a little and enjoyed that, but we were too busy at the market.
I think it depends on what you want to see and how active you are when you're there. Or if you want a little down time... We had been in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi prior to Vientiene, and the contrast was so amazing--not the noise, pollution, traffic--that I felt I could have stayed there to enjoy the peace.