Vang Vieng Garden Bungalow

I had low expectations based on reviews mentioning ongoing renovations and my dislike of noise. However, I was pleasantly surprised upon arrival—everything was perfectly normal. The swimming pool was clean and great for a long swim. My room was spacious and clean, with one double bed and one single bed. The staff didn’t speak English but used a translation app to communicate and made me feel very welcome. There is room for improvement in a few areas. The curtains allowed light from outside lamps to shine through, so the room didn’t get completely dark, and I had to use a sleep mask to fall asleep. Furthermore, the Wi-Fi was unreliable and there was no shampoo in the bathroom. A noisy rooster woke me up both mornings though I’m not sure if it belonged to the hotel owner or a neighbor. My first night at the hotel was quiet, and I didn’t hear any noise from other guests. However, the second night made it clear that there was no soundproofing. Between 10 PM and 2 AM, I had to get out of bed three times to ask other guests to lower their music and stop shouting. They were either outside on their patio or sitting on the hotel terrace. While I don’t blame the hotel management for the rude behavior of some guests, they could take steps to address this issue. Providing clear instructions to all guests about maintaining quiet during the night and intervening when loud noise occurs in public areas late at night would make a significant difference.

This is a great cheap option in a very quiet back street, but still a very easy walk to everywhere in town. We paid 150,000kip per night. The place is run down but rooms are large with a huge, comfortable king bed and a single bed, and large ensuite. The man who runs it is funny and friendly, and will help with organising tours if you ask him. Only rooms out front are good, at the back they are literally rotting away, as is the pool.