The Grand Luang Prabang

The Grand Luang Prabang is a hidden gem. Set just past the edges of town, with sprawling and beguilingly landscaped grounds on the banks of the Mekong, the Grand's main attraction is beauty and tranquility. The best reason for choosing to stay here is to have a peaceful and beautiful retreat away from the action, while still being just about 10-20 minutes from the heart of Luang Prabang (by car or bicycle, respectively). The building itself is a colonial-era relic, with all the creaky charm and old-fasionedness that goes with that. The stunning beauty of the places is provided not so much by the built environment as by the natural one: the view of the Mekong across the lotus ponds, the well-pruned trees, the gardens, and the lovingly-placed floral ornaments. The WiFi in the room was usually working but often too slow for anything but the most patient web browsing. I had better luck taking my laptop to the lobby, where the WiFi was still not "fast" by international standards but usable enough. There's a free shuttle to and from town on a fixed schedule (with the shuttles into town being more frequent and convenient than those returning from town). Guests can also book the shuttle at other (non-scheduled) times for 20k kip per passenger. The hotel also offers bicycles at 10,000 kip (~$1.25 US) per half day or double that for a full day, which was only a little more than the rates in town, and the ride is quite pleasant. Enjoy!