In 1995, a Thai conglomerate succeeded
their negotiations with the Lao government, effectively converting the palace
into a hotel. Though the establishment has been fitted for consumerism (so much for the tenets of communism, right?), much of
its interiors and designs have been retained: the hand-painted art-deco tiles; the exquisite hand carvings found in windows, stairway posts and cornices – each one
different from the next.
The hotel boasts of 5 floors, 116 guest rooms, 6
different categories (according to the financial capability of the guest),
glass elevator (the only one of its kind in the country) and a view of Pakse
right in the heart of the southern capital. As a trivia, the establishment has
1,900 doors and windows, thus earning it the moniker of “Thousand Room
Pavillion”.
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Champasak Palace Hotel: grand wedding-cake layer design! |
Though the hotel staff is mostly
hospitable and accommodating, their number is limited. In fact, a hotel this
big requires more personnel to run it competently. This is the reason why typical
(i.e. “expected”) services found in other nearby hotels and guesthouses - like day tours, purchase of bus and plane tickets,
transportations from and to the hotel, etc. - aren't offered here. One must arrange
and secure his own transfer arrangement. The hotel won’t do it for you. If you
require a tuktuk to take you around town, they will cordially offer a big grin
then point you to the highway just outside the hotel where you could hail
yourself transportation. Convenient, right?
The hotel is situated in the heart of
the city. With its very central site, every tuktuks from terminals (from the
VIP Bus Garage to the Southern Bus Terminal) know about this. And they cannot and
should not charge exponentially considering its distance from the terminals. It should range between 20,000 to 40,000 kip from the terminal to the hotel. Moreover, the place is a wee more hectic because the hotel is located beside Route 13, the main highway
that runs the north-south axis of Laos. There’s a beautiful, sprawling temple
complex - Wat Tham Fai - to its south; the Sedone River and a scenic bridge (Sedone I Bridge) to its east; a
backpacker’s row to the north; and the road towards Thailand to the west. Breakfast
is a sumptuous buffet at the main restaurant beside the front desk at
the hotel lobby. Dining tables are also available at the backyard garden.
LUXURIOUS DAYDREAMS
I got my room at the 2nd
floor, room 203. It had a veranda and faced the lawn. More importantly, it had tastefully
decorated interiors: from the curtains, fixtures of ceiling to floor, a huge bathroom with
a curvaceous tub, etc. It was a beautiful place to stay! At night, I could sit at a corner and daydream of its bountiful, nay adventurous past; of gracious princesses and lavish ceremonies. It isn't such a bad deal to get a piece of fairy tale here.
The hotel is located 3 kilometers from
Pakse Airport which has limited local services..
Call them at +856-31-212-263 or email
them at info@champasakpalacehotel.com.
You can also visit their website at http://www.champasakpalacehotel.com/.
More conveniently, Agoda offers discounts on certain months. A single standard room costs about 500,000 kip ($65 or P3,000) - and even cheaper if you
a) book early,
b) chance on a promo offer,
c) book during an off-peak season. I would suggest Agoda, of course, for a no-frills booking. This includes buffet breakfast. Where else do you find palace living as cheap as this? Only in Laos.
This is the Eye in
the Sky!
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Lotus flowers and Koi fishes inhabit this pond. |
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Hotel lobby surrounded by a pond and a garden |
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A fountain intermittently works at the facade of the palace-hotel grounds. |
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Front desk |
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Restaurant beside the front desk. |
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There are tables and chairs at the backyard of the hotel where you can spend your meal at a garden with a pagoda and animal sculptures. |
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Warm morning sun bathes this east-facing veranda. |
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My room at 203. |
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My veranda. Notice the door design and the unique lock system. |
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From my room, this hallway leads east to a glass lift. |
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At night, my beautiful veranda can get eerie. |
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The veranda facing the east which has a view of Sedone River. |
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A view of Sedone River |
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Sedone I Bridge. Just across the river is a quaint temple that people refer to as Wat Tsin, i.e. the chinese temple. Would I be able to see it up close? |
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The reclusive Wat Tsin from across Sedone River. |
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Wat Tsin |
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Statues of animals at the hotel's backyard |
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Restaurant tables at the backyard garden at night |
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A room at the 5th floor |
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Night view of the main highway, Route 13 at night. |
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Scale model of the palace now a hotel. |
6 comments:
Wow.What opulence and grandeur! Royals really lived well. Trust the hotel rolled out the red carpet for you and made you feel like a Prince.
@ Ram:
They were alright, but they didn't really roll the carpet, so to speak. They were too undermanned for that. LOL
a very elegant place! I wouldn't mind spending there a nice morning on the veranda!
Blog about life and travelling
Blog about cooking
definitely a place i would love to relax :)
http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in/
@ Ola:
I love the atmosphere of the place - plus the fact that it doesn't feel too touristy (not a bustle around the premises). :)
@ shooting star:
I agree. It's the perfect place for that. It's a lovely place to chill. :)
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