The hotel has a good location and the service was very good. The entire hotel reeked of cigarette smoke and no non smoking rooms available. No internet in the room. Free wifi at pool. Good gym. Good breakfast. Not 5 star

This is my second review of the Lao Plaza.

Location is excellent to restaurants and sites in town.

Staff is very friendly and helpful as ever.

Rooms? Well, they need to get rid of the two double beds pushed together to make a queen theme. It just gets old, especially after several stays over as many years. Furniture is haphazardly arranged and the bath is way too small. The rooms need to be redesigned and furniture replaced.

The hotel interior needs updating also. Wallpaper and carpets are dingy, marble would really lift the place up a bit, but I start to get the idea they should just tear it all down and start over as the property must be several decades old.

On a good note, the Internet access has improved to 3mbps if you're staying in the business rooms.

There are newer, better properties nearby but company agreements keep placing us here unfortunately.

I stayed in the "Presidential Suite" ... please! No president ever stayed in this place! The staff is so rude I finally video taped the front desk manager insulting the guests. In order to cash a travelers check or use your American Express the hotel charged $7 US for every $100 US received.
Maid Service was a joke ... that is when it actually occurred ... To get fresh towels it was necessary to throw the used ones out in the hallway ...
Nothing can prepare you for the all night disco on the street below that blast music nightly until 3:00 am... The "working girls" lingering in the parking lot is another story.
Unless you are planning to disolve a relationship or go insane stay away from this hotel from hell !!

I stayed in this hotel for one week on a business trip in September 2011.

When you enter the hotel, there is an air of calmness. The lobby area is cool and very spacious. The receptionists are attentive and some speak good English.

The hotel is well located in the centre of Vientiane and near many cafes, restaurants, and local tourist spots like the magnificent Cultural Hall.

The lounge in the lobby is comfortable, although it would be a lot better if smoking was banned. The seating is very comfortable.

The hotel has a Japanese restaurant which serves “authentic” Japanese cuisine. The food is delicious but very expensive.

The breakfast room was very nice. The variety of food on offer was very good. Breakfast is included in the price of the room.

The rooms were clean but looked dated and frayed at the edges. The size was perfect for my needs – neither too big nor too small. My room (number 421) looked out on to the Chao Anu Vong football stadium about 250 metres away. The stadium was used as a venue for some of the matches in an international Youth football tournament that was being held at that time. I believe that it is time the rooms were renovated and given a fresh new modern look. The bed was quite hard compared to beds in hotels in the West. I later discovered that this was the norm for beds in almost all hotels in Laos.

The charge for internet usage is on the high side. It would be a major plus point if the management considered providing free WIFI.

There was an outdoor swimming pool which was undergoing renovations at the time – so I did not use it.

It is officially listed as a “five” star hotel – but some aspects of the hotel struggle to meet that rating.

I would recommend this hotel for business persons. All the usual facilities are available. However, I believe that it will be quite expensive for the average tourist.

MAZ MANNAN 5th January 2012