Satri House
Luang Prabang

Located in the heart of Luang Prabang, Satri House was built at the turn of the last century as a residence for the royal family (1904). Formerly the childhood home of Prince Souphanouvong, Satri House opened as a small boutique hotel in 2002 after a thorough refurbishment and renovation. The original house has been lovingly restored and carefully enlarged over the years, so there are now two houses interconnected by a weave of corridors.

As you would expect from a former royal residence, Satri House is an example of understated elegance; all white washed exteriors, dark wood shutters, green lawns and lush tropical gardens. Interiors manage to successfully combine contemporary aesthetics with traditional architecure and classic design to wonderful effect. Thanks to the efforts and vision of its creator, Satri House radiates eclectic taste to say the least as every item has been handpicked over the years to make the place feel intimate and homely.

Satri House has three room categories; Deluxe Room (which makes up for its lack of a bath with an outside area and a balcony), Junior Suite (home to a slightly bigger bathroom, including a bath), and Satri House Suite (which comes with arguably the most striking colonial-style furnishings). The boutique hotel’s 31 bedrooms have high ceilings and tasteful wooden furniture and antiques, and many come with atmospheric four poster beds romantically draped with mosquito nets. Facilities include an in-house restaurant serving predominantly Asian fusion cuisine, where guests can get a taste of local dishes in the comfort of their own hotel. There is also a scenic garden bar, tranquil library, and calming Bijou spa. A huge draw of Satri House is its beautiful outdoor swimming pool, where Panama hats are considerately placed upon each of the sun loungers – it’s little touches like these that we believe make this hotel special.

Its characterful beauty, quiet location and close proximity to the Mekong Riverfronts and night market (just a mere 10 minutes’ walk away) make this hotel a good choice for most, however we do not highly recommend it to those that would struggle with multiple steps – as there are many!

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson