It’s not often that I get to stay at a new hotel, but the opportunity arose late last year. I had the chance to stay at the newly opened Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane. So new, in fact, that there was still construction work going on.
Even better, the stay was paid for with points. And let’s face it, using points to help pay for a holiday is always a good thing.
Location
The Holiday Inn is located in the city centre, next to the Crown Plaza, its IHG stable mate. This makes it about a 15-20 minutes’ walk to night market and night food market. So, not right in the action, but within walking distance.
Arrival and Checking In
The journey to Vientiane involved an overnight train from Bangkok to Nong Khai. That was followed by a border crossing and finally a taxi to the hotel. This is a long-winded way of saying I arrived well before the official check-in time.
Entering the hotel, the first thing I noticed was the spacious and open lobby area. The reception area was on the right toward the back. The lobby bar area was in front of the reception.
The lobby bar goes by the name of Hub, and it served a variety of drinks and snacks. By the look of the displays and menus, these included a choice of sweet and savoury treats.
As I said, we had arrived at the hotel rather early. So early, that we couldn’t check in. There was no problem – we were able to store our luggage at the hotel. Then, we headed out for a walk around the area.
On returning to the hotel, we were able to complete the check-in formalities. Keys in hand, it was time to head up to the room.
On entering the room, I discovered a nice little welcome amenity. This consisted of a range of local snacks, including a couple of Christmas-themed items. Altogether, quite tasty.
The Room
As this was a points booking, the room was a Standard room – in this case a King Standard. Overall, it was largely a standard fit-out that you get at a Holiday Inn. Like most hotels at this level, it is designed to be functional rather than fancy.
On feature I did appreciate though was the block-out curtains. I can’t count the number of hotels I have been in when there was light sneaking in somewhere. The good news is that the curtains here actually worked well. On the other hand, you can open the curtains and fill the room with natural light.
The bathroom consisted of a walk-in shower, wash basin, and so on. From amenities points of view, there are the expected items. The shower had shower gel, shampoo and conditioner in the pump packs that most hotels have moved to these days.
Dining
At the time of my stay, The Rosella Restaurant was the main restaurant at the hotel. Rosella is the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant and features a range of local and international fares.
This is where I started my days having breakfast. Breakfast was a buffet affair, offering a good array of options. I always like my eggs made to order, and this was an option for me here.
There was a label in the lift indicating a Chinese Restaurant, but it was nowhere in sight. I guess it’s behind some of the hoardings where work is still underway.
Hotel Facilities
Level 2 of the hotel features the Pool area and the Rise Fitness Centre.
Pool
When you feel the need to relax, the hotel has a couple of pools. The main one is an infinity pool. While it does have views across the city, it is actually undercover.
Gym
The Rise Fitness Centre is the name of the hotel’s gym. The spacious area set aside for the gym had a good variety of equipment. The area consists of a dedicated cardio zone and a weight training area,
While I did not partake, I was told that there is also a Yoga Room available in the centre.
IHG One Rewards
The Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane participates in the IHG One Rewards program. In fact, this particular stay was paid for by points. The cost for the room in this case was 15,000 points per night. Given the case price for the room was just over $US100 per night, this seemed a reasonable
Final Words
This was a two-night stay. It cost a total of 30,000 IHG One Reward points, or 15,000 points a night. All in all, it was a good stay at a new hotel. I will strongly reconsider staying there again if I find myself in Vientiane again.
