Settha Palace Hotel
by the TopOfHotel team
Settha Palace is a bedroom inside a near-century-old French colonial building in central Vientiane — strongest on genuine period atmosphere and warm, family-style service rather than big-resort facilities.
Settha Palace is a bedroom inside a near-century-old French colonial building in central Vientiane — strongest on genuine period atmosphere and warm, family-style service rather than big-resort facilities.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a cream-coloured 1930s French colonial building standing in the middle of Vientiane's old quarter — tall wooden doors, Parisian shuttered windows, and wrought-iron balconies that look lifted from an old Indochine film. That's the first hit of charm at Settha Palace Hotel. The building went up in 1932, when Laos was still part of French Indochina, and a careful 1999 restoration kept nearly every original detail it could. Open your door and you meet ceilings close to 4 metres, Italian marble floors polished smooth enough to throw back a cool sheen, and dark-brown hand-made rosewood furniture that reads warm but luxe. The king beds wear dense linen, and brass bedside lamps cast a soft, wine-by-candlelight glow. Some rooms have a wrought-iron balcony opening onto the central tropical garden — step out and you get the smell of leaves and birdsong in the morning, which somehow feels far from the city even though you're dead-centre in Vientiane. Reviewers agree the rooms look like they fell out of the last century, yet stay clean and comfortable in the modern five-star sense.
Food and amenities
The heart of a stay here is La Belle Epoque, the ground-floor French restaurant named for the golden age of late-1800s Paris. Inside it's a dark-wood bistro — warm yellow light, white tablecloths, napkins folded with care. The menu runs classic French rather than hard fusion: foie gras, duck confit, butter-and-sage-baked fish, and creme brulee for dessert, paired with a wine cellar that's genuinely rare in Vientiane, with Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Italian bottles to choose from. Plenty of reviews call it the most memorable dinner of their Vientiane trip. Walk out into the central garden and you reach the garden pool, ringed by mature trees and sun loungers — quiet enough that you nearly forget the city outside, with staff drifting over with chilled juice and cold towels. The lounge has worn leather sofas, marble tables, and cocoa-wood panelling that feels like a colonial members' club; morning coffee or afternoon tea here is a small joy. The hotel also runs an airport transfer, a concierge who'll set up trips to Pha That Luang and Wat Sisaket, and free Wi-Fi throughout.
Location and getting there
The location is a dream for old-town lovers and walkers — the hotel sits in the heart of Chanthabuly, Vientiane's old French quarter, where the streets still follow the geometric grid French planners laid down nearly a century ago. Step out the door and you hit pastel colonial buildings, neat little cafes, and French restaurants tucked into old facades. Patuxay, Vientiane's Arc-de-Triomphe-style gate, is a 10-to-12-minute walk — climb to the top for a 360-degree city view. The Nam Phu fountain, ringed by cafes and bars, is even closer, a few minutes on foot and perfect for an iced coffee while you watch the street go by. For souvenirs, the morning market (Talat Sao) is a short ride, and key temples like Wat Sisaket and Haw Phra Kaew are an easy walk. From Wattay airport (VTE) it's about 15 minutes by car, and the hotel can arrange the transfer. If your plan is to spend the day exploring the old town on foot and then come back to a quiet garden swim, this spot scores a clean ten.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. The thing reviews flag most often is bathroom size and layout — this is a historic building restored from its original plan, so some bathrooms run smaller than the modern five-star standard, and a few have no separate tub or use an old-Europe shower-over-tub setup. If you want a big bathroom with a split shower and tub plus a rain head, make peace with the building's age. Second is in-room tech: the TV, remote, and outlets are simple in keeping with the building's era, not the sleek kit of a brand-new chain. Wi-Fi works well in the rooms and common areas but isn't as fast as a big-city hotel, so if you live on video calls, check the speed again before you commit. Third, dining and bar options in the hotel are limited — La Belle Epoque is the only restaurant, with no rooftop bar or several all-day-dining outlets the way a big chain runs. If you like variety on-site you may miss it; the flip side is that La Belle Epoque is very good and good restaurants in the area are all walkable. Finally, rooms facing the street out front can catch some traffic noise early and late — ask for a garden-facing room if you sleep light.
Our take
After reading through hundreds of real guest reviews, Settha Palace Hotel sells one thing better than almost any new-build in Southeast Asia: 1930s French colonial charm, warm family-style service, and a location in the heart of Vientiane's old quarter, all in one place. If the trip in your head is waking up in a high-ceilinged room over marble floors, walking out for coffee beside the Nam Phu fountain, exploring Patuxay on foot, coming back for an afternoon swim in a quiet tropical garden, and closing the day with dinner at La Belle Epoque in a Paris-bistro glow — this is about as well-matched as it gets, and it'll stay with you. If instead you expect a big resort with several restaurants, an oversized split bathroom, and the latest tech in every fixture, you'll need to accept the quirks of a near-century-old building. Overall we give it 9.1/10 — best for couples, comfort-seekers who love architecture with a story, and travelers drawn to a classic Indochine atmosphere that isn't skin-deep. From around $165 a night for a five-star city stay with this kind of experience, it's strong value in Vientiane.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The 1932 French colonial building was restored with real care in 1999 — keeping the high ceilings, genuine Italian marble floors, and hand-made Indochine-style rosewood furniture, for a period atmosphere you simply won't find in a new-build.
- The spot in the heart of the old Chanthabuly quarter puts you a 10-to-12-minute walk from Patuxay, close to the Nam Phu fountain and the morning market — ideal if you want to explore the old town on foot.
- With only 29 rooms, the staff learn guests' names, and review after review agrees the service feels warm and personable, from the concierge to the waiters to the front desk.
- The pool sits in a quiet tropical garden ringed by mature trees, so it feels more like a private villa than a city hotel — a few steps from the lobby and you've escaped the bustle entirely.
- La Belle Epoque serves classic French food with a wine cellar that's hard to find in Vientiane, in a dark-wood room styled like a Paris bistro; reviewers rate it one of the city's most memorable dinners.
- This is a historic building, so some rooms have bathrooms smaller than the modern five-star standard, and room layouts can be inconsistent because the original floor plan was kept. If you expect a big bathroom with a separate rain shower and tub, you'll need to make peace with the building's age.
- In-room tech matches the building's era — the TV, remote, and outlets are simple rather than cutting-edge, and while Wi-Fi works fine in the rooms and common areas, it isn't big-city fast. Anyone doing constant video calls should double-check speeds first.
- Dining and bar options inside the hotel are limited to La Belle Epoque alone — there's no rooftop bar or all-day-dining outlet like the big chains offer. On the flip side, the restaurant is excellent and good places to eat are all within walking distance.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Vientiane
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a second-floor room facing the garden — it's the quiet side, looking out over mature trees and the pool, and it dodges the street noise out front if you're a light sleeper.
- Book a table at La Belle Epoque ahead, especially for weekend dinners — seating is limited and travelers staying at other Vientiane hotels come to eat here too.
- Walk to Patuxay in the late afternoon when the sun softens (about 10 to 12 minutes), then stop on the way back at a cafe beside the Nam Phu fountain for a classic old-Indochine atmosphere.