MyBanLao

Set into a colonial-era compound once used as CIA headquarters during the 1960s, MyBanLao stands beside Vat Manorom, some 500 metres from Luang Prabang's night and morning markets. The building once belonged to General Ouane Rattikone, commander of the Royal Lao Armed Forces, and its original colonial structure has been kept rather than replaced. Eight buildings hold 60 rooms across five types, from 32 to 52 square metres, furnished with hardwood Laotian pieces and each with its own bathtub. The Embassy Suite occupies the former CIA quarters. It has a king bed and an open jacuzzi tub. Outside, the pool runs the longest course of any in Luang Prabang, with a shallow children's zone and a deeper lane reaching 1.7 metres. A bank of 120 solar panels covers the main roofs and parking area, generating up to 160 kWh a day and cutting the hotel's monthly carbon output. Behind gate one, a small sanctuary shelters 40 to 50 turtles and tortoises across eight species, fed three times a week on a diet suited to each. Guests can walk to the markets or take the hotel's electric shuttle into town. Bistro 1960 serves French and Laotian cooking; Café 1960 keeps a Parisian pastry counter. A spa, sauna and hot tub sit within the grounds, alongside a small gym.