Just when the case of COVID-19 was rising in early 2020, I was traveling to Laos and I just happened to get sick in Vientiane that I ended up spending almost 2 weeks in quarantine at Sengphachanh Hotel 2 in Laos's capital city.
When I was in Pakse, I booked Sengphachanh Hotel 2 in Vientiane as I realized that the hotel offers the lowest rate compared to other hotels with the same facilities in the capital city. Well, just my luck since I got forced to extend my stay longer than I expected due to my sickness earlier this year.
Initially, I only booked a room at Sengphachanh Hotel 2 for 2 days, and I paid IDR 444,027 (around $31 USD) at the time. I honestly lost count on how many times I extended my stay and paid cash for it since I did it a few times after I got sick.
Let alone exploring Vientiane at night, I didn't even get a chance to go around the city in the daytime. Since I'm still yet to go back to Laos ever since, at this point I can't even tell you whether Vientiane is worth visiting just because I spent too much time there either at the hospitals (I went to two!), or in my hotel room at Sengphachanh.
I didn't even do any research before booking the hotel room, but I figure the hotel might not be located in a typical tourist area. But if you're looking for a budget-friendly hotel that offers an elevator and breakfast, this could be your go-to in Vientiane!
As I figure that we can use Uber-like application in Laos's capital city, LOCA, I used the app to get a taxi from the Vientiane bus station to the hotel. I spent LAK 60,000 (around $6.4) to get to the hotel.
My First Impression
Before we get deep into the Sengphachanh Hotel 2's review, just some heads up that this might be the lousiest hotel review that I'll ever deliver.
You see, I was sick during my stay there, and I'm lucky that I even got a chance to take a few pictures to show you in this post. I could've done better if I was healthy at the time, but I wasn't, so there we go!
I arrived at Sengphachanh Hotel 2 at around 9.30 AM since I reached Vientiane from Pakse at around 8 AM local time. At the time, I already felt a bit unwell, although I was still trying to think that my condition wasn't as bad.
The hotel was quite easy to find, and it took around half an hour to reach the hotel from the bus station. And when I got there, the building looked quite pleasant. Honestly, it looks way better than most hotels with an average $15 USD nightly rate.
The lobby is blended with the restaurant where they serve the breakfast for the guests, and the staff was friendly too, although none of them speak English. I tried my best to ask them to check-in early using Google Translator, and it was a success!
I could check-in early even though it was only around 9 AM. They still try to assist me in the best way they can do despite the language barrier, which is appreciated.
When I tried to find my room, it was a bit confusing as I strolled around the 3rd level of the hotel at the time, but I couldn't find my room number.
As it turned out, the hotel is actually quite big because there's some connecting aisle that goes to more areas in the building where my room is located. While the elevator is located in the corner, my room is in the other corner. Again, despite the language barrier that I faced with the hotel staff, they helped me out when I was in distress.
Standard Double Room at Sengphachanh Hotel 2
As I booked for the standard room, I think the room has everything I need for a room. They even have a small fridge that could let me put some food and beverage stock when I got sick.
And the room is quite spacious with a queen-sized bed, a phone that connects to the lobby (which I never use due to the language barrier, to begin with!)…
The only downside is that they don't seem to clean it up properly since around the shower, there was this rug soaking wet when I entered the room. I didn't bother about it much since I was feeling unwell at the time, and boy, who would have thought that things would just go downhill afterward?! LOL
The wet rug that they didn't clean up.
Other than the wet rug, everything else is acceptable. The room is quite spacious, even for me, who traveled solo at the time. There are chairs and a coffee table in one corner, and the other one is a makeup desk with a small fridge under it.
The wifi connection also works properly, so that I can work through my laptop when it's necessary. Despite being in the room all the time, I worked less as I got dizzy and everything, but I think the proper wifi connection is something that I appreciated at this hotel.
The Shower
Now that I mentioned how spacious the room is, the shower is actually quite spacious as well. Well, it's not big per se, but it's quite long.
The sink is a little way too small, though, and they'd probably do better if they add a mirror in front of the sink. But they don't have it in the shower in my room, so I guess it's the downside.
However, they have the water heater in the shower, so it definitely helps me during my self-quarantine at Sengphachanh Hotel 2 in Vientiane.
They only provide a soap bar at the shower, so you should bring your own toiletries if you plan to stay at this hotel in Vientiane. Other than that, everything functions properly so I don't have anything to complain about the room.
Apart from the hotel's location that might not be the first choice when it comes to a place to stay for travelers in Vientiane, I'd still recommend Sengphachanh Hotel 2 for what it's worth.
The shower.
The Breakfast
I stayed at Sengphachanh Hotel 2 long enough to find out whether they offer various kinds of the menu for breakfast or serve the same things every day. And the answer is the latter.
They serve the buffet breakfast every day, and I have to admit that the buffet breakfast looks quite appealing on the first few days, although I lost my tastebud due to my sickness at the time.
I can't really judge the breakfast menu's taste because of that, but for around $15 USD for a night, I think they offer so much!
On one side, they offer porridge with the other one is fried rice with some side dish options like vegetables and chicken.
For the dessert, they always serve sliced watermelon and cantaloupe every day, and I think it's more than enough to stay at a place with a budget rate that serves a healthy breakfast menu like that. I was quite impressed!
You can also DIY tea and coffee, although the waitress serves the water during breakfast. Come to think of it, the waitress always gives us water… Free flow!
Because whenever I come downstairs, even when it's not breakfast time, they always come to give me some water. And when I receive guests from the embassy, they also give them some water.
If there's anything I could tell about Sengphachanh Hotel 2 in Vientiane, it is that their hospitality is on point, and I'd totally recommend them for it!
The Final Verdict: Sengphachanh Hotel 2 Vientiane
I regret about many things, but I never regret that I booked my stay at Sengphachanh Hotel 2 in Vientiane, especially since I got forced to have a self-quarantine to recover myself from my illness in Laos's capital city.
The fact that I unintentionally had to extend my stay for a few days didn't break my bank either since the night rate is quite affordable for me to stay there for my quarantine period. Plus, they serve breakfast too.
(+)
The night rate is super affordable, and it didn't break the bank even though I had to extend my stay a few times because of the quarantine.
The hotel staff is super friendly and accommodating.
Their breakfast menu is on point! I could only imagine that I would have been probably more satisfied if only I was healthy and could eat properly at the time.
The room is spacious and it has everything you need for a room… Even for a quarantine. Definitely a good place to stay in!
(-)
They didn't clean up the room thouroughly… At least not the wet rug around the shower in my room when I checked in.
The hotel staff barely speaks English, so language barrier might be your challenge if you don't speak Lao. Although to be fair, I could only imagine this hotel might be ideal for domestic travelers in Laos.
The hotel location is a bit far from the major tourist attractions in Vientiane, so you need to either take the cabs or book a tuk-tuk to go around. I tried to stroll around when I felt unwell and it was a terrible idea!
Since I didn't get a chance to travel around Vientiane at all when I was there, I'm planning to come back… I'm not sure when with the current coronavirus situation, but I will. And if I do, I'll probably stay at Sengphachanh Hotel 2 again if budget is my concern.
Have you been to Vientiane? Do you have a favorite place to stay in Laos's capital city? Share your comment below, and cheerio! 🙂
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