The Holiday and Travel Magazine: VILLA SANTI HOTEL & RESORT

Monday 26 June 2017

VILLA SANTI HOTEL & RESORT - The dream of a dream villa

Santi Resort & Spa

On my first visit to Luang Prabang in Laos I was fortunate to stay at the Santi Hotel & Resort, where I enjoyed its rich history, luxury and tranquility with a touch of warm Lao hospitality and personalized service.

Luang Prabang is known as the crown jewel of South East Asia. It is situated where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers meet in Northern Laos. The city of Luang Prabang is filled with an ancient palace, many temples and charming French colonial style architecture which provides a backdrop to the timeless atmosphere of this former seat of kings. Luang Prabang was claimed by UNESCO as a World Heritage City in 1995

My room, top left, Santi Resort & Spa

The Santi Resort & Spa is located on the edge of Luang Prabang, about 15 minute drive from town center. The Resort provides a regular shuttle service to and from its sister hotel in the old town section of Luang Prabang.

The 67 elegantly designed rooms, Bungalows and Suites are on 12 acres of landscaped gardens and water features. I viewed mountains on the horizon, rice fields at my doorstep and canals of lotus flowers, creeks and waterfalls stretching through the sprawling serene landscape of Santi Resort & Spa.

My room at Santi Resort & Spa

My Deluxe Room of 30sqm was on the second floor of one of the many buildings scattered around the Resort. It had a wooden floor and was decorated with beautiful wooden furniture, featuring a king bed with mosquito netting (tho there were no mosquitoes inside or outside the room). It was surrounded by the lush greenery of the Resort.

A welcome bowl of tropical fruit welcomed me in the comfy room. Complimentary wifi internet was provided. A minibar, tea and coffee making facilities, and flat screen TV were in the room, which was made comfortable with air-conditioning.

There was an inviting marble bathroom with a shower and bathtub. My room like all the others, had its own private balcony, with mine offering garden and swimming pool views.

Swimming pool at Santi Resort & Spa

The Santi Resort & Spa offers a free form swimming pool, spa, steam sauna and gym. It was truly a place to unwind and rejuvenate at the end of each day I attended the Mekong Tourism Forum in town.

Each morning I ate breakfast in the Torseng Restaurant which overlooked the serene views of green tropical gardens, mountains and rice paddies. Unfortuantely I did not have the opportunity to dine in the evening with the sun setting over lotus ponds, so I missed out on enjoying their evening authentic Lao specialties and international cuisines.

I enjoyed swimming in the large blue freeform pool each day that was surrounded by the tropical greenery of the Santi Resort & Spa.

The Santi Spa delivers all aspects of wellness in an environment of tranquility; offering a wide range of treatments to leave you feeling restored, revived and inspired.

Santi Resort & Spa

Santi Resort & Spa offers the ideal venue for incentives, team building activities, meetings and conferences. The Resort offers an impressive range of indoor and outdoor event spaces. The Kinnaree Pavillion is beautifully nestled near a large pond overlooking the rice paddies and mountains, an ideal place for private dining or cocktail reception seating up to 30 guests. The Phikkaneth conference hall is equipped with latest audiovisual equipment and meeting technology including wireless connectivity seating up from 150 guests. For beautiful outdoor events, Poolside area and Garden area can provide the perfect settings seating up from 200 to 250 guests in banquet style.

Night Market at Luang Prabang

In my spare time when staying at the Santi Resort & Spa I was able to enjoy going to some of the nearby attractions in the old part of the town. The large Night Market is held each night in a closed off street. It offers an extensive collection of handicrafts, souvenirs and food. Mount Phousi is local religious site on a 100 metre hill in the centre of the old town. It has lots of steps to climb to the top! The Royal Palace Museum was once Lao’s Royal palace. It houses many interesting historical items. The Wat Xieng Thong or Golden City Temple is one of the most important of Lao monasteries and remains a significant monument to the spirit of religion, royalty and traditional art.