Ammata Guest House

Nice Guest house but over priced. January 2008

It would appear that since appearing in the Lonely Planet they have put their prices up from $15 to $35.

Our experience.

They offered to pick us up from the Airport(at an additional price - we had no problem with that) but they did not arrive. No big deal.

On the second night, we stayed seven, the room above ran the Air Con until 3am which made quite a lot of noise. The nights are cool but we thought it appropriate to have a word with the management and the owner to see if they could ask the guests to maybe switch it off before midnight as it kept us awake. Two nights later the same thing. We understand that you can't control what other guests do but we are sure the owner/manager were just not interested.

Two days before we left we asked them to arrange bus tickets for Vientiane (They have all these notes around the building saying they arrange bus tickets for an additional price). I gave them more money than was required and a little while later they told me because I was paying in $US it would be a couple of dollars more. I had no problem with this as I was looking for the convenience of their purchasing the tickets for us. The next morning the manager came to me and gave me my money back and said he couldn't help us. I thought this was a bit slack, 24 hours before we are due to get on the bus, and no excuse. I walked up to the main street and on my return my wife couldn't believe I was back in 15 minutes with reserved bus tickets.

Then later on that day I asked them to make the account up and I would pay it early as we were to leave the next morning. I was told by the manager the room price is $35. I said that this can't be correct as I booked from Australia by e-mail and the owner said it was $35 upstairs and $30 down stairs. I think he went and checked with the owner and came back later and told me I was right.

One good point is they offered to cook sticky rice for us (small charge)so we could give alms to the monks.

Beds were also a bit hard but this is common is Asia.

Overall a disappointing experience.

Would we stay there again? No there is better value elsewhere.

I'll just add that I think for those prices you would have to also expect a fridge, TV and security box.

Ahfoo Melbourne Australia

PS The baguettes in Luang Prabang are to die for, but not in Vientiane