As a travel hacker, I loathe spending cash for something when I can use points instead.
That being said, there are certain instances where paying cash for a hotel stay can make a lot of sense.
That brings me to the Crowne Plaza Vientiane in Laos.
Although I could have used points or a free night award to book my stay, I opted to pay cash for a Club Room just so I’d have access to the Crowne Plaza Club.
But was that a smart move?
Review: Crowne Plaza Club, Crowne Plaza Vientiane
Click here for the full review on the Crowne Plaza Vientiane
Image: ihg.com
Location
The Crowne Plaza Club was located on the hotel’s second floor.
Entrance
There was a small front desk at the entrance to the lounge where guests were required to check-in.
The Lounge Area
There were two main seating areas in the lounge, the “lounge area” by the television, and the “dining area” closest to the kitchen.
The lounge area was attractively decorated and comprised of comfortable furniture, warm lighting, and an interesting library.
Image: ihg.com
Image: ihg.com
The Zohar? You don’t see that everyday
The Dining Area
Next to the lounge area was the dining area.
This area was open and spacious and set before a large window with a view of the construction of the soon-to-be neighboring hotels.
Image: ihg.com
Image: ihg.com
The Kitchen Area
The third section of the Crowne Plaza Lounge was the kitchen area, where guests were free to grab their choices of drinks, pastries, fruits, and desserts.
Image: ihg.com
I was told the construction outside the window is for another IHG hotel property.
Cocktail Hour & Dinner
We arrived for cocktail hour (as you can see by the expertly made Long Island Iced Teas below), with every intention of perhaps getting a little buzzed before heading out to try some of the local Lao food downtown.
Well, two Long Island Iced Teas drinks (each) turned into four Long Island Iced Teas (each) and by that time we had gotten into a long conversation with the wonderful women working at the lounge who were giving us pointers on things to do in Vientiane.
They convinced us to stay for the dinner service before heading out for the night, and recommended we try the “Beef Wellington” and the “Lemon and Chili Crusted Shrimp Fettuccine”.
Well, turns out they knew what they were talking about. The meals were both excellent.
The Beef Wellington and the Lemon and Chili Crusted Shrimp Fettuccine (Oh, and 4 Long Islands)
Breakfast
After a long night out, we needed coffee. Badly.
We returned to the lounge for some excellent dark coffee and a wonderful breakfast.
I ended up going with the Salmon & Eggs Benedict Sandwich, and it was delectable.
The Salmon and Eggs Benedict Sandwich
The View From The Club
Sunrise in Vientiane
The Bottom-Line Review: Crowne Plaza Club, Crowne Plaza Vientiane
Not only was the Crowne Plaza Club one of the best lounges I had visited in Asia (and that’s saying a lot), it was probably one of the better lounges I had visited anywhere in the world.
The club lounge was just excellent. The service staff were incredible (and friendly), the food was absolutely delicious, and the drinks were expertly crafted.
The bottom-line: Did we make the right call splurging on a Crowne Plaza Club room? Absolutely.
Highly Recommended.
