Rosewood Luang Prabang opens today as an ultra-luxury escape within an idyllic hilltop forest just 10 minutes’ drive from the historic city of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The exclusive and charming resort features 23 guestrooms and provides a unique vantage point to appreciate this rich destination through the lens of the first tented villa concept and the second Southeast Asia resort for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts®.
Located at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, Luang Prabang is known for its well-preserved French colonial architecture and IndoChinese villas, monk communities and gilded temples, rich historical significance, French and Laotian cuisines, and mesmerizingly serene pace of life.
“Rosewood Luang Prabang is exotic, intimate and deeply respectful of the destination’s culture, history and natural setting,” says Sonia Cheng, chief executive officer of Rosewood Hotel Group. “This unique property is not only a wondrous expression of our brand’s A Sense of Place philosophy, but also marks a key milestone for our group and its Southeast Asia expansion.”
One-of-a-kind Suites, Villas and Tented Villas
Centered around a natural waterfall and river or elevated amongst the treetop foliage, the 23 uniquely designed accommodations range from Riverside Rooms, and Riverside Suites that are more than 90 square meters in size, to secluded Riverside Villas, Waterfall Pool Villas and luxury Hilltop Tents.
Bill Bensley and BENSLEY design studio modelled the property on the concept of a Laotian hill station from the turn of the 20th century, in which a grand and gracious home of a French host would be opened to intrepid adventurers and curious travellers from diverse walks of life who managed to make their way to this magical corner of the world.
The resort’s luxury 75-square-meter tented villas, a first for Rosewood, are situated on a secluded hillside and were sensitively built to preserve the site’s unique flora and fauna, meld with the environment and bring guests closer to nature. Each feature oversized balconies with mountain and river vistas and are adorned with distinctive ethnic patterns dedicated to a specific Laotian hill tribe lending a closer understanding of indigenous folkways.
Tented Spa Villas with Traditional and Holistic Wellbeing Programs
Treatments at Rosewood’s signature Sense, A Rosewood Spa combine time-honored Laotian healing remedies and Western techniques, performed in three individual tented villas overlooking the river. All therapies draw from nature to support life and healthy living and experts help guests select native herbs, plants and fruits from the resort’s organic garden for use in tailored, bespoke services that resurrect the “Lost remedies” of Laotian healing practices.
In addition to a menu of mind and body therapies, all-day, holistic experiences and retreats are offered.
Leisure and Dining Amidst Natural Splendor
The resort’s swimming pool is ideally situated in the center of the resort, adjacent to a natural waterfall, in the forest-enveloped setting. Guests can take a refreshing swim and relax on sunbeds or in tented cabanas with oversized day beds, while enjoying the tranquil setting and the relaxing sound of the cascading water nearby. Alternatively, guests can always try their hand at a leisurely game of pétanque or croquet in the lush gardens.
Dining at Rosewood Luang Prabang delves deep into the rich Laotian food culture and chefs place utmost importance on locally sourced and seasonal foods. The Great House offers indoor seating and an open-air terrace with large daybeds and sofas overlooking lush gardens and waterfall, while The Elephant Bridge Bar specializes in cocktail classics with an indigenous twist and overlooks a picturesque river.
Tailor-made Experiences
Rosewood Luang Prabang is conceived as an atmospheric and convenient home base to either retreat or explore.
“Our property sets a new dimension for guests to discover the poetry of Luang Prabang — its natural beauty, spirituality and way of life,” says Elias Pertoft, managing director of Rosewood Luang Prabang. “We are dedicated to hosting our guests in highly personalized fashion, to help them experience all Luang Prabang has to offer, both on and off-property.”
With myriad bespoke experiences available exclusively at the resort, guests may immerse themselves in the rich Lao culture in many forms. They can uncover the traditional crafts and way of life of diverse ethnic hill-tribes and rural farming communities; explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang with a guided walk through the atmospheric mix of historic mansions, Laotian architecture and ancient temples; or enjoy a multitude of experiences of the Mekong river life that has sustained the civilization for centuries.
Guests are invited to embark on a journey of discovery with a specially curated “Ancient Wonders of Laos” introductory offer. The package includes riverside accommodations with daily breakfast for two at The Great House, an indulgent 60-minute Sense spa experience, as well as memorable personalized excursions, including up-close encounters with majestic elephants, a magical cruise along the meandering Mekong river and a tour of a traditional weaving village in the Laotian mountains. Additional benefits include luxury round-trip airport transfers and more.
About Rosewood Hotels & Resorts:
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts® manages 23 one-of-a-kind luxury properties in 14 countries, with 16 new hotels under development. Each Rosewood hotel embraces the brand’s A Sense of Place® philosophy to reflect the individual location’s history, culture and sensibilities. The Rosewood collection includes some of the world’s most legendary hotels and resorts, including The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas and Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel in Paris, as well as new classics such as Rosewood Beijing. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts targets to double its number of hotels in operation by 2020.