Marriott International has entered Laos by bringing La Résidence Phou Vao, a 36-suite hilltop resort above Luang Prabang, into its Luxury Collection brand, making it the group’s 800th property in Asia Pacific excluding China, the company said on November 4.
The resort, now called La Résidence Phou Vao, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Luang Prabang, sits in three acres of gardens on Phou Vao hill about two kilometres from the old town. Marriott said it is the only hillside retreat within the town’s UNESCO World Heritage zone. Long one of Luang Prabang’s best-known hotels, it keeps its original architecture, gardens and hilltop pool, while its interiors, food and guest services have been reworked to Luxury Collection standards.
“Opening our 800th property in the APEC region is a proud moment that reflects the trust our owners and guests continue to place in Marriott International,” said Rajeev Menon, Marriott’s president for Asia Pacific excluding China. “Laos represents an exciting new chapter for us.”
Bruce Rohr, global brand leader for The Luxury Collection, called it “a storied hotel with an unmistakable sense of place”.
Dining is led by La Brasserie de la Résidence, a contemporary French brasserie, alongside a Lao tasting menu, while the Mekong Spa offers treatments based on Lao healing traditions and the hotel has a 13-metre cliff-edge infinity pool. Guest excursions include boat trips to the Pak Ou Caves, the Kuang Si Waterfalls and the Manifa elephant sanctuary.
Laos was among the countries tracked in the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index, in which neighbouring Vietnam posted one of the biggest gains.
The Luxury Collection, which began in 1906 under the CIGA brand, has more than 135 hotels and resorts in 41 countries and territories. Marriott International, based in Bethesda, Maryland, has more than 10,000 properties in 148 countries and territories.
