One Tree Guesthouse is a place run by a Chinese owner, so do not be surprised to find an entirely Chinese environment here. The interiors and decoration as well as the majority of the guests are from China as well. While the place itself is definitely pleasant, the amount of strict rules and the pay-for-everything-you-touch policy make it hard to lay back and enjoy your time here. Moreover, the owner applies a very exaggerated exchange rate, benefitting from the fact that most booking platforms quote your price in dollars.
The Location
The hostel is situated about twenty minutes' walk from the center of Luang Prabang, which counts as quite a lot here, as most hostels are right in the middle of the historic centre. It can be a good bet after a long bus journey or before leaving though, as it is quite close to the bus terminal. An advantage of the hostel's location is that it is in a residential area so it is really quiet at night. However, you will not have the same selection of restaurants and eateries as you would elsewhere.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The biggest part of the hostel is taken up by the dorm, but there are a few private rooms available as well. The dorm room is advertised as a six-bed dorm, but it offers a pretty unique arrangement; it has six bunks inside, but all of them only have mattresses on the lower bunk, while the upper level is available for storing your personal items. One Tree Guesthouse is one of the few hostels in Laos to offer curtains around the beds and they are nice and dark as well, but surprisingly only cover three sides of the bed, so if the light is turned on, it is not going to help you. The beds also have reading lamps and individual electronic sockets as well as a little basket where you can place smaller personal items. You can ask for a key to one of the lockers free of charge as well. The dorm has a nice balcony with a few futons outside. On the downside though, if there are not enough people staying, the owner refuses to turn on the air conditioning and the fan is blocked by the upper bunk. Therefore, the heat inside becomes almost unbearable. Moreover, there is only one bathroom for the entire hostel, which means that you should be ready to queue whenever you need the toilet or the shower. You will also have to pay to use the towels provided by the hostel. The floor of this is always flooded and it is uninviting and old.
Common Spaces
The common spaces are quite nice and ideal for socialising. On the ground floor, there is a space with futons, colourful pillows and a low table in the middle. There are more tables outside and a pagoda with two more futons is at your disposal as well. There is a kitchen in the hostel but you will have to pay to use it. While water is available free of charge, unlike most hostels in the area, this place does not offer free breakfast.
Summary
While One Tree Guesthouse is a decent choice with its modern and upbeat interiors inside a beautiful old historic building and the dorm is quite spacious and comfortable as well, you might feel -- as you may often be the only guest -- that you are under constant supervision here by the greedy and unpleasant owner.
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Sadly, this hostel has closed.
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How is One Tree Guesthouse rated?
One Tree Guesthouse Reviews
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+4
JudyM
Hostelz.com Staff Reviewer
Published on Jun 18, 2019
Location and Contact
Location
• You can take tuk-tuk or mini van to One Tree Guesthouse from everywhere. If the drivers don't know where the guesthouse is, you can tell them to go to UXO or Sofitel Hotel first. Then you can easily find tue guesthouse is behide UXO (only 5 meters) and beside Sofitel Hotel (only 10 meters).
• For more details, pleaese contact the property directly. You can find the information in your booking email.
Facilities and Amenities
Family-Friendly Hostel
Solo Traveller
Bedsheets
Parking
Wi-Fi in Lobby/Commons
Bike Rental
City Tours
Lockers in Lobby
Luggage Storage
Towels
Air Conditioning
Cable TV
Currency Exchange
Entirely Non-Smoking
Gameroom
Hot Showers
Lounge Area
Movie Library/Rental
Credit Card Payments
Lockout: Yes
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