Houay Xai Laos – Best Value Guesthouses and Hotels

As Houay Xai is a border town, there are a number of hotels and guesthouses available. One thing to note is that people usually use Houay Xai as a place to stay overnight before moving on.

What to expect

With this in mind, many of the accommodation options here are in the budget bracket and are made up of hostels and guesthouses which are a place to crash before traveling elsewhere in the country. If you are looking for high end choices therefore, then you will struggle to find anything suitable in Houay Xai. One good thing about the town however, is that you get some seriously good deals here and many guesthouses will offer you a simple room for a little as USD 5.

Budget

When it comes to budget choices however you can easily get a room for USD 6 per night at spots like the Friendship Guesthouse which is located in the centre of town. This guesthouse has single or double rooms with private bathrooms and hot water. There is also a rooftop balcony where you can enjoy panoramic views across the city and over to the Mekong River.

Another choice is the BAP Guesthouse which has rooms for USD 10 per night which are also equipped with a private bathroom. There is also Wi-Fi throughout the guesthouse and they have a minivan which will take you to neighbouring Luang Namtha which is the largest town next to Luang Prabang and can be a good place to break your trip if you are moving on from Houay Xai. The minivan costs USD 10 and is a convenient addition to the services offered by the guesthouse.

Also popular is the Oudomphone Guesthouse which is located in town and has double bed rooms which are very clean and modern. These come with hot showers and usually cost around USD 10 per night. They also have a nice onsite restaurant where you can get some cheap local bites and international dishes, and there is also a small souvenir shop here if you want to pick up some mementoes of your trip.

If the Oudomphone Guesthouse is full, which is unlikely in Houay Xai, then you can try the Sabaydee Guest House which is located across the street and has standard double and twin rooms which come with fans or air conditioning. These also come with Wi-Fi although you may need to use this in the lobby as the signal in Houay Xai can be notoriously weak inside hotel rooms. In the low season you can get rooms here for around USD 6 and around USD 10 in the high season.

Support the local community

For something a little different, you can try Daauw Home which is made up of small wooden bungalows. These come with a shower and toilet and have pretty terraces which have hammocks that make the perfect spot to relax in the evening.

If you are really looking for a different experience, then they also have a tent onsite that you rent instead of a bungalow. This guesthouse is also located a little outside of town on the side of a small hill which makes you feel like you are surrounded by the lush foliage for which this part of Laos is famous. Rooms are between USD 6 and USD 10 per night. You can also take in the views over the Mekong from the guesthouse and the profits of the business go towards Woman Empowerment Activities for the ethnic minorities in this part of Laos. This means that this is a good choice if you want to support the local community as part of your stay in Houay Xai.