Rosewood Luang Prabang Celebrates The Rich History And Traditions Of Laos In Its Timeless Design Aesthetic

“The affluent explorers who made their way to Luang Prabang a century ago would have been fȇted and offered every comfort by the European hosts who lived there and we want to echo that experience,” “Our design approach at Rosewood Luang Prabang supports the same genuine hospitality and personal experiences of discovery within a truly magical setting.”

Elias Pertoft, the resort’s managing director

Each individual villa and suite features décor and objets that reflect a past era. A guest of the day might have been surrounded by vibrant illustrations and newspaper clippings of the day; an intrepid traveler could have possessed the latest Kodak cameras, the leading-edge technology at the turn of the 20thcentury; the sports enthusiasts among the visitors may have appreciated a croquet set from the year 1900, since female French Olympic athletes competed in the sport at the Games that year.

“We took great care to source original artefacts, paintings and illustrations for each individual room, by combing through Parisian flea markets, antique stores and vintage-ware collections,” “It was important for us to capture how the travelers of the time were hosted and made to feel at home.”

Bill Bensley, the chief designer of Rosewood Luang Prabang

Touches of traditional tribal themes also dot the property, with luxury tent and spa villas reflecting the heritage and craft of various Laotian ethnic groups. This includes elegantly translated designs from the Lisu, Mhong, Akha, Lahu, Palaung and Mien people; the indigo and denim-colored tent villas are hand-painted with the vibrant patterns that are distinct to each of these hill tribes. The result is a seamless and effortless harmony between turn-of-the-century architecture and modern interpretations of traditional tribal motifs.

The transition between indoor and outdoor living is an important consideration for all accommodations. Luxury tented villas have been built on stilts, a deliberate move to preserve the forest floor’s unique flora and fauna and open the rooms to treetop breezes. All rooms are bordered by a stream or riverbank and each has a unique configuration and design, to cater for individual preferences.

A lush garden was conceived to complement the natural greenery. This organic garden, which supplies fruits, vegetables and herbs for the restaurant and bar, is an extension of Luang Prabang’s hilly landscape and forager-tribe culture. In addition to the garden of edible produce, there is a botanical garden conceived by Bill Bensley for guests to discover the species and blooms that fascinated travelers from long ago.

Rosewood’s A Sense of Place® philosophy and importance of being at one with nature also extends to the dining experience at Luang Prabang. For example, the Elephant Bridge Bar hovers above a river so that guests enjoying drinks on its verandah are able to feel the power of the flowing water beneath them. Here they can imagine what it must have been like when herds of wild elephants roamed the forest and crossed the same stream ages ago – Luang Prabang was the 14th century capital of the Kingdom of Lan Xang, the “land of a million elephants,” and elephants remain deeply culturally significant in the country to this day.