In summary, we believe we were misled by this property, and the owner did not honour our booking.
We booked a Family Room for four persons for three nights (26–28 December 2025) via Trip.com. We also arranged an airport pick-up in advance with the property via WhatsApp.
Upon arrival at the airport, the pick-up went smoothly. When we reached the hotel, the staff were initially welcoming. They took copies of our passports but did not formally check us in. A female staff member then showed us a map of Luang Prabang, explained the location of the property, and recommended places to visit and dine. Everything appeared normal at this point.
Shortly after, we were introduced to the owner, who claimed to be Vietnamese and the owner of the property. He informed us that the Family Room had been oversold. Although the property advertises two Family Rooms, it became apparent that only one actually exists (as seen from the property layout and our own observations).
The owner then asked us to “do him a favour” by moving to another hotel, Nagara Villa, which he claimed he owned. We later discovered that Nagara Villa belongs to a different owner. He described the move as an “upgrade”, showed us photos of Nagara Villa (which later proved to be misleading), and offered to waive the USD 15 airport pick-up fee.
We clearly stated that:
• We did not want to move and would like to stay in the room we booked
• We specifically booked a Family Room, not two separate rooms (as offered at Nagara Villa)
• We did not require any waiver of the pick-up fee
Despite this, the owner continued pressuring us. I personally checked the Family Room located beside the lobby, which appeared vacant at the time. When I raised this, the owner insisted the room was already occupied and that the guests were out.
Left with little choice—especially given the peak travel season in December and uncertainty about finding alternative accommodation—we reluctantly agreed to move to Nagara Villa. While the actual owner of Nagara Villa were polite, the room and overall condition did not match the images shown to us earlier and fell well below our expectations.
Once we regained internet access at Nagara Villa, we immediately searched for alternative accommodation. Fortunately, we found availability at V Maison. To avoid being misled again, we visited the hotel in person to inspect the rooms. The staff were extremely helpful and transparent, and we booked two nights (27–28 December 2025) directly.
After staying one night at Nagara Villa (26 December), we moved to V Maison early the next morning. This turned out to be the right decision, and we were very satisfied with our stay there.
This was our first trip to Luang Prabang, and while we arrived with some expectations, Mekong Charm River View left us with a very poor first impression and a strong feeling of having been misled. We would not recommend this property to others. Travelers should be particularly cautious if considering the Family Room, as the property advertises two units but appears to have only one (please refer to the attached image).
