Vientiane, Laos

Given that most sightseeing in Vientiane is conducted on foot or by bicycle, it helps to stay somewhere really central – and you don’t get much more central than the Salana. Situated just off the capital’s main shopping street, it’s an easy stroll from the temples, market, museums and riverfront.

The property itself is bright and modern, and rooms polished and spacious, especially the Deluxe options and suites, the latter boasting their own Jacuzzis in the bathrooms and views over the rooftops of the adjacent pagoda.

The real highlight here, though, is the 4-th-floor Sky Bar, whose windows afford sweeping views over the nearby Mekong.