Let me be frank. Of all southern Lao big cities (Paksane, Thakhaek, Savannakhet, Pakse), I liked Savannakhet the least. It's the biggest city of the four. But it has absolutely no special charm and no personality. Pakse is more charming and then Thakhaek and Paksane. In Savannakhet we stayed at Hotel Daosavanh. It was nice and had a nice swimming pool, the rooms were clean with TV. The breakfast had a lot of choice and was very excellent. Thakhaek had absolutely breathtaking surrounding mountains and caves. A lot of westerners stayed there. You have to book well before arrival.
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotel_Review-g811038-d2020542-Reviews-Phonepaseud_Hotel-Savannakhet.html
