Hanoi Hotel Tips by lyrad

This hotel came highly recommended with many VT'ers giving glowing reports on it. Must say that I was disappointed not only with the state of the rooms, but also with the attitude of the staff during our three night stay here.

Room:
While the deluxe room was quite large and clean, it looked and felt old. The bed also had an incredibly uncomfortable sponge mattress that would sink on you if you stay in one position too long. I am quite a light sleeper and didn't have a good night's sleep in the room.

Service:
The attitude of some of the staff was also below expectations, particularly the girl manning the ODC counter on Saturday evening. She couldn't really help us with our request to book a tour to visit the Perfume Pagoda, instead asking us to come back the following day. The girl at the counter also wanted to charge us US$12 for the taxi pick up, claiming that petrol prices had increased. Luckily I had a print out of the email confirmation which clearly stated the rate at US$10.

All in all, while US$26 per night is rather cheap, I think that there are better accommodation alternatives available in the vicinity at more competitive rates.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 84.4.8243667
Address: 44 Hang Giay, Ha Noi, Vietnam
Directions: Old quarter
Other Contact: camellia44hg@vnn.vn

I didn't actually stay in this hotel, but it came highly recommended by the good people I met at Culi Cafe (read more about this in my food tips). This hotel just opened in September 2004, so it is pretty new and it is excellently located at the top of Hoan Kiem lake, just next to the old quarter. While it is a little more pricey than the average hotel in Hanoi, you will see from its website that you will be paying for better accommodation. I'll definitely be staying at this hotel the next time I'm in Hanoi!

For better rates, drop a mail to the guys at http://www.wideeyedtours.com/ and they'll give you a good price on a room here.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Address: 4 Ba Trieu, Hanoi
Website: http://www.zephyrhotel.com.vn

We didn't actually stay here, but my dissatisfaction with Phan Thai led us to check out the other hotels in the vicinity. Read about Viet Anh in the lonely planet and decided to check it out. The friendly staff agreed to let us have a look at their deluxe room and we found it much better than the ones at Phan Thai. While the room was smaller, the wooden decor made the room look a little more luxurious. It helped too that this hotel is relatively new, so the room looked in good condition. With rooms going at US$18 per night, we will definitely consider staying here next time around. Note however that you should book ahead to avoid disappointment, the hotel was packed in the time that we were there.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 84-4-9.261302
Address: 11 Ma May Str
Directions: Old quarter
Website: www.vietanhhotel.com
Other Contact: vietanhhotel@hn.vnn.vn

We put up at this hotel for half a day as we needed a place to rest and refreshen up after our train journey from Sapa and before our evening flight. This hotel had decent, clean rooms and friendly staff who let us check out the room before committing. Didn't really check out the full range of services, but they had a well-stocked travel library in the lobby with a number of guidebooks and travel magazines for guest use.

Note that there are a few hotels with the same name. The one we stayed in was along Hang Bac Street in the old quarter.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$20  » Currency Converter
Phone: (84-4) 9260322
Address: 39 Hang Bac Street
Other Contact: hongngochotel@hn.vnn.vn