Halong Plaza Hotel

The location was good and the staff were friendly and helpful. The lady playing music was beautiful and charming. But the room smelled terrible, and I couldn't find the switch to turn the lights off, so it was hard to sleep with the lights on and that awful smell. The blanket and pillows were damp and dirty. They felt like they hadn't been washed and dried after the previous guests.

The breakfast buffet was excellent, and the hotel is nice with friendly staff. But the phone system didn't work, so I couldn't call room service or the front desk. There were only two towels for two guests, and I ordered clear sparkling wine but was served red instead. I wasn't happy about that. They apologized for the wrong bottle, but gave no refund. The hotel isn't willing to compensate guests for its mistakes, so fair warning. Those issues kept me from giving more than three stars, even though check-in itself went smoothly.

You'll be very comfortable here. The hotel is modern, very comfortable, and conveniently close to the piers for Ha Long Bay tours, with a beautiful view of the island across the way. It may not be new. There's an on-site restaurant and bar, and they take cash and credit cards. Some staff speak a little English. The rooms are large, with blackout curtains, a firm but comfortable bed, enough linens and pillows, and extra comfortable chairs. There's a desk and chair with an outlet for work, plenty of other electrical outlets, and Wi-Fi that seems adequate for business audio and video streaming, and probably gaming. Some of the space could be used better. Tea, coffee, a hot pot, and two small bottles of drinking water are provided. Other items, including chips and bottles of liquor, will be charged if opened. The TV mostly has local channels. The closet has hangers, slippers, and a robe, and there is a safe in a cabinet and a mini-fridge. The roomy bathroom has a shower and tub, basic toiletries, good hot water, toilet paper, and a butt-gun.

There's a great view of the bay, and the front desk staff were pleasant and very accommodating. They let us park our motorcycles in a sheltered area. Breakfast was quite acceptable, though I found very few places in Vietnam with decent tea.