Kocmoc Ha Long

A handy place to stay for the night. It’s conveniently located, and it works for both budget travelers looking for hotels and people who want something more sophisticated.

The location was a real plus: Co Tien Lake is right across from the homestay, with the mountain behind it, and the Quang Ninh Museum, dolphinarium, town square, and a grocery store are all nearby. Trang Tron Yogurt is just 80m away, and I thought it was one of the best yogurt bubble tea shops, much better than Ha Long yogurt. There’s free parking across the street. To see the lake from your room, book one on the outer side. I called the owner after seeing some one-star reviews, and she was very helpful. I phoned about 15 minutes before arriving, and my room was ready for an early check-in. The place was clean and tidy, so much that my parents joked it felt like our own home. The price was reasonable for the area, and we got a room key and a gate key at check-in. I was surprised by how spacious the room was, comfortable for four rather than just two. A few things to know: there’s no elevator, so upper floors mean quite a lot of stairs. The first floor was a little cluttered with shoes and other things, which I think belonged to guests. Check-out is at 11 am, so plan around that.

I’m upset by how unprofessionally this was handled. I booked a room two weeks ahead, but only yesterday was I told a deposit was needed. No one had mentioned or requested one earlier. I immediately agreed to pay, then was told all the rooms were already booked. How does that make sense after a reservation made half a month in advance? I can’t help wondering whether older bookings are being cancelled so new ones can be sold at higher weekend prices. I chose your company because I’d read good reviews and trusted the service. Instead, this has been a terrible experience and left me feeling that customers aren’t respected. If things are this poor before arrival, I can only imagine what staying there would be like. I’m giving one star for the lack of professionalism and the very poor handling of the situation. I hope the company takes a serious look at its procedures if it wants to keep its credibility.

When we arrived, nobody opened the door, and although we had booked three rooms, none were available. The homestay looked more like a private house anyway. They sent us to Mekong Hotel, which looked like a rundown shack, but we weren’t allowed to stay there and didn’t get our money back. We also lost 400,000 VND. The owner seemed completely clueless. Everyone should avoid this place.