Cat Ba Green Pearl Hotel

Tony is the best!!!! He’s friendly and always smiling. He organized us a great boat trip and a bus back to the mainland on the same day. We’re really happy.

The pancakes at breakfast were amazing, and the place itself was lovely. The owner was really helpful and arranged our transport from here to Ninh Bình. It arrived on time and everything went smoothly. Just note, the bus stops at a very expensive shop, so don’t buy anything there.

Toni was the one good part of a stay we had to cut short. He came over right away, listened, offered another room, and let us cancel without a fee when that room smelled even worse. He was kind and professional throughout, and clearly tried to help, but the underlying problems felt much bigger than he could fix. The first room had mold across much of it: on the bathroom surfaces, inside the pillows, and even on a lamp. The pillowcases were partly dirty, and while those could have been changed, the moldy pillows were not acceptable. There was also heavy dust on the lamp, outlets, and higher spots, as though they had gone uncleaned for months, although the table and other larger surfaces looked cleaner. The room had initially been aired out and smelled strongly of chlorine or cleaning products. After we came back from kayaking around 9 PM, the mold odor was overwhelming. We left late that night and found another hotel. We know standards can differ across Southeast Asia and have stayed in many hotels in the region without being especially demanding. This went beyond what we could accept for health reasons. If it were only a matter of cleanliness, we might have let it go given the low price, but the pervasive mold, smell, and pillows made that impossible. The Booking photos also don't reflect what the hotel is actually like. The building needs serious renovation, and I can't recommend staying here in its current condition.

Tony, the manager, was really helpful. After we arrived on a sleeper bus, he got us an early check-in and breakfast, which was much appreciated. The hotel also arranged a day out in the bay, and can sort out plenty of other trips. It's a nice little place, near everything but still quiet. Recommended!