Dung Lien Hotel

The room and breakfast were disappointing: the rooms didn't look as nice as the photos, and breakfast was pretty bad and simple. I'd give the hotel 3 stars for those, but the customer service was amazing, worth 5 stars. The staff arranged a taxi from the ferry, a cruise and pickup from the hotel, a scooter rental, and all our travel to Hanoi. Their service felt comparable to a luxury 5-star hotel. Thank you for all the help!

The room and breakfast were okay, and the location was very good, close to lots of restaurants and shops. What really deserves praise is the service. Linda was always reachable and booked everything for us, from a private island ride to a bus to Sapa on our final day. It was comparable to a 5-star hotel.

The building is older and the bathrooms are a bit dated, but the place is worth the price. The beds were clean, and the pillows, mattresses, and blankets in my room seemed brand new. After our long night on a sleeper bus from Sapa, Linda let us check in at 7am. She also gave us detailed directions for touring the island ourselves by motorbike, saving us the cost of a guided tour. She booked all our buses and shuttles too, and it was the first time our shuttle travel in Vietnam had gone seamlessly. Thanks for making us feel welcome on Cat Ba Island, Linda!

The location is about a 10-minute walk uphill from the center of town, but we didn't find it much of a hassle. The rooms were lovely, the breakfast buffet was great, and the staff stayed helpful throughout our stay, starting with lots of tips about things to do on the island when we checked in. The hotel was amazing, and I'd definitely recommend it.