Tan An Palace

The hotel had been open for less than a month when I visited, and its newness shows in both the upscale furnishings and the operation. The marble floors and crown molding look luxurious, but the place is in a less-known area, and one side faces thousands of old car tires, which isn’t a pleasant view. There are lots of little build issues: doors are noisy and awkward to open or close, chairs squeak loudly when moved, and the sink faucet can splash you. The service also seems inexperienced. There was only one receptionist, who would leave the lobby unattended to escort guests to rooms. There were no bell staff, so we carried our own bags. Cleaning missed details too, with dust on the outward-facing furniture corners, mildew starting in the vanity and shower corners, and hard-water marks on the shower glass. Breakfast was fine, though the variety was about half what you’d find in bigger city hotels like those in Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh City. Checkout was odd as well. You bring the keys to the lobby, then the receptionist leaves it unattended to inspect your room for anything missing or damaged, and comes back to finish checking you out.