Hanoi Charm Hotel& Spa

The only thing I can commend is the location. There are better, cheaper options around, and for the price this hotel isn’t worth it. It’s badly managed, with facilities that need renewal. The website pictures don’t match what’s there: scratches cover the walls, some places have mold, and walls are swollen from water infiltration. There seems to be a recurring overbooking problem, with guests reassigned to another hotel in the network nearby. We always saw lots of bags by reception when we came in, and other guests told us they’d had the same issue on arrival. It seemed to be standard practice. Cleanliness is also very poorly handled. There’s a sewer smell in some places, the sheets in our room were yellow from overuse, and after cleaning, staff left sheets on the floor for hours. The Wi-Fi was so bad in our room that we couldn’t use it properly and preferred cellphone 4G. Most of all, the rooms are VERY NOISY, with no kind of soundproofing in the hotel.

The balcony suite we booked for three nights had a constant sour, sewage-like smell in the bathroom. If we left the bathroom door open at night, the odor followed us into our sleep. There was mold around the sink and bathtub too, though that seemed minor beside the smell. Every balcony suite is beside the elevator and stairwell, and there’s no soundproofing at all. We slept badly every night. We raised it on night two, hoping the first night had been a one-off, but it wasn’t. Reception blamed us for not saying something on the first night. Their choices were another room of the same type on a different floor, still beside the elevator and stairs, or a quieter downgrade with no refund for the price difference. They wouldn’t allow early checkout or a refund, and called us unreasonable when we turned those options down. The manager was just as unhelpful, politely repeating the same refusals with a practiced sorry-but-not-sorry tone. Eventually, they said we could get a partial refund only if we accepted the downgrade, so we had no choice but to do that. After we left a 1-star Google review and contacted Agoda, reception said we wouldn’t get the refund unless we removed the review. Very hospitable of them. At checkout, the manager claimed we’d asked Agoda for the refund, which we hadn’t, and tried to send us back to them. We insisted and showed our payment receipt before we finally got it. This hotel seems more interested in wearing guests down until they give up than in hospitality. And yes, it’s a 4-star hotel. One star for the location, and one for the staff who helped with our luggage and booked a massage on the first night. Everything else, avoid. P.S. If you’re curious, try booking the second-floor balcony suite and see for yourself.

The breakfast had a really good selection, and Paula from customer service was top notch. My husband had asked for flowers and a romantic setup on the bed, and the staff made it happen. It was lovely and made us feel truly welcome and cared for. Everyone we met, including the housekeepers, was smiling and helpful.

Lincoln, the hotel manager, made us feel welcome as soon as we arrived. He suggested good, affordable places to eat, and we loved Met! When we had an issue with our booking, he dealt with it promptly and went well beyond what we expected. Paula was also a big help with our itinerary, arranging bookings and tours and suggesting things to see that wouldn't be too demanding for tourists.