Hanoi Elpis Central Hotel

I was in a back room without a balcony, which worked out well because I couldn’t hear outside noise despite the busy area. The bed was soft, and the pillows were just right. The staff were lovely and helpful, I’ll miss them. The location was perfect for bars and restaurants in the old town. Only downside was no elevator, though it is a historic building.

Please don’t book here. The room smelled bad and didn’t look like the photos. When we went to talk to the manager, he was rude and argued with us. They wouldn’t give our money back. I got only an 80% refund from Agoda as compensation, even though we didn’t stay the night or use anything at the hotel. I was traveling with my two elderly mothers and my two-year-old baby, and they showed no concern. They just kept arguing. It was a bad experience.

The room was nice and the service was very good. The people working there were kind, but the hot water didn’t work. If you’re offered a top-floor room, decline it right away. Something there, maybe a water heater or air conditioner, makes a constant drilling or buzzing noise all night. Headphones, towels under the door and pillows wrapped around my ears didn’t block it. The city is already loud late into the night, and that’s the last thing you need if you’re a light sleeper.

The main problem was the room. It was small, poorly kept, much hotter than it should have been, and the air conditioner barely worked. It didn’t look anything like the pictures. We left quickly and were lucky to find space at the place we’d stayed earlier in the week, just a block away and about the same price, but much nicer. I wish I’d taken a photo. I wouldn’t book here; you’ll be disappointed. We arrived around 8:30pm after traveling from Ninh Binh. Nobody was at reception at first. We waited about five minutes, called “hello” several times, and eventually a young girl around 12-13 came to the desk. I assume she was there for her parents, who run the hotel. She photographed our passports, and we heard a man shouting down to her from somewhere. The hallway was piled with chairs, linen and furniture, with laundry and other things everywhere. It was a mess. We’d booked a month ahead but were given a walk-up room on the fifth floor. From the pictures, I’d thought there was an elevator. I don’t mind stairs in general, but after a long day it was a lot, especially the final flight, which was very narrow. The room was dingy. When we called out to return the key, the mother finally appeared and asked if everything was okay. It most certainly wasn’t. I understand it’s a cheap hotel, but we’d stayed nearby for a similar price and had a much nicer experience. I couldn’t reply to the hotel’s response, so I’m editing this post. I don’t object to a teenager checking us in, and I don’t object to climbing stairs. The issue was the whole experience. I had given them our approximate arrival time because we were taking a train from Ninh Binh, but we still had to wait and call out several times before anyone came to reception. The laundry and clutter were understandable if they’d had a flood. That part was fine. But they could have told guests when booking that things were in disarray because another hotel had flooded. From beginning to end, it felt like false advertising because the pictures were nowhere close to what we encountered. I’m looking at some of the reviews now, and it seems they may get friends or ghost accounts to post them. Some have only one review, and one fake review writes two reviews. Figures. This is a poor way to do business.