Hanoi Emotion Hotel

The bathroom had a few problems: the water smelled strange, the exhaust fan didn’t work properly and left it musty, and the bathtub sat quite high, which could be risky for older guests or anyone with limited mobility. The AC was weak too, so I had to ask the front desk for a fan. Food and shopping also felt a bit far away. On the plus side, the room and bathroom were clean and spacious, the staff helped with requests, and the breakfast area was tidy with very fresh food. The hotel is in a quiet spot that made it easier to sleep. There’s even a shoe-cleaning machine in the lobby for rainy days.

Avoid this place. The beds were the worst I’ve had anywhere in Asia. Hot water was another problem: I had to switch it on 30 minutes before showering and still got only about two minutes of hot water. The walls are incredibly thin. I could hear every word from the connecting rooms, and the toilets barely flushed. There was no notice that the fridge water cost extra. I was told it was 40k dong, but when I handed over 50k, the price suddenly became 50k. It felt like an outright scam.

The rooms were nice, with roomy bathrooms and a bathtub, and the cleaning staff were kind. Dong Da itself is a pleasant area with good people and good food nearby. Still, after repeated mixed messages during my stay, I don’t feel I can trust this hotel and can’t recommend it. I’d been unwell for a few days, and each morning from breakfast time there was banging and drilling from hotel work. I understand repairs have to happen, but doing it later would have been better. At the very least, I wish they’d told me beforehand so I could book elsewhere. The noise was right next to me, especially awful one day, and hard to deal with when waking up with a migraine. Reception repeatedly got the stop time wrong. The whole room vibrated, and I could barely work. There was also confusion over breakfast pricing at check-in: the receptionist tried to charge 125k per day even though my Booking.com page said 50k. He let me pay the lower amount, but the situation was bizarre. The hotel restaurant only served breakfast, despite signs suggesting otherwise. That worked out okay since there’s lovely food nearby.

The room was clean and spacious, and the service was good. It’s a great base in Hanoï, within walking distance of the literature temple. Thank you!