Hoan Kiem Lake Hostel

For a 2-star hotel, it does the job if all you need is somewhere to sleep, keep your things, and shower. I spent most of my days out anyway. The AC faces the bed, though, and having it blow on you for a long time could make you sick. Turning it off wasn’t much of an option in Hanoi’s hot, humid summer, so I had to figure out how to avoid the direct airflow. Also, staff should’ve mentioned that the water in the room wasn’t free. I assumed a bottle was included.

The staff were quite helpful, but there’s no lift and the staircase is very steep. I was on the second-from-top floor, working with my headphones on, when some random guy opened my door. He apologized and quickly shut it, but there’d been some commotion beforehand. Since my room was only two floors from the top, it felt to me like he might have been trying to steal something. Someone attempting that probably wouldn’t climb higher than necessary, and if you’re on the top floor you’d know whether you were there. The dodgy bloke looked surprised to find me inside. 😂

There’s no elevator, so getting up to the 3rd or 4th floor is a real struggle. I wish I’d known. The AC was too weak, the telephone was broken, and the room wasn’t soundproof. I don’t think I’ll come back.

I stayed at the hotel for a year, from 2015 to 2016, and had many friends there. Now that I’m back working in Ha Noi, I tried to visit last night, but it seems to have become a restaurant. Is that right?