LANHA Hotel - Homestay

The local market is right in front of the homestay, so we bought fresh fruit and bread every day. It was all tasty. We also preordered sticky rice and Vietnamese rolls for breakfast one morning, and they were delicious. The shared kitchen and free drinking water were handy, the hot water worked perfectly, and there’s a free self-service laundry area. You can rent an iron for 50,000 VND an hour. It all felt like good value. The place itself was quiet, clean, and cozy, and Deci and Kevin were attentive and ready to help. The area felt very safe even at night, and the locals were kind. It’s a 10 minute ride to the Old Quarter, which made exploring Hanoi easy. Thanks to Lanha for making my first trip to Vietnam so memorable. I’m so glad I chose this place and would highly recommend it.

The check-in was easy, with the door and room codes sent ahead of time. It was fairly easy to find by taxi, and the location was great: under five minutes’ walk to the train line, and only a little farther to the old quarter. Staff were very friendly, and communication was easy with quick replies. We stayed three nights. The accommodation was modern and clean, but the room didn’t match what we expected from the photos, which made us think each room had a balcony. Ours was directly above the kitchen. The windows opened onto just 30cm of space before the opposite wall, with a direct view of the kitchen cooker, so we couldn’t open them without getting food smells. The bathroom was clean, but the boiler provided hot water for at most 10 minutes, then needed an hour before it was hot again. Breakfast was listed for 7:30-9:00am, but it was only made on request. There was nothing on the first day. On the second, after several messages, we got buttered toast and fried eggs. It felt like a lot of effort for three pieces of toast and eggs. I’d just eat out instead, it’s easier, quicker, and tastier. It was disappointing not to get what was described online.

The location is nice, but street noise carries right into the room. The cleaning should be better controlled.

It’s less than a 10 minute walk to restaurants and shops, and just a 7 minute walk from the main train station. That was great since I got into Hanoi very late at night. As a solo female traveler, I love finding homestays like this. My room was clean, lovely, and spacious, and the family was friendly and incredibly helpful with information on getting around the city. I’m so grateful to them and would definitely stay again!