Splendid Star Suite Hotel

The desk staff were incredibly friendly and tried their best to improve a bad situation. We were sent here after the hotel we'd booked was overbooked, though, and both rooms we saw were disappointing. The first was dirty and seemed to be mid-renovation. The replacement was higher up and had a great cathedral view, but the towels had holes, the sheets were stained, and the room's finish was shoddy.

The room doors and locks could use an update, and the showers and fixtures didn't seem well fitted. Still, the staff were friendly and helpful, the complimentary breakfast was decent, and the Old Hanoi location was perfect. I'd stay again.

The honeymoon room was clean, comfortable, nicely decorated, and had a great cathedral view. Staff were helpful, breakfast was good the first day, and there were free drinks. We were allowed to check in early after taking the train from SaPa, and later left our bags while we went to Ha Long Bay, since we'd booked the same room for our return. Staff said they'd reserve that room and advised against booking through agoda. When we got back around 4pm the next day, it had been given to someone else, and we were moved to a tiny room that wasn't nearly as nice, despite costing only a couple of pounds less than the much larger honeymoon room. After a lot of discussion with staff in person and by phone, we left. At 10pm they suggested their other hotel down the road, which felt far too late. A shame, since this was the last hotel my husband and I stayed at in Vietnam after two months of travel. There were lots of stairs to reach the top floor.

The staff couldn't have been kinder or more helpful, and the bed was comfortable with plenty of breakfast choices. The hotel itself was just okay, though. The bathroom smelled strongly of mildew, and despite the no smoking sign, the room smelled of cigarettes. We moved to a cleaner, cheaper place very nearby and wouldn't stay here again.