Thien Thai Hotel

The stay could have been nice, but the service was absolutely abysmal. We landed very early and weren’t expecting to check in straight away, but the desk staff couldn’t tell us what time to return. Then the aircon blasted all night, and nobody could help turn it down or off. To finish things off, they charged us more than €10 for a towel stained with hair dye. I understand it might look ruined at first, but the dye comes out in the wash, which I tested, and no other hotel we stayed at charged us. The amount also felt inflated. I probably could have replaced the towel for a tenth of that price, or less.

The location is decent, and the staff were helpful and nice, but that doesn’t make up for the state of the hotel. The furniture and facilities are extremely old, and the room felt dirty and unhygienic. There was mold on the walls, stains on the curtains and furniture, and bugs as well. Soundproofing is practically nonexistent: we could hear everything from neighboring rooms, and street noise was unbearable when your room faced that way. Getting a proper night’s sleep was nearly impossible. I’d caution travelers against trusting the overly positive reviews. They didn’t match my experience at all. Just look at the dirty, disgusting ironing board in my room’s photo. The hotel needs serious renovation, and I wouldn’t stay here again.

We had a good stay overall, though this was our first hotel in Vietnam, so we don’t have anything to compare it with yet. The room was very good apart from an extremely hard bed. Service was generally good too, though at the rooftop bar and dining area it could have been more attentive. We didn’t see any Irish bar on the ground floor. The location is good, around a 20-minute walk to the Old Qtr, but there aren’t many amenities in the immediate surroundings. There are steep steps at the hotel entrance. Porters help with luggage, but it’s something for elderly or less mobile guests to know.

Breakfast was excellent every morning, and my room was comfortable and very clean. The staff were fantastic too, helping me out with directions and local tips. They made my Hanoi trip much better, and I’d absolutely stay here again.