Ahu Hotel & Apartment

There isn't an elevator, so the top-floor penthouse means a little extra cardio. The room was clean and good, with comfortable beds and working AC in both the main room and bedroom. The water was only lukewarm, but tolerable for two nights, and the wifi was strong. Upstairs there's a nice patio with a glass table for cooking and sitting around. Bui Vien street is only a few minutes away on foot, but far enough that its noise doesn't follow you back to the room.

We lasted three nights, though within seconds of entering we knew we'd made a terrible choice. The room was windowless, with dirt up the walls and ants in every crevice. The shower was basically over the toilet. I was impressed by how much disappointment and poor hygiene they managed to fit into a shoebox sized room. The soundproofing was so bad we could hear every step, word, and breath from residents all around us, even those three miles away, it seemed. People laughed and ran around until 4 AM. The AC blew straight at my face, making sleep difficult, but without it the room quickly turned into an oven. It was a rough stay in an otherwise incredible city.

There's no staff on site after check-in, and you get a door code to enter. The location is great. My room was clean, the air conditioning and wifi were good, and there's a great restaurant downstairs.

We came back late because the area has nightlife, and there was no hot water after 7:00 PM. That was unacceptable to me, so I stayed just two days.