Lam Kinh Hotel

I stayed for a month, and the place looked nothing like the photos. The longer I was there, the worse it seemed. The rooms appeared clean, but there was mold in the restroom. There was no closet, ironing board, or oven for warming food. I bought their coffee almost every day because my mom said it was good. Black coffee was around 30k, and coffee with milk cost 40k Vietnam money. I tried it, and it was okay, just not as good as she’d suggested. Before going out, I left tips for the room cleaners every day. Still, after I returned from a tour and spent the night, the receptionist told me the next day that I’d taken two bottles of water from the fridge. I hadn’t. Since I’d been away on a one-day tour, I suspect someone on the cleaning staff took them. Being treated like a thief was one of the saddest feelings. The last room I stayed in had no handle for the shower set’s rain shower. When my mom asked service staff for a shower cap, they told her to use a supermarket plastic bag because the hotel didn’t have any. That room also had no phone to call the front desk, unlike the other rooms we’d stayed in. I’m very, very disappointed. It wasn’t just the lack of thorough cleaning. The staff’s professionalism and ethics cost them loyal customers. I’ve promised myself I’ll never book this hotel again.

The location worked well for local markets and food, and there weren’t many tourists around. The beds were comfortable, the pillows were nice, and the shower was good, with a large bathroom. It was clean overall, though there was some dust. Staff were friendly, but checkout was a problem: we’d been told at check-in that paying by credit card was easy. When we left, the staff member first said cards weren’t accepted at all. After we insisted for five minutes, she brought out the machine and charged a 2.5% fee, then rounded the amount up further. It felt like a scam. They also keep your passports during the stay, rather than taking a deposit, so be warned. The Wi-Fi was slow and unreliable, even within the room. The bathroom often smelled of smoke, and there shouldn’t be smoking rooms near non-smoking ones. Mornings were noisy: the walls are thin, and loud local guests were in the hallways at all hours. The air conditioning was inconsistent and not strong enough.

Friendly receptionists and staff, a clean room, and a good location for a reasonable price. No complaints.

For two people with luggage, the room was small but manageable, and it was clean and quiet for a budget hotel. The bathroom was clean and had no smell. There’s free Wi-Fi, but only one outlet in the room. Water pressure was absent, and the hot water took ages to warm up.