Phuong Hoang Hotel

I booked this place because it was within my budget and close to some spots I wanted to explore in Ho Chi Minh. Luckily, I had plenty to see, so I only stayed about two hours to charge my devices and leave my bags. That was enough. The whole place had a strange feel. I was put in a pitch-black room at the back, near a creepy, dark staircase. Check-in was fine, nothing special, but I was confused when the woman took my passport and wouldn’t return it. That wasn’t mentioned in the booking. Neither was the 500,000 vnd deposit, which I hope comes back to my card. Communicating through Google Translate was hard. The room was quite dirty too. There was dirt on the floor and grime on the remotes and tables. I didn’t even get under the covers. The shower and floors were filthy, the room smelled of cigarettes, and there were bugs. I’ve stayed in much nicer hostels and hotels in Vietnam for under $20, so “you get what you pay for” doesn’t really fit. The hotel is just off a busy street, so Grab drivers can’t take you to the door. You have to go down a sort of mysterious alley for about 200 feet. I was pretty grossed out, hence the rating. Update: They returned the deposit in cash, in several small bills, rather than putting it back on my card. That’s inconvenient when I’m leaving town. I really couldn’t recommend this place less.