Chezbeo Homestay

I left four days early and went elsewhere, and the staff didn't seem to care why. From the start, the place made me feel deeply uncomfortable. On arrival, someone else had apparently been given my room after offering cash, so I was put in a room I hadn't wanted. Food orders often weren't prepared, and I'd have to remind them half an hour later. It left me wondering if I needed to be more forceful just to get a meal. Three nights in, they claimed I'd left three meals unpaid. I asked them to check, and later that evening they admitted I'd paid in advance, but never apologized. I keep thinking that if I'd been confused into paying for those meals again, they'd have made extra money from me. It felt as though they took advantage of my disability. I've traveled all over the world and never had this happen. The management here is shocking.

The setting around Chez Beo is beautiful and peaceful, and the lake-side lobby is lovely. There are lots of friendly, cute dogs too. Still, we found our stay unpleasant and were surprised by the positive reviews. Our rustic room had mold on the bedding and mosquito net, plus a dirty-looking, moldy ceiling. When we raised it, staff told us to speak to the manager. He eventually gave us a 25% discount, though only after haggling. The air conditioning didn't work either. Dinner was nice, with vegetarian choices, but breakfast took an hour and we had to ask twice for our food. For the price, we can't recommend it, which is a shame given the serene landscape.

The place has a beautiful location and potential, but we left because we didn't feel comfortable spending the night. The manager said he wouldn't charge us, as long as we didn't post a negative review, which made us question how trustworthy the reviews are. We had expected a simple jungle room, but it looked nothing like the enhanced online photos: there was visible mold, large gaps, and insects and mosquitoes could get in. The advertised air conditioning wasn't there, and people were cutting wood on our porch in the neighboring room's construction, blocking access and making the hammock unusable. The shower boiler also cut electricity to the rest of the room, so we couldn't charge devices or run a fan while it was on. Check-in was meant to be at 14:00, but the room wasn't ready until 16:00, with no clear explanation or apology. We were prepared to pay for the night anyway, but after all this we decided to leave.

The staff were amazing, and the whole place had a relaxed, beautiful feel. It’s a lovely rustic retreat surrounded by nature in the wilds of Ninh Binh, yet restaurants and activities are only a short walk away. If they offer the family dinner, we really recommend it. It’s a great way to meet the other guests.