Sepon Hotel

I paid just 200K VND, so the price was affordable, but the rooms and facilities were very old and poorly maintained. The toilet was shared and old, and I wasn't comfortable using it because there was no tissue. The air conditioner didn't work, so I could only use the fan. There was no free tissue in the room, no floor rug, and no trash can. If you're thinking of booking, check the room and amenities first to make sure everything works.

The location is the one good thing about this place, though there are plenty of other options nearby. The beds were awful. I could feel the springs very clearly through the sheets and even when lying on top of the duvet. The air conditioning was poor too, taking about 15-20 minutes to have any noticeable effect. We'd booked well in advance, but they had my parents-in-law's room wrong and charged them to change it. They'd also put my wife and me in a room with two single beds instead of a double. We handed over our passports at check-in, but they were left to one side and forgotten. Later, when we were heading out for the evening, staff wanted us to go all the way back to our room to get them. They also ordered a taxi for only four people even though they knew our party had five, so the car that arrived was too small. The staff were very incompetent.

It's a simple, no-frills place to stay in an area that isn't very nice, near the Laos border. The staff are very friendly. You could ask at the desk for a better rate than the one online, as I'm sure they'll negotiate.

It's a good place to stay if you have to wait for the border to open. The hotel is basic but clean and has air conditioning. There are lots of restaurants nearby.