Elegant Hotel

The pictures are grossly misleading. This is a poorly kept, very dirty hotel that constantly smelled bad, with no fresh air coming in. People can smoke inside, which was unpleasant as a non-smoker. The bathroom smelled so much like sewage that I had to keep its door shut or I would vomit. The place is dark and badly lit. There’s a dining room downstairs, though I don’t know why since they don’t sell food. When I checked out, I wanted to pay by card but was told the card machine was broken and I should go to the bank for cash. I said they should tell guests before check-in if they can’t take cards, instead of inconveniencing them at checkout when they have flights to catch. Only then did they bring out a machine that worked perfectly, so they obviously lied.

The room smelled stale when I walked in, and it was pretty run down. There were dirty marks on the headboard and switches, plus scrape marks, paint chips, and other grime on the walls. Grout was coming out of the shower, though the bathroom was reasonably clean. The window on the seventh floor looked into the stairwell, not out to a view. The advertised photos must be very old or show much better rooms. Now I’m noticing that most of the positive reviews I read were from four or five years ago.

The front desk staff were very nice and informative, and the hotel was clean. Room 201 was comfortable and clean too. The toilet is very close to the wall, so a larger person might not fit.

The standard room was cosy, and I’d recommend the hotel. It cost 350,000 VND, though its window looked onto the stairs instead of outside. There are quite a few restaurants and bars nearby, and motorcycle parking is available in the basement.