At the very end our our bus journey from Vang Vieng, a very nice man got on board to tell us all about his travel agency, the minibus that can take us to the city centre and the hotel he manages. We were all so tired by this point that we jumped at the chance to just be taken somewhere and not have to worry about it. So off we went to the Hanoi Municipal Hotel, a large-ish place right in the centre of all the tourist attractions in the old quarter or the city.
The staff were immediately helpful and friendly, and we’re very keen to offer us a discount..we ended up with a four bed private ensuite room for only $5 each…absolute bargain, especially as a lot of the other hostels charge a lot more than this for a dorm.
The room was clean enough, as was the bathroom, although it was a bit run down and shabby in places and there was no shower curtain, meaning that every time we showered the whole bathroom would get soaked. But the water was hot and the beds were comfy and to be honest that’s all that really matters!
The hotel also runs a tour company, helping you to book trips to places such as Halong Bay and Sapa, to the north, as well as booking you onto trains and buses for when you want to move on to your next destination…just make sure you book in advance as the tours and trains get full pretty quick, and then they will try to charge you extra.
The hotel has a restaurant (which serves OK food…although you’re better off getting out into the city to find some local cuisine), free wifi, computers and a (fairly expensive) laundry service…all things that I deem necessities, so it’s great that they have them available.
The only really downside to the hotel is the noise. Hanoi is a very noisy place anyway, but our room also backed onto the nightclub next door, and trying to get to sleep when there’s a pumping bass ringing in your ears until the early hours, can prove slightly problematic.
Dates stayed: 20 – 23 Nov 2011
My Rating:
Overall: 87%
Atmosphere: 78%
Cleanliness: 76%
Location: 97%
Staff: 90%
Safety: 89%
Value for Money: 92%
Roo Around The World 