Alex Jablonski
Google
During our trip across Vietnam, we had an opportunity to stay four nights in this hotel. The choice for this specific place is in a great location and has high ratings. The resort is away from the hustle and noise of the big city, in a beautiful location on the lake. We were hoping for a restful stay delivered with some quirks. There are several things I need to praise this hotel for;
- The staff is very professional, helpful, and kind. All the staff we encountered were proficient in English, making the communication very smooth. Kudos to the hotel staff!
- The room was spacious and spotless. As the hotel is almost 20 years old, it has been designed since then, and this is expected in the ambiance instead of the modern design
As mentioned above, the resort has a great location and maintains a very low level of street noise, which is prevalent in Hanoi.
The bathroom was spacious and immaculate. It included a big bathtub and a separate modern shower. In addition, it had an electric bidet, which was the first time it had been in Vietnam for the first time.
The buffet breakfast was superior to any other hotel we stayed at. It had a wide variety of choices and was delicious. The restaurant staff was pampering all guests by paying attention to their needs for extra coffee, water, juice, etc. Great service!!!
Two things made me give the hotel only a four-star rating, but they do not negate any of the great things I described above. The main issue encountered during our stay was the HVAC system. I suspect the system was not designed for the subtropical location and looked vastly undersized. The thermostat was inoperable, and I suspect this issue is known. As there were no means to adjust the temperature, the air ducts delivered a continuous low air flow. I suspect that the portable dehumidifier was added to the room(s) to cope with this. It added noise and required periodic drainage at night. If the water tank was filled, it shut down the dehumidifier, and higher humidity made sleeping uncomfortable. The down comforters were very thick, forcing us to sleep partially uncovered. I wonder if lighter comforters wouldn't be a better choice as the room temperature never fell below 20C.
An additional nuisance was a musty smell, which I suspect was coming from the shower drain vent.
In general, it's a nice hotel, and I would give it a 5-star rating if the HVAC system worked more efficiently.