Must-see hotels in Northern Vietnam

  • Cat Ba Eco Lodge

    Cat Ba Island

    This resort boasts a rural location 12km from Cat Ba Town and 2km off the main road. Spacious, simple and somewhat overpriced wooden stilt houses sit…

  • Ancient House Homestay

    Cat Ba Island

    Located around 3km from Cat Ba Town, down an unmarked alley in the village of Ang Soi, this heritage house was carefully moved here from the outskirts of…

  • Thai Stilt Guest Houses

    Mai Chau

    Virtually every stilt-house building in central Lac village now acts as a guest house, offering dorm-style accommodation or simple private rooms, with…

  • Cat Ba Mountain View Guesthouse

    Cat Ba Island

    Removed from the hustle of town, this collection of roadside bungalows and basic hilltop cabins made from pallets offers simple accommodation but great…

  • Cat Ba Sea View

    Cat Ba Island

    The fake-flower decor here is an an attempt to jazz up the slightly faded rooms. All are spacious, though the seafront ones, which can sleep up to four…

  • Muong Cultural Museum Homestay

    Northwest Vietnam

    Simple rooms, both private and shared, are available in this art- and culture-focused compound. Breakfast is an additional 30,000d and other meals cost…

  • Sao Mai Hotel

    Bac Ha

    The five floors here culminate in what is an imposing hotel for such a small town. The rooms aren't great value, and could use an update, although the…

  • Toan Thang Hotel

    Bac Ha

    This rickety wooden house has bare-bones basic rooms with fan, while at the front more expensive, rather plain rooms run past a pot-plant-festooned…

  • Van Xuan Hotel

    Northeast Vietnam

    The simple and central Van Xuan has helpful staff and old-fashioned but neat rooms that lead out to a communal balcony overlooking the eastern edge of…

  • AVANI Hai Phong Harbour View Hotel

    Haiphong

    Built in replica-colonial style in 1998, this hotel has good facilities, including a gym, spa and the excellent Nam Phuong Restaurant. The 122 rooms are…

  • Thanh Binh Hotel

    Northwest Vietnam

    The ageing, government-run Thanh Binh has 17 tired but passable rooms at the north end of town, but staff are rarely troubled by any guests. The upper…

  • Viet Trinh Hotel

    Ba Be National Park

    This friendly family-run spot in Cho Ra has 10 basic, clean rooms with balconies and views of the nearby rice paddies. The owner can arrange onward…

  • Bao Anh Hotel

    Haiphong

    The Bao Anh has a great location in a leafy street surrounded by good restaurants, which makes up for the cramped bathrooms and old-fashioned decor. The…

  • Hotel Ngoc Nhan

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    Simple rooms, outfitted with TV and air-conditioning, in the middle of Co To Town's waterfront strip. The furnishings are mismatched and the beds hard,…

  • Coto Diamond Sea

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    Coto Diamond Sea is a strip of new, spacious, faux-wood bungalows right on Hong Van Beach. As with most other places, there's a restaurant on-site. It's…

  • Cat Ba Dream

    Cat Ba Island

    Service and accommodation may be a bit lacklustre, but Cat Ba Dream has decent-value, small rooms at the back, and larger sea-facing ones with killer…

  • Thap Vang Hotel

    Northwest Vietnam

    Set just off the main street, this white-and-gold palatial-feeling place has slightly aged rooms that could use an update – which is what was happening…

  • Minh Chau Beach Resort

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    Across the street from the white sands of Minh Chau Beach is this old-school-resort-feeling hotel. Rooms are spacious, if slightly aged, and a bit of…

  • Link Guesthouse

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    This guesthouse is run by a friendly local family who speak a bit of English. Rooms are basic and mattresses are thin, but the welcome is warm and genuine.

  • Halong Backpacker Hostel

    Halong City

    This hostel (don't confuse it with the Halong Backpacker's Hostel on Ɖ Vuon Dao) has small, simple but clean, six-bed dorms and a lively downstairs bar.

  • Viet Linh Hotel

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    Located around 200m north of Cai Rong Pier is this hotel with decent-sized and well-cared-for rooms. Communicating in English here can be problematic.

  • Phuong Nam Hotel

    Sapa

    Inside this nondescript concrete hotel there's a decent budget deal to be had, with rooms that are basic and somewhat dark, but spic and span.

  • Dung Phu

    Northwest Vietnam

    At the far western end of town is this hotel with spacious rooms in pink and baby-blue pastel tones with rather grand desks and hard beds.

  • Hoang Hiep

    Northeast Vietnam

    A minute's walk from the Chinese border is this budget place, with standard, if uninspiring, rooms and rather reluctant staff.

  • Hoa Binh Hotel

    Northeast Vietnam

    An acceptable cheapie close to the Lang Son Market, with cane furniture, spacious rooms and clean bathrooms.

  • Sapa Graceful Hotel

    Sapa

    The dorm here is a squeeze and the private rooms plain, but the foyer has comfy sofas and stacks of books. And as the base for Sapa Sisters, there's a ton…

  • Ngan Ha Hotel

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    This corner-front establishment in the heart of town has plain, if serviceable, rooms, but the guys in charge don't speak English, and running the hotel…

  • Nam Phong Hotel

    Northeast Vietnam

    The rooms at this budget place are in dire need of a paint job and new furniture.

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