The Hong Ngoc Hotel is a pleasant mini-hotel in the middle of the hectic old quarter. In fact, they have four hotels with similar decor, all in the old quarter. I had heard many horror stories about rats and large insects in Hanoi hotel rooms, but we felt perfectly safe from critters in our rooms. On the other hand, we did see a large tarantula during breakfast!
One of the desk clerks was very eager to please and helpful. However, the porter was quite over-eager for a tip, including not allowing us to carry our own bags and then lingering in our room making small talk until we tipped him. On top of this, we had heard many stories about theft in Vietnamese hotels. For this reason, we didn't feel entirely comfortable leaving valuables in our room.
Price
US$25 Standard Room
US$30 Deluxe Room
The deluxe rooms are larger and have balconies, but not all rooms of either type are created equal.
Facilities
- Internet access from lobby
- Tour arrangement
- Breakfast included
- Cable TV in rooms
A note: Breakfast isn't very appetizing. The Pho Ga -- chicken soup -- is watery and tasteless. Our best breakfasts consisted of French bread with jam.
Rooms
The rooms are delightfully decorated in old-fashioned Vietnamese furniture, which looks much like Chinese furniture. Our first room was quite large, with a large opium bed and a lovely area to sip tea, on pearl-inlaid chairs. The deluxe rooms have balconies. Unfortunately, we checked out for one night and upon our return were moved to room 401. Its balcony was not functional and the room was much smaller, although we were paying the same price.
It is worth noting that the hotel will hold your bags overnight, should you take a trip out of town. Also, that they provide airport pickup for $10.