Must-see hotels in Vietnam

  • Ho Phong Hotel

    Phan Rang & Thap Cham

    A welcoming hotel with spacious, well-furnished rooms sporting cable TV, minibar and modern en-suite bathrooms. Scooters are available for rent and staff…

  • Song Huong Hotel

    Mui Ne

    Run by welcoming family owners, this hotel looks like a posh private villa. It's set well back from the road and boasts spacious, airy rooms. There's a…

  • La Paloma Hotel

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    Imposing, bright-white and brand new. The rooms here are spacious, if lacking in character, and it's probably the best place within walking distance of…

  • Hanoi Hotel

    Northwest Vietnam

    This gleaming main-drag edifice has handsome rooms trimmed with colourful art, wooden furniture and comfortable beds. Surprisingly sophisticated for a…

  • Sea Winds Resort

    Mui Ne

    Offering good value, this place has a choice of simple, well-presented rooms with views over a pretty garden. The owner is attentive, helpful and speaks…

  • Sofitel Saigon Plaza

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Rooms are spiffing at this recently redecorated luxury hotel, and staff are particularly helpful and obliging. Check online for excellent discounts off…

  • Golden Stone Hotel

    Ha Giang Province

    A virtual wall of exotic booze bottles in the lobby forms the entrance to Ha Giang's capable budget option. Rooms are utterly unremarkable, but are clean…

  • Son Ha Hotel

    Vung Tau

    The family owners of this skinny mini-hotel offer a homely welcome. Rooms are in good shape, including satellite TV and a fridge, and some have a balcony.

  • Ann Hotel

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    The well-run Ann Hotel, in the centre of town, offers spacious rooms with gleaming bathrooms. The best rooms at the back have balconies with ocean views.

  • Madame Cuc 127

    Ho Chi Minh City

    The original and by far the best of the two hotels run by the welcoming Madame Cuc and her friendly and fantastic staff. Rooms are clean and spacious.

  • Song Da Ngoc Vung Hotel & Resort

    Bai Tu Long Bay

    The island's best accommodation, this resort takes the form of a few vast, home-like bungalows in a manicured compound at the edge of a wide beach.

  • Villa Louise

    Hue

    Villa Louise has wonderful villas, private rooms and two swimming pools. The villas are lovingly decorated in heritage Vietnamese style.

  • Happy Hostel

    Halong City

    A lively, eclectic lobby leads to a handful of rather tight but tidy six-bed dorm rooms. Your tariff includes breakfast and a beer.

  • Nha Nghi Nui Doi

    Ha Giang Province

    This sweet little place on the main road through Tam Som offers simple, light-filled rooms with crisp, clean linen on the beds.

  • Summit Accommodation

    Bach Ma National Park

    Near the summit are four options, from the simple Kim Giao villa and Do Quyen villa to the more comfortable Phong Lan villa. All have private bathrooms,…

  • 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…

  • Cinnamon Hotel

    Hanoi

    A hip hotel overlooking an alley and St Joseph Cathedral in the Old Quarter's smartest enclave. The design combines the historic features of the building …

  • Minh Viet Homestay

    Can Tho

    Closer to Cai Rang floating market than Can Tho, this is a rustic guesthouse consisting of basic rooms with mozzie nets and thatched roofs. Minh and his…

  • Oxalis Home

    Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

    This riverside hotel is used by travellers booking cave tours with Oxalis, but is also open to others. Accommodation is in spacious rooms, with views…

  • Long Life Riverside

    Hoi An

    Impressive hotel with a peaceful riverside setting in An Hoi peninsula, where there's virtually zero traffic noise to contend with. Rooms are spacious,…

  • Crowne Plaza West Hanoi

    Hanoi

    This popular chain hotel in an up-and-coming suburb of Hanoi offers excellent value, despite its location about 30 minutes' drive from the Old Quarter…

  • Flipside

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Located in a lane with good restaurants, one of HCMC's most popular and sociable hostels includes modern dorms with personal charging stations and lockers…

  • Artisan Boutique Hotel

    Hanoi

    One of the best features of this joint Australian and Vietnamese coproduction a stone's throw from Hoan Kiem Lake is its on-the-ball staff: they're…

  • 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…

  • Cocoon Inn

    Hanoi

    This attractive, resourceful hostel has good dorms, a decent cocktail bar and a lovely rooftop terrace on the 7th floor. Privacy curtains indeed create a…

  • Thanh Tra Hotel

    Tra Vinh

    Staying here is a balancing act – get stuck on the lowest floors and adjacent motorbike-workshop noise becomes a morning problem; too high and the shuffle…

  • Thao Dien Village

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Combining restaurants, a bar and a poolside spa centre, this riverside property is a good option if you're keen to escape from the big-city bustle…

  • Cuc Phuong Resort

    Cuc Phuong National Park

    This pleasant resort is near a natural spring, enabling mineral-rich water to be pumped into wooden bathtubs in each room. There are (spring-fed) indoor…

  • The Palmy Hotel & Spa

    Hanoi

    The Palmy's stylish dark-wood rooms are compact at best, but junior suites offer good value. Although the top-floor breakfast spread is average, the views…

  • Hotel Nikko Hanoi

    Hanoi

    This 16-storey luxury Japanese property has rooms that are substantially larger than the mainstay of Hanoi hotels, but although spotlessly clean, those…

  • Ambassador Saigon Hotel

    Ho Chi Minh City

    Yes, it may have the city's slowest lift, but everything else about the Ambassador Saigon gets two big ticks. The team at reception is unfailingly…

  • Orchid Hotel

    Hue

    This modern and central hotel delivers warm service – staff really make an effort. Accommodation is also excellent: all options have laminate flooring and…

  • Thien Thanh Hotel

    Hoi An

    Staff are dressed in traditional ao dai at this atmospheric hotel and maintain good service standards. The hotel’s spacious, inviting and well-equipped…

  • InterContinental Westlake Hanoi

    Hanoi

    Featuring a contemporary Asian-design theme and true five-star service, the Intercontinental is an oasis on the shores of West Lake. All rooms have…

  • Mua Cave Ecolodge

    Ninh Binh

    Surrounded by rice paddies and karst limestone, this quiet choice has spacious rooms and bungalows with a tinge of heritage style. A quirky highlight is…

  • Phuong Binh House

    Phu Quoc Island

    This small, friendly place is buried away at the end of the road to the beach. Choose from five types of bungalows, ranging from deluxe beachfront with…

  • Thanh Ha

    Can Tho

    This guesthouse is hidden down an alleyway thriving with local life. Various large white-tiled rooms have thin curtains and firm beds, but are sparkling…

  • Majestic Hotel

    Ho Chi Minh City

    This 1925 city landmark enjoys an unmatched location on the Saigon River and its graceful facade, marrying art-nouveau and French-colonial styles, is…

  • 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…

  • Huong Sen Hotel

    Mekong Delta

    The smartest of Cao Lanh's lodgings and the tallest building in town, Huong Sen overlooks the appealing Van Thanh Mieu park. Rooms are compact with firm…