Hanoi Golden Plaza Hotel

We arranged to stay here for two nights with an airport pick up weeks before we left home. We confirmed all details several times via email and all seemed great. But there was no one to meet us at the airport so we had to get a taxi. On arrival we were told our room with balcony wasn't available. They offered us another room for one night then said they would move us to balcony room. The room was dirty, blankets were dirty there were cockroaches....disgusting! We walked out and found a beautiful hotel around the corner.

One of hundreds hotels around St. Joseph's Cathedral. Nothing really special, small but clean rooms, working air-con, hot-water and sattelite TV for not more than 20 $ for a double room. It was really difficult to find working socket in room (annoying).

I flew into Hanoi very late, and the motorbike taxi from the shuttle point at Hoan Kiem couldn't seem to understand my directions. Or perhaps he was friendly with this hotel...but, as it was a reasonable rate ($15), I decided not to argue any further and just spend one night. This was a mistake. Within 10 minutes I realized the room I was given had a bed bug infestation. Small ones, big ones, crawling by the pillows and the foot of the bed. Others in the mattress creases. I immediately told the desk clerk, but he didn't recognize the English word for bed bugs. I drew a picture, and Google image'd it for him. He pretended to be mighty confused. Finally he says, "uhh....this is atmosphere." OH. REALLY. He offered to change the sheets. I refused and asked to check out (though most of the surrounding hotels had already shuttered for the night). We finally came to a deal with an upgraded room for the same price, which I inspected thoroughly and found no such bug issues. Though I insisted the original room NEEDED to be taken out of commission and sprayed (the only way to get rid of these things), I doubt they did so. I truly feel bad for the next person who books it. Additionally, no breakfast was included.