We booked at Than Thuh Hotel because it would just be a few minutes walk to Ho Chi Minh’s famous shopping and tourist sites. And it looked very nice from the photos. But as soon as our cab stopped in front, I couldn’t recognize the hotel. It looked more like a family home. We arrived at noon. We had to navigate gingerly to the hotel entrance because the front curb was filled by a couple of big bikes along with roosters sunning in their cages. The reception person was unsmiling.
While our papers were being processed for check-in, we couldn’t take a seat on the lobby’s lone sofa because it was peppered with kids’ toys. Later in the afternoon, a child (seemingly the owner’s or a staffmember’s), accompanied by her nanny, had transformed the sofa into a pretend-house. Late that night, we had to walk gingerly inside the lobby. The bikes were parked inside and stayed that way till late morning the following day.
Surprisingly, the room was decent enough. The room was moderately spacious. Its window was large and had thick curtains that could be used to shut out the bright lights outside if I wished to catch up on sleep during the day. The twin beds and pillows were large and comfortable, and the blankets were just right. The airconditioner worked well too.
The bathroom was a disappointment. It clearly showed an aging hotel. And sloppy service. There was a tile brush with hairs on it left behind on the edge of the tub. When I hanged my towel on the towel bar, the bar fell off. The shower curtain was moldy. The water in the sink took ages to drain. At least the bathtub, the hot shower, and the toilet worked fine.
Our elevator once stopped at the 2nd floor. The door slid open to what looked like the owner's residence complete with slippers, rugs, and grocery strewn right outside the hall. We felt like intruders in somebody's private property.
We only stayed one night. We found a new hotel 20 feet away. They had better amenities, was way more professional, and the price was cheaper too.
