Quang Ninh Province hotels & places to stay

A nice new hotel, clean, brightly lit and welcoming. The main reception staff speak good enough english and do their very best to assist you to the best of their capabilities (eg. tours, pick up and drop offs, etc). *Do take note, if more than 2 people stay in a room there's a charge for an extra bed (charged per night), and even though Agoda presents you the option of 3 people to a room, you'll still have to pay for the extra bed when you arrive. So do call or email the hotel before hand to check and make arrangements to prevent any surprised charges.* The hotel is about at 10-15min (walk) from the centre where the shops and local eateries are located, it is a pleasant and safe walk. The hotel can arrange a taxi pick up and drop off if you'd prefer. The advantage of this hotel is that it's not near any construction so it is very quiet through out the day and night with an unobstructed view of the ocean from your room.(assuming you paid a little more for the ocean view, which in my opinion is worth it, as these rooms have a nice view from their individual balcony) As the hotel has stated, they have all the services provided from lounges, bars to restaurants, even though they're found throughout the hotel, some of them are not opened yet, I assume because the hotel is still new and will be opened at a later date. On a side note the gym and pool also has a nice view of the ocean.

A great experience, more than I expected, alisa staff are very enthusiastic and professional, they take care of their customers are very thoughtful, food on cruise so excellent, delicious, diverse, rich. My room has a large balcony with nice view of the sea. In the room there is a Jacuzzi bathtub, it is very comfortable when you soak in the cool water in summer heat, the rooms are tastefully designed, harmonious and cozy. . the room very clean, all facilities are brand new. They arrange an exciting journey, enough to make you feel the beauty of Halong, I really like the time to take kayaking around small moutain rock, I think this is the best time with me to visit Halong bay, thanks to professional and knowledgeable of tour guide, he is a good man and helpful. Alisa has a luxury car service, it’s Limousine dcar line, good one and best ever. I think alisa is the best 5 star cruise on Halong Bay. I highly recommend for every people…thanks Alisa so much…

We were there for a 2 night stay and enjoyed all facilities a lot. But one thing needs to be improved, and that is the staff at pool bar. We got to the pool and after 15 minutes I decided to look for towels by myself while at least 3 staff were at the pool bar and 2 staff were right beside the pool enjoying their chats. Furthermore even then when they noticed us, we had to get up from our chairs and get the bar menu by ourselves. I would accept this in a 3 star hotel but 5 star with this amount of staff - no can do. So there is more training needed. All the other things - buffet, dinner, pools, beach, ship transfer to coast are very convenient and well maintained. We enjoyed it a lot.

The resort is big with indoor heated pool and outdoor pool. Suitable for family relaxing trip. The location is 10m drive from Sunworld Halong Park. Quiet and peaceful neighborhood. And there will be a beach open in front of the hotel in a few months. Some of the equipments in the fitness center is broken. However, the hotel staff needs a lot more training. When I came near the reception desk nobody even greeted us. All 3 receptionist at the front desk seems like they just started working here not long ago. The whole check in process was awkward and and no conversation was made. After check in, I have to ask for them to show me to my room. When I made the booking I clearly stated that it was my birthday and I want to arrange something special for this weekend trip. When I come to the hotel nobody even said happy birthday. And when I came to the pastry corner to buy some cake, I wanted some candles for the celebration. I heard the staff talked to each other that somebody has candles but they turn to me and said we dont have candle today sorry. I love the landscape and the facility in the hotel but I expect a lot more from the staff of a 5 star hotel. They are helpful but not friendly and they dont even smile back when I smile as them. This would have been a great resort if not for the staff.

ok... i have tried every single hotel in halong bai bai chai and halong city. i know everything about the hsitory of novotel here and hows its managed. it was built to be a 5 star, but they couldnt in the end so its a 4 star. as ive said before, you can call it a 4.5 star hotel. the price is great and the rooms are comftable with good internet connection. the views are nice and staff are helpful. you are only about dong away from halong city, and minutes walking to the bai chai beach and market area. having stayed at every hotel this is the best hotel in the area. the only other 2 hotels that are comparable in comfort and price that i would reccomend is saigon halong hotel and halong plaza hotel. make sure you ask for a sea view room when you check in, normally you always do anyway. dont stay in hotels on a boat, why would you want to do that and be stuck on it unless your doing nothing else but relax and happy to eat from the floating seafood market. novotel is just simply "comftable" for everything you want to do in halong bay. key feature - the bathroom. its difficult to find decent showers in vietnam, here you will feel like home :)

Fantastic hotel. I booked this in a hurry on my travels through Vietnam and was expecting something quite different. I wasn't really after super luxury as I was looking for something unique and authentic an d I find posh hotels a little bit over the top for my tastes. However I made the best of it and enjoyed the luxury of a fantastic bed and huge shower. The area is quiet at the moment as work is still on going on Tuan Chau Island and I dare say this will change going into 2016. If there is anyone looking at this that is on a lengthy travel then if you spent some days on Cat ba island doing the full on backpackers drinking and exploring thing then this could be a great place to stay afterwards as you could chill out for one night have a fantastic shower and a great sleep in a huge bed. It also right next to the ferry port to Cat Ba so nice and handy.

We got such a stellar deal from agoda and Aphrodite didn’t disappoint at all! There’s a reason why their rating is truly the best! We loved the attention to detail everyone in the crew had (just a minor mashup with my food but was cleared right away). The food was EXCELLENT! And we loved that they do the room cleanup every meal time it seemed like magic to return to fixed room every single time! Tip tho— to save on $$ get a shuttle ride from old quarter versus booking the limo service (tho that was such a treat! Loved it!). If you take the shuttle bus it’s 50% less but make sure you get details on pick up for return to Old Quarter. Don’t even hesitate getting this cruise when in Hanoi— it’s a must and Aphrodite is the best provider there is. Just the right size for a boat and right number of guests to have personalized service. Ask about the activities tho especially if you have challenges walking and going up— the Tiptop (?) trip wasn’t well received by our co-travelers. I sat that one out since I was sleepy. The cave trip and the lagoon one were very very nice tho! Must try! Happy cruising!

the booking was easy and we got proper confirmations. however, it did not include transportation which was a little bit of a worry. when we got to hanoi, we looked around and there were cheap transfers and expensive ones as well. we walked around the old quarter area and everyone tried to offer the private car which is heavily over priced for 2 people but great bargain for 4 people and i think would be quicker or prehaps more customizied( you can plan your own stops). we ended up caling paloma cruises and we got round trip for usd$20 . we got lucky as our transport was a mercedes mini van and quite comfortable for the 4 hour journey. we stop in the middle at the usual overpriced market mall which had nice embroidery pieces but just way too overpriced compared to hanoi. when we got to our destination, we were greeted . a few minutes later we were on a small boat to join up to the large cruise vessel. we were greeted with a cold towel and quick oreintation, and then to our rooms. humour and the cheerfull-ness of the crew made everyone feel much at ease from the beginning. our room was very cozy...double bed and good size bathroom area. best of all, ( which alot of reviews claimed as problems on thier cruises) the air conditioning worked very well from the moment we entered our room with this small intro, i don' t want to spoil the excitement of the unknown adventure as it was for us. just to summarize. great value for money. exceptional and very clean rooms and so much food you cannot even finsih. we had great company, and there was children on board which the staff too extra effort to make them happy. so in end a well spent relaxing 2 days 1 night on the waters of halong bay.

Great place, I'd stay there again. Great big room, comfortable bed, cleaning staff were excellent. Great view of Halong Bay when you stay in a bay view room. People smoke everywhere in the hotel though and as a westerner I wasn't prepared for that. The food was great. A few small things kept me from giving top marks all round - carpet wasn't clean, the sofa in my room not clean. The staff by the pool very slow to give service. And - get this - if you take a beer from the mini bar and then replace it, they still charge you because all the drinks in the minibar has stickers on them, so they know if you have replaced them! Not okay for a 5 star hotel. We made a real fuss and were let off in the end, but you shouldn't have to go through all that hassle in such a nice hotel. All in all though, a great place to stay, in can absolutely recommend it.

I spent a good solid 2 months researching and trying to find the best Ha Long Cruise for me. I was looking for reviews of great food on board, a cabin with a balcony (preferably with a bed facing out to the window), an itinerary with a mix of activities and some down time (more of a chill experience rather than a party boat). My ideal would have also been to see Bai Tu Long Bay but onboard experience had more of a priority for me. Overall, Alisa Premier definitely delivered and more. It definitely had a luxury feel to it and the staff were very friendly. I booked through Agoda but had assistance from Ms Nancy who helped me with payment and booking the luxury coach to Ha Long from Hanoi. She also came to thank me at the end of my trip which was super lovely!

Very luxurious experience! Accommodations were top notch! We booked a family connecting room and it was perfect! The food was fantastic and they were very accommodating to anyone with special dietary needs or requests. Chien and all the staff were always there for whatever we needed, making us super comfortable the entire trip. The activities were great with the right mix of planned activities and down time. . We did the 3 day, 2 night experience and I would highly recommend! Very good value for the experience. They will treat you like royalty! Ms. Tina Nguyen even greeted us and gave us a personal gift upon our return to Hanoi. You will not regret booking through this company!!

Staff was really helpful, except the staff in the breakfast are terrible. the staff in breakfast are lazy, dont want to even acknowledge im there. The Gym door says it opens at 3pm, the reception and elevator says it opens at 3:30pm and the book in the room says it opens at 4pm. HAHA,,,so as you guessed it, i had to go open the gym for them. Gym is a joke, dont bother with it. The swimming pool was great, but another HA LONG resident Quang ninh scum family was picking on my 10 month old baby despite we telling them politely to stop harassing and they started to try attempt swearing at me in English. Terrible experience, unbelievable uneducated people and hotel staff did nothing to try mitigate. we left disgusted. The people this hotel attracts are mainly local corrupt cashed up individuals, or otherwise Korean and Chinese. Would i come here again...i think not.

Pros: Friendly stuff A nice and new boot and rooms. Foot was ok (Breakfast is not a breakfast, a bit bread , offered fried eggs but take super long, had only one pan) The older guide Brian was very nice and also good in guiding and managing the tours (the other stuff from the boat are very young and less experienced) Cons: Dinner - music was super loud, could not understand my partner - very uncomfortable When they serve the food they did not inform in advance what they will serve, suddenly the clear the table Super unsafe transfer from the tender boat to the cruise ( there is now plank) one guest fall between the gap of the two boat’s. The trip to the hospital cave is boring - useless..

Travelled with partner on the 3 day 2 night delux spa. Very impressed with the cleanliness of the room (best in Asia). Spa was very spacious considering it was on a boat. Food is 5 star and a great mix of local and international cuisine. Chef was very accommodating, my partner doesn't eat coriander and the wait staff quickly alerted him to this and without fuss his meals were prepared without coriander. Main meals were 5 courses of nothing but yum on a plate. Beautifully presented works of art. The staff are the real star though for this company. Extremely friendly and accommodating. Nothing is ever any trouble and they always check to ensure everything is to your satisfaction. The only criticism I have is on day 2 you are transferred to a day boat. The day itself is great and involves kayaking and optional swimming with a lovely lunch however the day is a little to long. Would have preferred to had been back on the boat we were sleeping on a couple of hours sooner to enjoy the comforts more.

Simply amazing! After a comprehensive internet research decided to go for Paradise Elegance cruise. Comes with a higher price tag but worth every penny in return for the standard received. Ship is new, high quality and tastefully decorated. Rooms are 5 star hotel standard. Extremely clean, comfortable with all the amenities including a powerful hot shower and bath. Food amazing; great and tasty bufet selection and high end a la carte diner. Paradise itinerary goes through the real Halong Bay, hence you will see the highlights. Staff are very professional. Have to also mentiom a very professional and timely pick up drop off service from the hotel carried in a luxurious mini van with leather seats and available water. Considering a number of low quality and service ships, questionable safety I would not hesitate to pay little extra for what Paradise has to offer.

The boat is smaller than many of the 5 star boats...hence it is able to go into smaller channels. Fewer people on board means there is less time wasted in gathering the group for activities. This could be why we were also the first boat to arrive at the activities like kayaking, bamboo boat rides... Activities were leisurely and not rushed. The crowd is a mixture of families and singles...of different nationalities ( Europeans and Asians). Food was adequate and delicious ( not fine-dining by any means). Room was clean and comfortable with soft sheets and a king sized bed. There is air conditioning and a fan in the room. temperature was just right in the room. Bathroom is clean and spacious. A smaller boat also means a smaller and quieter generator. I like that our boat was parked at a quiet bay with fewer boats for the night and was perfectly placed for sunrise. The enthusiastic staff also prepared a count down NewYear's eve party for us... Complete with champagne , whiskey, cake, fruits, sparklers and music... All on the house. The captain also joined in the revelry. I would recommend Legacy to anyone who wants to visit both Halong/Baitulong and are there to enjoy the bays and not just the boat!. Booked with Agoda just a couple of days before the cruise and everything went seamlessly well. Halong is worth the trip despite all the bad vibes tourists give it.

After three nights in Royal Lotus Hotel Ha Long, I have to admit that it is the best hotel which I have booked via Agoda. Royal Lotus Hotel Ha Long is a brand new hotel. Consequently, the facilities are very modern and good as a four star hotel. I also was impressed by the room design, cleanliness and pleasant helpful staffs as well. Without a doubt, if I come back to Ha Long, I will choose Royal Lotus Hotel Ha Long again.

We heard lots of stories of disappointment of other boat operators in Halong Bay and we wanted to finish our 4 week holiday with something special - and Au Co Cruise did not disappoint. From the moment we booked, every point of contact with staff was efficient, helpful and friendly. Arriving on the boat confirmed we were in for a memorable few days. Our cabin was beautifully presented, clean and spacious. The meals on board were of exceptional quality and the crew were lovely. The two night cruise took us out further into the bay where the water quality is better, the scenery is magnificent and you escape the presence of 100 other boats & tourists. The activities/on-shore trips were well planned, just the right amount of time at each place and well worth doing. This company seems to put a lot of effort into training their staff and have a good corporate culture and it is reflected in the cruise. I highly recommend this cruise to anyone who wants the best possible experience of Halong Bay.

Excellent location for us because we want to eat local Vietnameses food. The Vitcom food center also has excellent Korean food with sashimi. Good view of the island. Staff Jenny speak very good English. We really enjoyed our easy here. Next time we hope to bring our family. For Halong Bay tour, it is about a fifteen minutes to the boarding port. Most hotel near the Halong Bay do not have much activities. This is the best of both world...go yo Halong Bay and enjoy the local Vietnam food and culture.

They picked us up from the hotel in Hanoi and we had a pleasant ride though a local road to Ha Long bay. (Event though the incident of a flat tire and they ask us to wait on the roadside until got it fixed – could have at least stop near a place to find a water or compensate with an appreciation of our patience). I am unhappy about the place they stop for the rest from Hanoi – Halong. Everything is 200-300% expensive! Our tour guide, ROKCY , nice gentle, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and a great personality. The ship was exceptionally clean and as well as the room (Booked 201 – first room of the front of the upper deck) was much bigger and nice as expected. It also comes with a small nice balcony with a wonderful view (but do not like the CCTV in 201 balcony). Rooms have bigger glass windows to get a great view of the bay from both sides. Very comfortable BIG BED. It also to have a nice and sparkling clean bathroom can gives you standing shower (and more ha ha) with a best View to the bay if you dare to open the blinds. Need to improve on board massage service, even though staff tied their best to make us feel good. Furthermore it was complementary. Another thing is and extends the Wi-Fi to the rooms and to the in upper deck would be fantastic. They respect guess privacy after dark, also they have CCTV security service system too. From the moment they picked us up until we returned, this trip was well planned and had everything prepared for us. The staffs were all very wonderful and itinerary was fine as well. Overall its a good trip with wonderful staff and great rooms. Highly recommend Garden Bay Cruises if you do not too much concern about money.

Not sure what happened with food on this boat but it was cheap and small quantity - almost like the chef was switched out or they were skimping out. The reason I say this is because on the last day we got the best cooked food / buffet / crab / seafood but ONLY on the last day ? and for the other days it was soup / chicken nothing special not filling. The host was good but at the end of every meal he would ask everyone if they were happy with the food - we all ate together it's not as if someone was going to complain in front of everyone else. Everything else was absolutely amazing - the boat is second to none - I did enough research and this is by far the best boat out there in terms of quality and facilities. The SeaView rooms are small and no good but are advertised as premium. We stayed in the Royal Suite room which was like a mini hotel room with its own balcony and sundeck chairs on the end of one side of the boat. Definitely recommend paying the extra for this beautiful room

Not sure what to expect cruising on a private charter for the first time, I now would recommend it to anyone and certainly Bhaya/Legend. We opted for the limousine transfer from Hanoi, which was a great start. Extremely comfortable, not rushed and punctual. The transfer through the cruise centre is slick and very professional. But, nothing could prepare us for the cruise itself. A brief trip to our cabin to reacquaint ourselves with the luggage we hadn't seen since the hotel and then a briefing from our Butler Mr Tien. He was genuinely interested in our likes and dislikes, from crowds to cuisines. He said from the outset that the better he knew about us, then the better he would make the experience. And how true I was. Our 5 course lunch was delicious, as were all the meals thereafter. The captain, by communicating with other vessels, guided the boat to every location minimising clashes with larger boats who were disgorging countless passengers. Fab Trip!

For 5 days we didn't see the sun, heavy fog most mornings, showers and poor visibility meant we had a disappointing stay in Halong... at least we had a great room. This was one of the best all round hotels we stayed at during our 6 weeks in Thailand/Vietnam. Great breakfast, well appointed room with very reasonably priced mini bar, kettle and good fridge... Excellent WiFi, 5 star bathroom... really nothing to complain about but... The huge development directly in front of the Hotel, which was a 24hr/ day construction site, I fear for the hotels great views. The restaurant on the road in front of the hotel caters for tourist buses, it was old and filthy I wouldn't let my dog eat there. There are good eats within walking distance.

One of the best priced hotels I have stayed in for this level of comfort. Rooms are large, modern and quite luxurious. Large flat screen TV with sat channels and fast Wi-Fi. Bordering on 4 star in my opinion. The hotel is new however, so the rooftop facilities which I believe are a gym and/or bar are still under construction (June 2016) There is however little reason for travelers to Ha Long Bay to want to stay in this part of town, as Hong Gai offers little in terms of things to see, apart from the fishing port and a modern shopping mall minutes away. The best reason for staying here a night or 2 is to be within walking distance to the nearby climbable "Bai Tho" mountain, which offers sweeping views over the bay.