What can I say, it pays to be nice.
We arrived in Hanoi on the overnight train at 6am after getting almost no sleep due to a crying baby in our carriage. We got to our hotel and asked if we could put our bags in storage so we could go have some breakfast then head off to the Thai Embassy to get our Visa for the next leg of our journey.
When we got back to the hotel at check-in time the manager came out, sat us down and very apologetically told us that the family in our room couldn’t check out because their young daughter was taken to hospital where they spent the night and still weren’t back and the rest of the hotel was fully booked. Poor woman was wringing her hands with worry that we would be mad but the arranged another hotel for us, and asked if we would be happy to go there.
We said No Problem, of course we would change hotels. She called us a cab, and accompanied us to the new hotel where she handed us over to the concierge and told them to look after us.
The New Hotel was the Oriental Suites, right in the heart of the Old Quarter, a beautiful boutique hotel. We were made to feel so welcomed, got welcome drinks while Johny checked us in, the porters took our bags to our room and we finally got to have a hot shower and a much needed rest.
The rooms at the Oriental Suites are beautiful. Very spacious room, comfortable bed and a luxurious bathroom with a stone seat in the shower so you can take the weight off your feet while showering. Also a complimentary fruit and snack plate was waiting for us. We couldn’t have been happier with our accommodations.
That evening the manager of the previous hotel rang us to enquire if everything was alright, if we were happy with everything and to offer us a free private car to the airport when we leave. As we already had this organized with someone else we thanked her but declined the offer. In the meantime we were going out to Halong Bay for a couple of nights so we asked if we could leave our big suitcases at the hotel as we were coming back for one more night after our cruise on the bay. This was no problem and they happily complied with our request.
The breakfast is buffet style and you can also order off an Ala-carte menu. When Dale happened to mention that his favorite breakfast is ‘Eggs Benedict’ but its not on the menu, the chef Googled it and made it especially for us. After some constructive criticism, the next morning he was waiting for us and made the improved ‘Eggs Benedict’ with a beaming smile, asking if it was as we have it in the west. It was excellent! The breakfast room also had a glass floor over a coy pond so we could enjoy watching the fish swim while enjoying our breakfast. It was a truly beautiful experience.
On our return from the Bay, the staff came out to the tourist bus that dropped us off, surrounded us and guided us safely into the hotel to protect us from the crazy traffic on the road. If you have been to Vietnam you know what the traffic is like!
Once again, the staff made us feel so welcome, asking all about our trip to the Bay and getting us welcome drinks.
As we were getting ready to go to our room, they excitedly told us that they have a surprise for us, we are going to be in a different room. To our great surprise they upgraded us to the presidential suite, a huge room with its own rooftop balcony, freestanding stone bathtub and a huge fruit platter waiting for us.
To say that this has absolutely made our last night in Vietnam an unforgettable experience is an understatement.
The staff at this hotel take their customer service very seriously and it shows. We want to thank them for looking after us so well and the personal service we received from every one of them, it truly made our memories of Vietnam special.
Happy & Safe Travels
