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Forget expensive stays! Find out how I scored an incredible Hanoi hotel for just ~$14 a night, complete with amazing service and insider local recommendations. Perfect for budget-conscious explorers.
Price isn't everything.
It changed my perspective and made me keep chasing value for money throughout the rest of my trip –
The staff were incredibly friendly,
they introduced all the nearby attractions, local eateries, and unique features,
and every service felt exceptional.
So, what's the timing of today's story?
It's after my trip to Sapa, and I've just parted ways with my friend.
My friend headed straight back to Korea,
and now I'm on my own.
Since I stayed at a place in Sapa for ~$138 per night,
now that I'm alone, I decided to go for extreme value for money.
Anyway, I'd only be sleeping at the accommodation,
and spending the rest of my time out exploring,
so I only considered two things:
Location: Not near where I stayed before.
Price: I'm too old for dorms, so it had to be an affordable hotel.
📍 No.9 P. Gầm Cầu, Đồng Xuân, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000 Vietnam
No.9 P. Gầm Cầu, Đồng Xuân, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000 Vietnam
And this is the place I found.
Before this, I stayed near Hoan Kiem Lake,
and this is a bit further north.
If there's one downside,
it's that it can feel a little spooky walking around at night.
The reason is... it's located in an alleyway.
Where Grab first dropped me off.
It's inside that alley.
Cars can't go any further.
Ta-da!
"Is this really it?"
you might think, and then there it is.
Everything else around was closed...
so it felt like this was the only place open.
The alley on the other side is even spookier.
Grab bikes can definitely pass through here, though, haha!
If you take a bike, you can get right in front of the hotel.
Oh, of course, it's only scary at night;
during the day, all the shops are open, so it's not scary at all.
It feels a bit like the hotel is tucked away in a market alley.
Strange;
it's that alley, but why does it look gloomy even during the day? Haha...
Shall we look at the advantages now? Haha!
I think the biggest advantage is its unbeatable price.
At around ~$14 per night,
if your trip is a bit longer,
or if you occasionally want to splurge on a more expensive place,
you can save money by staying at this Hanoi hotel on other nights.
The 300,000 VND is for the taxi to the airport upon checkout,
and the accommodation cost for 2 nights is just under 800,000 VND.
Another advantage is,
first and foremost, the front desk staff are incredibly friendly.
I returned late from Sapa
and checked in at night.
As soon as I walked in, they knew it was me (probably the last check-in of the day).
They warmly greeted me, asking if I had just returned from Sapa.
They said that Koreans usually don't arrive at that time,
so they figured I must have come from Sapa since I hadn't arrived during the day.
They gave me a welcome drink,
and started introducing the surroundings, one by one.
Pointing out each spot on the map....
even now, looking back at them marking those points, it's truly touching.
Oh, I forgot to include photos of the room.
Given this Hanoi hotel was chosen for its excellent value,
I had absolutely no expectations for the room.
My mindset was simply that as long as I could lie down, I'd be happy, lol.
The overall design is a bit… well, let's just say it's not the most stylish,
but hey, it gets the job done for sleeping.
As long as there's a toilet and a shower, I'm good! Haha.
One more shot of the bed.
The next day, I headed to a local restaurant that was recommended here.
You could really tell it was genuinely local because,
there were only locals there,
and it had a truly authentic local vibe.
Oh, and of course, not speaking English was part of the authentic experience!
First up, a pho spot.
They recommended two pho places,
but it seems locals usually only eat pho in the morning.
I went for breakfast almost at lunchtime,
and they told me the other pho place probably wouldn't be open then, so I should go here instead.
So this was my first stop.
Looking at the photos now,
it definitely seems like Southern pho and Northern pho are different.
Northern pho appears to have a slightly cleaner, milder flavor.
Next up was a bun cha place.
This one was right in the alley next to the hotel.
It was practically radiating 'local gem' vibes, and I'd already planned to try it,
so it was perfect that they recommended it too!
Seriously though, did they not give me too much noodle....?
They were constantly grilling meat right next to me,
and the smell was absolutely divine.
But even though they seemed to be grilling a lot of meat,
they weren't giving me *my* meat ㅠ
(They only gave me the noodles and the bun cha dipping sauce first?)
I was waiting to eat so I could take photos,
and they didn't bring it for quite a while.
(I went outside of peak meal times, so there were only two customers, including me.)
I never figured out why, but in the end,
it was delicious nonetheless.
The meat was truly amazing.
However, I also love the meatballs in bun cha, and they weren't included, which was a slight shame.
(Other bun cha places I've been to often serve meatballs alongside the grilled meat.)
And then, another pho place.
This place was absolutely packed with locals – to the point there were no seats!
But... it was incredibly hot.
The taste was great, but honestly, all I could think about was getting a shower, haha!
It was quite convenient that the price list was clearly displayed like this!
I tried to order the first item on the list,
(at least that was my intention)
but I couldn't confirm if I actually got what I ordered. Either way, it was delicious!
They were continuously simmering broth in a huge pot nearby,
which probably made it even hotter.
Anyway, I was really satisfied with this Hanoi hotel,
and I would absolutely stay here again.
However, now that I've started travel blogging...
If I come back, I'll probably try a different hotel, haha!
Oh! And they also told me about the Hanoi Night Market, which I hadn't researched and knew nothing about.
If they hadn't told me, I would have probably been too tired that day and just rested at the accommodation...
And I might not have even thought to go the next day (since I wouldn't have known about it).
That's how I got to visit the Hanoi Night Market.
They were also the person who kindly looked up a place to repair luggage in Hanoi for me.
This hotel is located slightly north of the Hoan Kiem Lake area where I previously stayed. Being situated in an alley, it might feel a bit scary to walk around at night. Grab cars cannot enter, and only Grab bikes can reach directly in front of the hotel.
This hotel boasts an unbeatable price of approximately ~$14 per night. According to the article, the cost for a two-night stay was just under 800,000 VND.
The front desk staff were very friendly; they recognized the guest returning from Sapa and greeted them warmly. They offered a welcome drink and provided detailed information, marking must-visit places, local restaurants, and the Hanoi night market on a map.
The recommended pho restaurant is frequented only by locals, so English isn't spoken, but you can enjoy authentic, clear Northern pho. The bun cha restaurant, located in the alley right next to the hotel, constantly grills meat, giving off a wonderful aroma, and the meat itself was excellent.
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