A1 Hotel (A1 Restaurant) — Hotel in Điện Biên Phủ

Dien Bien Phu has fewer Western tourists (and thus fewer Western-style faciliites like hotels) than Hanoi, Danang, Hoi An, etc., so choices are few. This is a nice-looking, big hotel, with big rooms and a spa on the top floor. Beds are very hard (Vietnam style, not western). Plumbing works but showers are a bit quirky. Lots of Asian tourists (could not tell if Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Laotian) in buses here for a day, can be noisy at night. Also, some smell of smoke in public areas (but not bedroom) which I don't like but found tolerable. Breakfast is big, good, and included in price. Hotel is close to battle sites, museum, and downtown, good for walking/exploring. Staff has minimal English skills but are very accommodating and want to help; we had no problems with basic transactions. Interesting thing in the lobby is several dozen large photos of official looking functions, all with the same guy in them. No idea who his is, but it was one of the quirks of the place. Also, lots of big ornately carved wooden chairs all over - seems to be a regional thing. I'd recommend staying here, but be forewarned about the hard beds - would be surprised if there are any better accomodations in Dien Bien Phu...

We had a family room, and it was with really good beds, and room was spacious. Really really difficult to communicate with staff, as very limited English skills are present (even google translate was not ideal). ||Hotel is fine, but I did find it inpersonal. Somehow they used a lot of space in the middle of the hotel for nothing. Breakfast is vietnamese PHO, and I had a fried egg when I asked for it. We stayed 3 nights, and location is not bad for sightseeing, but market and city center is 30-40k Dong taxi away, or 10...

In a country with excellent value hotels this place really falls short. The first room they gave me was clearly under repair with water gushing from a pipe in the bathroom ceiling. The second was certainly spacious but dingy and badly in need of an overhaul. The beds were like sleeping on a slab of granite. The bathroom was huge but badly dated with awful lighting. I had to shave at the desk in the main room to see my face. The only plus is the location a short walk...