Ninh Binh Legend Hotel — Hotel in Ninh Bình

I stayed with Ninh Binh Legend Hotel from 27 - 28 December 2023 and had an extremely disappointing experience with them as they caused the loss of my retainers valued at about $300 AUD and have refused to offer compensation.

On the morning of 28 December 2023, I placed the retainers in a small niche next to the sink in my hotel room and spent the entire day in town. After returning that evening at around 10pm, I went to put on my retainers and found them missing. I had been gone from my room the entire day, so the only person or persons who could have possibly entered my room during that time was housekeeping. Logically, it would seem that housekeeping staff had either taken them (which I think is unlikely) or, more likely, mistaken my retainers for plastic trash and disposed of them whilst tidying the room. That is an understandable mistake and I wouldn't be writing this poor review if not for the way Ninh Binh Legend Hotel handled this matter.

As soon as I found out my retainers were missing, I called and made a visit to reception to alert them to the situation. I was told that housekeeping staff had been contacted, who reported never having seen my retainers and that in the morning, I would have an opportunity to speak with housekeeping and show them where exactly in the room I had left my retainers.

The next morning, I spoke with a Ms Linh and several members of the housekeeping staff. I showed them photos of what the retainers looked like and indicated to them where I had left the retainers. Ms Linh assured me that a thorough search of my room (and the rooms of people I travelled with) would be conducted. Furthermore, I was assured that in the event the retainers could not be found, I would be compensated for their loss.

A day or two after, I received an email from Ninh Binh Legend Hotel informing me that the retainers could not be found. This is not surprising, as I had expected, they were probably disposed of. The email made no mention of any compensation. After further, frustrating, email exchanges I've been informed by a Mr Tran Dac Hoan that it is apparently hotel policy to not compensate for the loss of ANY guests' items unless they were left at hotel reception or in the safe - the suggestion that I should leave retainers, an everyday dental device, with reception or in a safe is quite frankly ridiculous. What is more frustrating is how Ninh Binh Legend Hotel have completely reneged on their earlier, oral promise that I would be compensated for my lost belongings. If I had known they would act with such dishonesty, I would have extracted a written promise before departing. The most Ninh Binh Legend Hotel could muster in terms of compensation is the offer of a complimentary stay in future - as if I would like to subject myself to such a terrible experience after this.

Ultimately, I am extremely disappointed with the lack of professionalism and honesty displayed by the hotel. I strongly recommend against staying here unless you're happy with locking up all your possessions because apparently their staff can throw out all of your things without consequence if they aren't...

Definitely not 5 star quality

Upon initial observation, it's apparent that this hotel may be in need of some updates or better upkeep. Mold is unfortunately present in the lift area, and the pool table shows signs of wear and neglect. Additionally, the beds are quite firm, and the pillows are overly thick, resulting in a less-than-ideal sleeping experience.

Despite these initial disappointments, we hoped for a more positive experience upon checking in. While we appreciated the gesture of a welcome cake, the incorrect names on the welcome letters were a minor setback. Exhausted from our travels, we decided to dine at the hotel's all-day dining venue. Regrettably, the staff seemed disengaged, making it challenging to get their attention when needed. Although some dishes were satisfactory, the pizzas left much to be desired with their tough, unappetizing crust.

The following morning, breakfast failed to meet our expectations for a purported five-star establishment. The absence of a coffee machine was surprising, and the brewed coffee provided was both cold and excessively strong. Furthermore, the use of instant noodles in one of the dishes detracted from the overall dining experience. Our frustrations continued at the live station. I again ordered everything for my family in Vietnamese to make sure they don't take it wrong (I’m the only Vietnamese. My boyfriend and his parents are German). We asked the guy who was at the station at the time to make us 3 fried eggs with 1 being sunny side up and 2 well done. After taking 1 round at the buffet, we came back and saw that the eggs are being made by someone else while the first guy was still standing there. This person has white uniform while other chefs wear dark uniform. He gave us the eggs that were fried both sides but the egg yolk was still running that we can see with normal eyes. We had to return the egg 2 times to him to fry it more. At the time we picked up the egg, my family came over with their plates to get the egg. And it seems like he was pissed that we returned the eggs twice, he said to me in Vietnamese that 'How can I know that they are with you?’.

On top, since they have problem with the electricity all the time, they will turn on the generator all day long starting at around 5AM and turn it off at 11PM only. We wanted to stay 3 days in Ninh Binh but had to check out on the last day. We would definitely not return to...

My wife and I brought our 3 month old daughter here to get away from Hanoi for a few days and it absolutely blew us away.

The room was crisp and clean, everything in top order and with nothing to complain about, they even had a balcony for smoking as needed. Bed wasn’t too soft or firm, climate control lagged the tiniest bit but took care of you once it knew it was on. View from the room was also quite good.

Cleaning staff - were always prompt and understanding of our situation, a 3mo dictates when you leave the room and sometimes that’s simply 2 hours later than you initially planned. The cleaning staff were nothing but professional, friendly, and helpful with swapping out things as we caught them in the halls or made requests.

Breakfast - my only complaint is that I cannot go at any hour of the day to enjoy it. The food was prepared with care and attention, high quality ingredients and a kitchen staff who clearly take pride in their craft.

Lunch and dinner - the food is excellent. Perfectly cooked, beautifully presented, and generously portioned (even for an American) we tried near enough half the menu and did not have a bad experience. Is all of it for everyone? No, but you will find something to order and it will be excellent.

Drinks - dangerous in the best possible way. The whiskey sour in particular did not taste of alcohol, but had us giggling like high schoolers.

All of this in preparation for the truly best experience we’ve had in a hotel in a long time: Thinh Hang

Thinh Hang is a waitress/hostess in the restaurant and a world class wonderful person. She took care of us on two separate nights and each time went to great efforts to ensure we had the best dining experience possible, including taking our 3mo for a walk around the still mostly empty dining room to calm her while we enjoyed our meals. Not only that but she paid special mind to stay in easy sight and truly put us at ease as new parents.

Thinh Hang is a truly professional member of the hospitality industry and has us already planning a return trip once our little one is walking on her own.

5/5 stars on all counts, Thinh Hang 6/5 stars.

Thank you guys for such an...