Pù Luông Natura — Hotel in Thanh Hoá Province

The hotel itself was okay. It's an average 3 star accommodation in Vietnam. The place tries to brings in local ethnic elements, which I appreciated. The food was alright and the highlight is probably the staff and new owners, who are friendly and attentive.

However, their sales team and the way they managed their vendor is a DISASTER. We booked the transportation through the hotel (Ms Lena), and it's a standard 16-seater limousine drive (4 - 4.5 hrs from Hanoi to Pu Luong). The day before our ride to Pu Luong, I texted Lena and got her confirmation on the chat, in addition to email confirmation received days before. The day of, we were at the pick-up point on time and saw a limousine there - we assumed this is our ride and I asked the driver to check our names. The driver very rudely shoved us aside and showed us his list which had none of our names. He said to wait for another car and then drove off. Okay - so we waited for 30 mins and called Lena 3 times. She finally picked up and apologized - turned out it was the right car but they forgot to put our names on the list. Then she asked us to catch a taxi to play catch up with the limousine, which was waiting on the highway. Fine, this already ruined a bit of our experience on day 1 but we tried to enjoy the rest of our stay.

On our way back, I would think that they could not possibly make the same mistake AGAIN. But no, even with confirmation the day before (!!!), the driver this time STILL forgot us and we waited another 40 mins at the hotel when the staff there tried to figure out what's going on. (Note: The staff were nice enough and to be honest, it's not their fault as they are not the one who was in charge of transportation booking / managing these vendors). Lena texted to explain that it's the transportation coordinator who made the mistake (at this point, I'm not even sure what's going with their system / partner anymore). The driver had to drive back to pick us up coz obviously, we could not just order a taxi in the middle of the mountain to play catch-up with them this time.

This is such an unnecessarily stressful experience and I hope the management seriously consider how they select their partners as this damages their...

Positive: Beautiful scenery. Enjoyed the magnificent view of the mountain, rice terraces, and the nature sounds. Loved watching the local daily life. The staff was friendly and helpful with booking excursion - hiking with a local guide and that was the best experience of our stay in Pu Luong. The on site restaurants was fine.

Tips: Pu Luong is best experienced if having your own transportation (car, moped, etc). Otherwise, get a driver or have the hotel book taxi service. Location is remote and long walk to other restaurant choices.

Negative: The two pools were dirty! They said to use natural mountain water., no chemicals and keep it flowing. However the turnover rate was too low and the algae growth was visible. Also, don’t use the bamboo straw offered with the drinks. They were moldy inside! Needed cleaning. The property needs some proper maintenance work as we could see the roof of one of the bungalows by the pool was falling apart. There was this sweet sour vinegary smell everywhere - maybe from the overripe/rotten fruits on the property ground or garbage?!? The room and linen had a musty smell. Running the AC helped but didnt get rid of it. There was construction noise right next door but that didnt bother us much. The worst part of the stay was being waken up by the neighboring room guests late at night - they were blasting karaoke from 11:30 pm until after 1 am. Called the reception a few times and we even walked up to the reception, but it was closed for the night and nobody was there to help. We knocked on the noisy neighbor’s doors; they promised to turn down the volume but it didn’t really happen. Mentioned to the reception the next morning and no acknowledgment or apology...

An unforgettable honeymoon experience at Pu Luông Natura! We stayed 2 nights and felt this was the perfect amount of time to explore the area. Our bungalow suite provided a picturesque panorama of lush rice paddies and rolling hills, the perfect backdrop for romance. Opting for Pu Luông area over Sapa proved to be an excellent choice, offering a more authentic rural escape without the lengthy drive. The journey from Hanoi, though four hours, was well worth it. Breakfast was a delicious introduction to Vietnamese cuisine. The restaurant also served up tasty lunches and dinners. Weekends brought some entertainment, adding to the charm. The pool was slightly dirty the first day, but they promptly cleaned it the next morning. The view was stunning from the infinity pool. Our room was rustic yet comfortable. Do not expect 5 star accommodations in this area. The space was clean, had excellent air conditioning, a beautiful balcony, good WiFi, privacy and hot water (don’t forget to turn it on!). While the area lacked bustling attractions, the opportunity to hike and explore nearby towns and rice fields was a welcome retreat into nature compared to the hustle of Hanoi. The warm hospitality made us feel cherished and well looked after. Pu Luông Natura exceeded our expectations. We can’t wait to return in the future! Thank you to Lam, for the...