Sao Mai Hotel Thanh Hoa — Hotel in Thanh Hoá

I was a little surprised to find so many overseas reviewers of this hotel. I stayed at the invitation of the People's Committee and during my time in Thanh Hoa and Thanh Hoa Province I didn't see any other westerners, apart from in the new luxury hotel (forget the name, but like Sao Mai the finish lets it down) and I suspect that he was the manager. ||Despite now being the third largest city in Vietnam, Thanh Hoa has little to offer the tourist. There is a reasonable beach (Sam Son) which had rather a nice traditional hotel, which might be a better choice. Thanh Hoa is basically an industrial city that has developed quickly, but is somewhat lacking in amenities. Apart from Vietnamese visitors, the only other people in the city appeared to be Korean factory managers, some of whom I am told stay at the Sao Mai.||Sao Mai was certainly built to impress and the rooms are huge and well appointed. Excellent value compared with Saigon, or Hanoi. It had everything you would expect of a luxury hotel, toiletries, large tv, etc., etc. But the hotel has had little maintenance and the rooms are looking a little shabby. Other reviewers have commented that it feels dirty, but I suspect this could be more to do with wear and tear than a lack of attention to cleanliness, although it could be.||I had breakfast on the VIP floor (which may have been the same place that everyone eats it, certainly there were plenty of 'VIPs' eating their breakfast). Whilst nothing special, it was better than I am use to in budget hotels in Saigon and Hanoi. I also ate in the restaurant, which was full on Sunday lunch time with Hanoi based day visitors. The food was pretty good, to be honest and I rather like some of the local specialities.||I wasn't aware of any staff speaking English and believe their mediocre customer service skills were more a reflection of their lack of English and complete shock at seeing a westerner in Thanh Hoa.||On Sunday night local youths congregate outside the hotel, revving their motorcycles and pepping their horns, like it was the only thing they got for Tet. Mercifully it ends pretty early, but I had to get up early, nevertheless it was only mildly annoying.||If like me you are a business traveller to Thanh Hoa I think Sao Mai is a reasonable choice. But I really cannot see a reason for tourists to stop off in this Province and suspect they would be disappointed...

I paid $30 per night for 2 nights and it was well worth it for a change (after spending some nights in more budget accomodation on my trip). The room was on the 11th floor, was very spacious and modern, and had fantastic views across the city. The breakfast buffet was asian focussed but was varied and plentiful. The staff can't speak english (except for one receptionist) but that was half the fun in trying to organise things. The swimming pool was clean and large enough to do laps. The attached restaraunt gets very busy but I found the food tasty and safe. The restaraunt manager speaks excellent english and he spent a lot of time chatting to me. Thanh Hoa is not a big tourist destination, so if your budget can afford it, this is a nice...

The hotel is standard for a smaller city in Vietnam. While probably not the highest "starred" hotel in town, it is centrally located, and within easy reach of just about anything in town. Since its service is basically on par with what I paid for throughout my travels in Vietnam and the region, I only marked it as an average hotel, although this is by no means bad, and I would stay here again if I returned to the area.||||Pros:||* Tennis court||* Pool||* Very good breakfast buffet (wide selection, all you can eat)||* Affordable||* Centrally located||* Good mattresses and sheets||||Cons||* Hotel is aging, so expect to find small tears, cigarette burns, etc. on some of the furniture and carpeting||* Staff does not really...