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Region: Hanoi And Surrounds> Province: Hanoi> Location: Hanoi
Old Darling II and Asia Queen Hotel
Has a new lease on life
16 A-B Trung Yen Lane, Dien Liet St, Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi Province
Tel: (04) 825 9468
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Description
This place used to be the most wretched of the 'Darling Backpacker' rip-off outfits -- some users complained of being kicked out of a room simply because someone else showed up willing to pay more! That's rough, even by Hanoi standards. But the offending owners are now gone, and the the Old Darling has partnered up with the Asia Queen Hotel next door, sharing the same staff, so it makes sense to think of it as one big hotel (though technically there are two different owners). A telling sign of the regime change is the new sign behind the reception desk of the Asia Queen: The Customer's Always Right. Don't worry, you haven't entered a dimensional vortex. You're still in Vietnam. It's too soon to tell if the new owners really plan to live up to their new philosophy but this two-for one hotel has clean, good looking, newly remodelled rooms throughout, in a relatively quiet lane way in a good central location.
Standard - Double
16 USD (low season)
16 USD (high season)
Superior - Double
18 USD (low season)
18 USD (high season)
Deluxe- Double
25 USD (low season)
25 USD (high season)
Family room
32 USD (low season)
32 USD (high season)
Added to Travelfish on: 4th March, 2006
Last visited or updated on: 22nd April, 2008
Guest feedback
Agressive Staff - 
By Turner ( total comments: 1 
) Stayed here 6/2008
Don't go here. To keep it short: rude and aggressive staff (one staff-member, a man, threatened even my girlfriend), not the best rooms for value and we heared stories of people booking a trip through the hotel, they payed 100 dollars too much, each. So try to avoid this one.
Cleanliness | Facilities | Location | Romance | Rooms | Service | Value | Vibe |
Avoid! - 
By liamfrawley ( total comments: 1 ) Stayed here 2/2008
The hotel was in a great location ... that's the only good thing I can say about this place!
The guy who runs this place (and his family run 6 other hotels in Hanoi) is dishonest! He tried to rip me off on several occasions. The first time was when I went to pay he tried to overcharge me. Then he ''forgot'' to take into account my deposit. I was overcharged for laundry. The initial dollar/dong exchange rate he tried to used was terrible until I brought it to his notice.
The prices he was trying to charge for the Sapa and Halong trips were CRAZY!!!! We booked a 3 day 2 night trip to Halong for US$91 each and on the trip we met another tourist from Old Darling and she had paid over US$200 for the trip!!!! This is not the only story we have heard about the owners of this hotel ripping people off!
The rooms are tiny and very basic. Breakfast was non-existent.
Do yourself a favour ... Avoid!!
Cleanliness | Facilities | Location | Romance | Rooms | Service | Value | Vibe |
Scammers! Don't support them! -
By annadeltrav ( total comments: 7 ) Stayed here 1/2008
I went by to book a room, the man who helped me seemed nice. He showed me the room, we agreed on $14 for a double and I paid a deposit of $6 to reserve the room for the next night. I told him I wanted that room in particular and he assured me that it would be mine. The next morning, he told us the room wasn't ready yet and to please wait in the lobby. After about 25 mins. he came up to us and said another room was ready and it had a heater and he'd give it to us for the same price. We checked it out, but it was next door, inferior and the heater (AC 2-way) didn't work. The room was not worth $14. So we went back and I found him upstairs outside the room I'd booked, which was empty and I told him I wanted the room I reserved. He finally had to admit ''his staff had booked it without his knowledge''. He should have been honest from the beginning. I believe he found someone willing to pay more for the already over-priced room. I got my deposit and we stayed at 79 Prince Hotel, very nice!
Scammers! Don't support them! -
By annadeltrav ( total comments: 7 ) Stayed here 1/2008
I gave a deposit for a room the day before. The man working there, promised me the room, he seemed nice and he told me to come by in the morning. When we arrived the room wasn't ready and we had to wait 25mins. Finally he suggested another room for the same price, but with heater, we said we'd look at it. It was next door, inferior and the ''heater'' AC 2-way didn't work. I told him I wanted the room we agreed on and finally he admitted ''his staff had booked it the day before without his knowledge''. He had no other rooms available and I got my deposit back. He should have been honest from the start, he wasted our timeand gave us the runaround. I believe he found someone willing to pay more than $14, which was already over-priced. 79 Prince Hotel, near by is really nice, the staff is great and the rooms have nice warm comforters. Asia Queen lives up to its bad reputation.
Terrible - 
By hyacin3 ( total comments: 2 ) Stayed here 11/2007
Got kicked out because some people said they'd pay more - they literally went into my room and packed my stuff while I was gone - even though I had confirmed I was staying on. My laundry was handed back as well and it was only later that I discovered that it hadn't been done. Do not stay here.
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