CAN THO - Accommodations

Hotels are geared to in-and-out, blitzkrieg package tourists either on budget trips or high-end ones. In other words, there’s not much to offer between the two extremes. Reviews here are ordered in descending budget groups.

OVER $60

VICTORIA CAN THO
Made for luxury travelers – often en route to Cambodia on high-end package trips – the 92-room Victoria is one of the Mekong’s best hotels. Built to embrace the river, the cream-and-white, French-colonial style building faces a patch of the river away from the center’s bustle. The open lobby – with plenty of seats to use the free WiFi access, or listen to traditional music often played – looks over the central pool, and the river beyond. Some guests complain about the puddling-by riverboat engines, which is part of the charm. Inviting wood-floor rooms evoke the Indochina era, with Cham-style throws at the end of the beds. ‘Superior’ rooms face the hotel front ($120); spend the extra $20 for the slightly larger ‘deluxe’ rooms for the balcony facing the pool/river. There’s a restaurant overlooking the pool, and a bar next door with $6.50 burgers. Breakfast is $10. Staff arrange boat trips and tours around the region.
Tel 071-810-111; www.victoriahotels-asia.com; Internet rates superior/deluxe $120/130
Book Victoria online

GOLF CANTHO HOTEL
Probably the nicest hotel in the center – but a far cry from the Victoria – the Golf has nothing to do whatsoever with golf and is not really worth the bucks it asks for. If you go, opt for higher-floor rooms in the eight-floor building to get balconies overlooking the river. All rooms are fitted with the same carpet and furnishings – ‘superior’ rooms on higher floors are $69 (on the second floor, $60). A small deck pool faces a bad mural of a tropical scene ($2 for non-guests to use); the top-floor ‘Windy Coffee’ serves the free breakfast. There’s free WiFi access.
Tel 071-812-210; www.golfhotel.vnn.vn; 2 Hai Ba Trung; rooms $60 to $80

$15 to $60

Book Golf Can Tho online

NINH KIEU HOTEL
At an enviable spot – and the end of riverside Hai Ba Trung, with private promenade overlooking a canal – the Ninn Kieu is nevertheless a rather poorly planned complex with that modern ‘Vietnamese palace’ look that you see grumpy government dignitaries visit on local TV coverage. There’s a separate two-star complex – it’s old and overpriced; don’t consider it. At the three-star complex, only try the ‘superior’ rooms ($45), which come with balcony overlooking the water. Rooms are all frumpy, with the sort of bedspreads, dust-covers on chairs that you’d never consider at home. Supposedly there’s WiFi. Rough Guide’s Vietnam plugs the place, really not sure why.
Tel 071-821-171; Hai Ba Trung; rooms $25 to $80

UNDER $15

Package tourists on cheapie trips tend to stay in hotels just west of the center on Chau Van Liem and Ngo Duc Ke streets, running parallel to each other a couple blocks south of the market.

TAY HO HOTEL
An excellent budget choice across from the Uncle Ho statue in the center, the Tay Ho has no style to speak of – just spotless tile rooms, with AC, ‘German heater’ showers, TV – but the location is super and it’s situated in a historic two-floor building on the central strip. You pay an extra $2 for ‘view’ rooms, though the shuttered windows open only if you want bugs in and AC out. Laundry service is sometimes delivered, with a knock on the door, at 6.50am. No breakfast.
Tel 071-823-392; [email protected]; 42 Hai Ba Trung St; rooms $14-16

HIEN GUESTHOUSE II
Packed into a small alley, a few blocks west of the central market, the six-room, old-school Hien is named for its teacher owner, whose friendly family speaks English and don’t hussle trips. Rooms are clean and quite basic: the two AC rooms are on lower floors, the (presently) fan-cooled rooms are higher-up with better views and nice breezes. Rent motorbikes for $5 per day. Hien Guesthouse I (tel 071-812-718; 118/10 Phan Dinh Phung; fan/AC rooms $4/8) is nearby too
Tel 091-397-3320; 106/3 Phan Dinh Phung; fan/AC rooms $6/9

HUY HOANG HOTEL
Typical of a few choices on Ngo Duc Ke St: rather aged but clean rooms.
Tel 071-825-833; 35 Ngo Duc Ke; fan/AC rooms 80,000/140,000D

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