Cristina Center Hotel & Spa

There was a huge inconvenience with the check-in for Time Hotel that I booked on Trip.com at 30 August 2022. When we arrived at the location of the hotel, there was a large security garage door/gate covering the front of the building. We tried contacting their phone number written on Trip.com and even the number written on the building sign but the numbers were unavailable. (our taxi driver tried calling too). We tried knocking on the door/gate but there was no response either. We were stuck outside and had to go book another hotel which costs us a lot more because it was a walk-in transaction. We were already tired at this point because we just arrived in Hanoi and had to travel for quite some time. I was really satisfied so far with Trip.com for the smooth sailing of our trip, but this has really got me thinking twice. If possible, I would like to request a refund for the first day of our booked hotel.

Friendly stuff, but in my opinion the hotel is over rated considering its quality and the price (i payed 23 usd/night without breakfast, Mimi, the lady from the reception made me a big discount). I stayed in two types of rooms and each one on the wall has traces of recent work, with big stains on the wall or ceiling as if water is leaking, from the kettle water is leaking every time using it, the fridge door on the outside is with traces of liquid like it has leaked on it. I accepted because wasn't a disaster, but didn't like it, specially for the money they ask. The room are clean, also the sheets, the towels. Cleaning lady ask every day for cleaning. Breakfast is in an unventilated room, there is a "closed space" smell, I gave it up and they recalculated the price. Mimi is very nice, but unfortunately we had some problems: I wanted to make my visa run and she insisted go to a border point, Cau Treu, because that's where her uncle's transport company was going, I went for nothing, at that border point i couldn't get the visa, the law was changed by laotian part since 3 years ago and Mimi didn't know even she told me she does this for other tourists. Moreover, on the way back to Hanoi I didn't have seat in the bus until halfway, by then I had to sit on the ground, even though I had paid the ticket to Mimi who arranged everything. From the begining Mimi assured me she takes care of everything and i was in contact with her all the time and she replied to my messages until I arrived to Hanoi. At the end, Mimi agreed to share the transport costs because it was her fault. Also through Mimi I bought the Hanoi-Hoi a bus ticket (actually she didn't want to make any reservation at all, because she said i tryed do help you and things got wrong, but i insisted, i was a client like any other). The night bus experience was the worst night bus i had in South East Asia. A very strong urine smell for 15 h in a dirty old bus, very rude driver, many passengers were outraged. Don't use the transport company Queen Cafe Bus. Also, Mimi was annoyed that i had to cancel some plans and change them, a strange attitude for me, never happened before in South East Asia. The hotel is very well located, people are nice, the rooms are clean.

The people who work there were very kind during our stay and helped us again in a second moment when we were supposed to go to a different accommodation which turned out to be unsatisfactory. The staff from Cristina Center Hotel promptly offered us a room for those nights.

Dirty, smelly, like a building site. Rooms old and shabby, beds hard. Toilet door did not even shut never mind lock. Noisy. Did not feel safe so left. Probably part of a scam so beware. Do not recommend in any way.