Hotels in Vietnam
Hotels
We've been through a fair few hotel websites and most only have a smattering of hotels in Hanoi and Saigon and cover the rest of the country pretty poorly, if at all. However we're big fans of Agoda, a hotel booking website based in Asia as it has a massive selection and even covers some of the smaller towns like Buon Ma Thuot.
We're not alone - it was awarded 'Best Hotel Site in Asia 2008' by TravelMole. Not only do they offer major reductions on room rates, but they also give you cashback on hotels that you can save up for free nights elsewhere.
One tip we would offer is that many Vietnam hotels are not yet able to offer instant confirmation of bookings so it is worth booking with some time to spare and considering a second option as you may have to wait a day or two for confirmation of your stay.
Budget Accomodation
As a traveller who spends more time on a budget than sampling the delights of luxury accommodation, I have been consistantly surprised by the quality of accommodation in Vietnam.
In many budget destinations cheap certainly doesn't equal clean, and even paying over the odds one can end up with sub par rooms unless you really fork out. Yet in Vietnam even at the cheapest end of the scale - while not perhaps as cheap as neighboring Cambodia, with the cheap rooms on average starting around $10 / night - rooms are usually still spotlessly clean and more often than not include a fridge, A/C and sometimes cable TV.
I used to always just rock up at a destination and see what I could find in terms of accomodation but more and more I'm booking online - particularly when I first arrive in a country, bleary eyed from a long plane journey.
Hostelbookers is pretty good for finding budget accomodation when you arrive - you only pay a 10% deposit on your booking so changing plans is cheap, and all hostels listed have lots of reviews. They've a huge selection for Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An and Saigon, though listings for Nha Trang and Da Lat are pretty bare.
