FAQs

Beware of Scam by taxi drivers & touts

There's so much scam by taxi drivers & touts. Tips to avoid scam:
• Please come to our head office at No. 28 Tho Xuong street address first, our staff will lead you to your room; other addresses are just five steps walk from there.
• Don't take any advice from taxi driver or tout if he says that our hotel is full booked & ask to take you to other hotel.
• Ask the taxi driver to come into the hotel's lobby & pay there, don't pay while standing on the street.
• Beware of FAKE hotel at 27 Au Trieu and 69 Phu Doan street.

 

Do the room rates include breakfast, service charges and tax?

 

• You have to pay only room charges that we've offered, no tax or hidden fee required. Tax will be applied only if you require an VAT invoice. Room rate does not include personal services like: drinks, laundry, phone calls, pick-up service, taxi,...
• Hanoi is most well-known for great street food. Let forget breakfast at hotel and don't miss the chance to enjoy "Phở Hanoi" noodle soup or "Bún riêu cua" vermicelli sour crab soup right in front of our hotel.


Do you offer free airport pick-up service?

• Some other hotels offer free airport pick-up service. In fact, they added the pick-up service cost to your room charge. We offer only room charges with no hidden fee, so you will pay exactly what you use, that's why travellers like to stay in our hotel. Means we do not offer free airport pick-up service.

• We supply airport pick-up service just $16 with a private 4 seats car, $18 for a 7 seats mini van or $25 for a 16 seats mini bus (price for a whole car, not per person). It is safe, much more comfortable & even cheaper than public taxi. If you prefer our service, please let us know your flight information (exactly landing time? which airlines? flight number & where does your flight come from) so our driver can find you at the airport.


Payment

• No deposit required for online reservation from our official website or via e-mail.
• You can pay room charges and other services in cash or credit card upon arrival as well.
• Kindly add 3% of total payment for bank fee while paying by credit card.
• We accept: VISA, Master Card, JCB, and Dinner’s Club International
• Please ask the receptionist to give you a receipt after paying and keep for future reference.


Money exchange

• Changing currency at airports or banks always results in a very low exchange rate, changing currency at Ha Trung street at street rates is much better and highly recommended.
• We also supply currency exchange service at street rates.


Transfer between airport and Especen hotel

It takes about 2 hours from landing time to arrival at our hotel (45 minutes driving & other time for immigation process & get your luggage). There are different ways to go from the airport to Hanoi:

• By taxi (pay follow meter, will be more than $17.50): Some bad taxi drivers may take you to bad or FAKE hotel to get commission. Please ask the driver to take you to Especen hotel - 28 Tho Xuong street and come into the reception desk to get your room. Upon arrival at our hotel, ask the taxi driver to come into the hotel's lobby & pay there, don't pay while standing on the street to avoid getting scammed by the taxi driver or thief. Don't take any advice from taxi driver! NOT RECOMMEND THIS WAY.

• Cheapest commute is by Vietnam Airlines mini bus ($2/person). This bus will drop you at Vietnam Airlines head office at No. 1 Quang Trung street, then you will walk about 7 minutes to Especen hotel. Be careful of some "street boys" who always have the hotel cards to show you at a bus stop. He will take you to some bad hotel to get commission. Some bad drivers may ask to take you directly to your hotel address but he will take you in around about way. This way is cheap but not comfortable and NOT RECOMMEND AT NIGHT TIME.

• We supply airport pick-up service just $16 with a private 4 seats car, $18 for a 7 seats mini van or $25 for a 16 seats mini bus (price for a whole car, not per person). It is safe, much more comfortable & even cheaper than public taxi. If you prefer our service, please let us know your flight information (exactly landing time? which airlines? flight number & where does your flight come from) so our driver can find you at the airport. HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you arrive late or feel tired or awkward.

• Our car service to take you to the airport will charge only $11 with a private 4 seats car, $13 with a 7 seats mini van or $18 with a 16 seats mini bus. Please ask our receptionist while staying to arrange!


Other transport

• Ask the receptionist to call a taxi for cheaper and avoid bad taxi drivers.
• It's difficult to call a taxi at so early morning. To avoid miss your opportunity, please ask receptionist to call taxi in advance from last night.
• We don't supply pick-up service from train station as train time often changed without notice & it is really difficult to find a guest from a crowd at the train station with several doors. You can easy catch a taxi to my hotel as well. It takes about 10 minutes and under 50.000 VND (~ US$3) by taxi to my hotel. Mai Linh taxi (the green car) is highly recommended for better quality and cheaper.


Especen hotel - 28 Tho Xuong street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi city, Vietnam
www.especen.vn - especen@gmail.com - Tel: +84 (24) 38244401