Where to stay in Vietnam: best areas and types of hotel

Use this as a filter before you open a booking site. The area decides your mornings and evenings; the hotel type decides how much you pay for them.

Step 1: fix the route before the hotel. The country facts say a first trip should pick two of the three regions for 10–14 nights and fly between them. That gives you two or three bases, not six, and each base needs a different area.

Step 2: choose the area inside each city. In Hanoi, the Old Quarter puts food, bars and the lake within a 15-minute walk; Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh are quieter and still central. In Ho Chi Minh City, District 1 covers the museums, Ben Thanh market and the river; District 3 is calmer and cheaper; Pham Ngu Lao is the backpacker strip. In Hoi An, the riverside is the postcard and the east bank (An Hoi) is quieter and cheaper; the beach strip at An Bang suits swimmers. In Da Nang, the beach strip faces the sea and the Han River side is closer to restaurants and the airport.

Step 3: choose the type. Hostels and guesthouses are cheapest and most social; three-star city hotels are the value sweet spot; resorts cluster at Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Da Nang and Quy Nhon. Homestays in Sa Pa, Ha Giang and the Mekong Delta are the point of going there, not a budget compromise.

Step 4: check the practical details before paying. Air conditioning, a window (many cheap city rooms have none), lift, hot water, distance to the nearest food street, and whether the price includes VAT and breakfast. In the Old Quarter, ask for a room away from the street if you sleep lightly: motorbike traffic starts early.

Step 5: book. Two to four weeks ahead is comfortable in high season; around Tết, book a month or more ahead and confirm the hotel is open. In the low season you can often walk in, but the first night after a long flight is worth pre-booking.

Prices are quoted in đồng and often in US dollars at resorts. Pay in đồng where you can; the country facts note that tipping is not expected, so round up rather than adding a percentage. Cards work at mid-range and up; guesthouses and homestays usually want cash.

Location beats star rating in Vietnamese cities. A two-star room beside the Old Quarter food streets is a better trip than a four-star tower 6 km out with nothing walkable around it. Check the map, not the photos.

Noise, heat and stairs are the three recurring complaints. Old Quarter and Pham Ngu Lao rooms can be loud; upper floors are hotter but quieter; many small hotels have no lift. Ask before booking if any of these matter.

If you plan to work or stay a month, Da Nang, Da Lat and Hanoi's Tay Ho area have the deepest stock of serviced apartments (check).

Travel insurance is worth arranging before you book non-refundable rooms; cancellation cover is the part most people use.