Hotel La Than

Located around the central lake, a 15-minute walk will take you into the town centre, whilst the airport is a 40-minute drive away.

The swimming pool, which is closed from October to April, incurs an additional charge (?0.50). Although the vast empty space in the lobby may appear rather unnecessary at first, it soon serves its purpose when you realise that the hotel plays host to weddings on a regular basis and receives hundreds of guests. The majority of the rooms have two separate beds, and there is no bar at the hotel.

The Than Hotel is an imposing 8-floor building which features typical 70s-style Asian decor, including lots of gilt, marble, pillars in the entrance hall and brown fabric armchairs, all in an area which is somewhat over-proportioned for the facilities offered at the hotel. Behind the hotel lies the large outdoor swimming pool, though the terrace surrounding it doesn't offer much privacy for guests as only a barrier separates it from the street outside and passers-by can't help but see the pool as they pass. Unfortunately, that's all the hotel has to offer in terms of facilities!

There are 134 rooms including 100 standard rooms, 10 suites and 24 superior rooms. The standard rooms are not worth what you are expected to pay for them, although all the amenities you really need are provided (kettle, hair-dryer, minibar, air-conditioning, television, bathtub, hospitality products and slippers). The dark wooden furniture, carpet and bedspreads are rather worn though, and the rooms are not as clean as they should be. We even found that we had a little friend in the bathroom when we visited! Moving on to the superior rooms, the design here is entirely different and the bathtub in the bathroom is replaced by a shower. The decor consists of bright colours, numerous light fittings and contemporary furniture, and, although you may feel more at home here, there is still something lacking where cleanliness is concerned. Finally, the suites, which are tastefully decorated in pastel colours, are very spacious and complete with parquet flooring, a very pleasant lounge area and a large bed. Basically, they are very comfortable suites which are worthy of their title.

The hotel has one restaurant where all three meals of the day are served as a buffet. This is divided into two rooms in which two different types of breakfast are served - one is more Asian, the other more Western. Fortunately, this means that you don't have to smell noodles, spring rolls or any other Asian dishes whilst enjoying your morning coffee and croissants, though this doesn't stop those who enjoy a nice pho (a local soup) tucking into their favourite dish for breakfast when they feel like it! The cuisine is perfectly decent and consists of classical dishes which combine local and international influences.