The location was nice and the hotel very beautiful. Breakfast was great and the room was comfy. The hot pot was good as well at the 1st building restaurant, although all lunch and dinner options are much pricier than anything else you can find on Cat Ba island.
The service was very poor. It was my partner’s birthday and I had arranged with them to bring a cake into our room while we were gone for a surprise. I checked twice with them and… nothing. I was very disappointed. We also booked massages, which were not the best. The people who massaged us barely spoke English and were pressing very hard. We kept telling them it hurt but they didn’t understand. I also purchased drinks in advance for the spa and we never received them. Moreover, the spa section is divided in two (men, and women) so if you are a couple, you cannot enjoy it together, which is a real bummer. There are still the pools that are available but they close very early (7 and 8 pm - depending on the pool)!! And the outdoor pools were too cold for us to go in winter.
To conclude, I feel a bit weird about this hotel. On one hand it was nice, although quite pricy and I liked staying there, but on the other, many things were extremely disappointing. I’m not sure I recommend.