Hi,
I'm wondering if anyone has used the hotel for airport pick-up. We are 4 adults and I contacted the hotel asking about the airport pick-up service that the hotel provides. They sent me an informative limousine menu detailing their services. The hotel suggests that we order the mercedes mini van (most expensive option at $95 one way). This mini van has 16 seats! This really seems like overkill to me. Has anyone used this service that the hotel provides and if so what did you do and what are your suggestions for us?
Obviously an alternative is to go to the taxi desk and simply get a taxi which we may do, I'm just thinking that after our long trip from the East coast of the US our brains may be slightly addled and our negotiating skills not up to par!
Thanks for advice and suggestions!
P.S. we're arriving midday on a Sunday

We just used the airport taxi, around $10 - 15 a cab, fixed price but I forgot the exact amount so NO NEED to negotiate. For 4 with luggage you will probably need 2 cabs.

Take taxis. Hotel transfers are always way overpriced. As Hanuman says, the taxis (get one from the taxi desk) are fixed price. No negotiations necessary.

Hanuman and Kathie: Thanks so much that's what I was leaning towards - the airport taxi desk. I like that I don't have to negotiate! Do I pay the person at the desk or do I get a slip of paper with our price on it and hand that to our cab drivers? Also, I assume that even though you mention the rate in $ I'll pay in dong?

You pay the driver in USD. You can reserve a cab on the web.
I give the link in a reply on this earlier thread:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-to-hotels.cfm

Someotherguy: Thank you so much for the link! I had searched (just the bare minimum, I admit) and I hadn't seen this great reference. Thank you!

When I arrived in Hanoi around midnight, after more than 20 hours in transit from North America and a boggling cross of the international dateline, it was nice to have a hotel car waiting for me. It cost $15US or a little less and delivered me to a small and not-easy-to-find hotel which paid the driver. There are better ways to save a dollar or two than worrying whether a taxi or a hotel car is cheaper in Vietnam, where a life of luxury greets the tourist who is more accustomed to scrimping.

I don't know which hotel you used. While some hotel cars are an ok deal, it is more often that you pay 5x - 10x the taxi fare. Only you can decide if it's worth it.

For instance, in Bangkok, I use a limo service that charges me 1000 baht to my hotel. A taxi is 350 baht, and the hotel car is 3000 baht (plus tax and service). Lots of little luxuries are affordable in SE Asia.

Outside there are Airport taxis who will tell you that the fare is about 15 usd. If the driver says there cab is more once he drops you off only give him the 15 bucks as agreed, with perhaps a buck for a tip. Many times I came from the airport the driver would ask for more, and I would politely say "Khong" vietnamese for no.
I lived in Hanoi for 3.5 years.