Vietnam & Cambodia hotel recommendations please
 

I will appreciate any recommendations for hotels in the following cities:

Chau Doc
Phnom Penh
Siem Reap
Hanoi
Hoi An

We require clean and comfortable mid-range accommodations with good location.

Thanks

In Phnom Penh, FCC Phnom Penh and Amanjaya are probably the nicest ones of those along the river, which is a nice location. The Pavillion has a lovely pool.

In Siem Reap, there are many choices. Depending on your budget, you might look at Hotel de la Paix, FCC Angkor, Shinta Mani, Heritage Suites, La Residence d'Angkor, Bopha Angkor, Palm Village, La Noria, Mysteres d'Angkor, Angkor Village and Angkor Village Resort, Peace of Angkor, Two Drangons..there are so many places that are liked by many, for every budget.

I recommend the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi.

The Royal Angkor Sofitel is a great hotel in Siem Reap.It's worth paying to upgrade your room also for some real luxury.This hotel is also very well situated for Angkor Wat.There are photos and a link on our website
www.leightravelclub.com

Neither Sofitel will be considered mid-range by you. Check out AsiaRooms for a good listing of hotels in each location.

www.asiarooms.com

it really depends on what is considered mid-range to you :D. In hanoi
the Sofitel chains cost up to 120 USD.
other hotels that are comfortable and cheaper : Horison, Guorman...
and cheap hostels can be found any where around the old quarter...

The Life Resort in Hoi An is wonderful.
Metropole in Hanoi!!

It depends what you consider mid-range. For hotels in the $60-80 range I think the following might be worth considering
Phnom Penh
Bougainvillier (by the river)
Imperial Gardens Villa
Juliana (has a lot of tour groups)
Phnom Penh (favorite among many
tourists)
Sunway (very popular with tour groups
but IMO overpriced at around
$85)

Siem Reap
Bopha Angkor (highly recommended)
Borei Angkor
Angkorland Hotel
Angkor Paradise Hotel
AngkorHoward

Kim in her post above mentioned many more and new ones are opening all the time.

In Phnom Penh make sure you have a meal or at least a drink at the FCC. Much better food than their one in SR

I stopped in at the Victoria Hotel in Chau Doc in 2004 on a river cruise (didn't stay overnight though). It seemed very nice...got drink at the bar, looked around lobby/shops, but don't know what rooms are like. I'd stay there, though, based on what I saw.

By mid-range, my thinking is a European standard type tourist hotel or guest house that is clean and comfortable for sleeping with a/c and shower. We don’t care for a pool or room service but a restaurant is always nice. It would appear that the price ranges in Vietnam and Cambodia have a very wide swing.

In doing my research, so far, I have only looked at Chau Doc, Phnom Pehn and Siem Reap.

In Chau Doc, there doesn’t seem to be much to choose from, I only find The Victoria with a suitable recommendation and a price quote of US$105+. For only a couple of nights I have no problem with this price, but for two weeks would rather not spend this much on average.

For Phnom Pehn, I have read a recommendation at Tales of Asia on DARA REANG SEY HOTEL who has quoted US$20. It looks fine on their wed site.

As for Siem Reap I have looked at several and many are in the US$20 price range as well.

I must say that I am somewhat confused by the wide price swings, I know that for a luxury hotel the price comes high, we enjoy luxury but don't require it. Can one really get a clean and comfortable room for 20 dollars per night. I’ll pay $120 if necessary but am always happy to pay less.

Thanks for the help.

talesofasia.com might be a big help for you. They have a pretty extensive listing, especially for Siem Reap. You can get clean and comfortable for $20.00/night in Cambodia...you won't be likely to have a pool or food options included in that rate though. For $100.00 you get clean and comfortable with good AC, a pool, service, breakfast. the wide price swings are not at all unusual. You will see the same thing anywhere in the world, though many places just don't start so low.

There are many good inexpensive guesthouse/hotels in both places that have clean basic a/c rooms. The Dara Reang Sey Hotel/GH in PP has had mixed reviews especially about secutity last year. This may be fixed by now.
Others in PP are
California 2 ($20-25) http://www.cafecaliforniaphnompenh.com/
Billabong Hotel ($34) http://www.asiatravel.com/cambodia/thebillabonghotel/

In SR there are
Two Dragons Guesthouse Up to $25 http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-twodragons.htm
Shadow of Angkor $6-20 [email protected]
Peace of Angkor Villa $20 and up http://www.peaceofangkor.com/Villa.htm
Bopha Angkor $45 http://www.bopha-angkor.com/accommodation.html

Since you will be coming back from visiting the temples tired and hot I would recommend a hotel with a pool to cool off in. The Bopha Angkor would be my choice of place to stay.

The Foreign Correspondents' Club in Siem Reap is outstanding, with a great restaurant, pool and ambience. It has a range of prices. I actually stayed at the Bopha-Ankgor, which was outstanding if you want a mid range place for less than $50. Central to everything, good restaurant, great pool area, wonderful atmosphere and staff, and a 5 min walk from the FCC. Its website is very honest..what you see is what you get. www.bopha-angkor.com