Holiday Diamond Hotel

Though walking down a small alleyway to find the red skinny building of the Holiday Diamond Hotel isn’t the most ideal way for guests to find the property, once inside, travelers are greeted with a warm welcome of cool towels and drinks. The lobby isn’t that spacious or modern -- it shares the same space with the breakfast room and has old-fashioned wood furniture and worn tiles. But it’s clean and the staff are kind, bringing a lot of charm to the simplistic, budget-focused property. Overall, the hotel is well-maintained, and is popular due to its bargain prices and free perks. Couples, solo travelers, and groups of friends are the most common guests, and as there aren’t many public spaces, they usually stay out during the day and return at night to sleep. 

At a 32-minute walk or a 10-minute drive from the Citadel, Holiday Diamond Hotel could arguably be a bit too far from the main attractions of Hue. However, most guests who stay here are young and budget-minded and don’t seem to be bothered by the walk. It takes five minutes on foot to reach the Perfume River and it's a 13-minute walk to see the Trang Tien Bridge. The surrounding streets are filled with dining options, guest houses and small hotels, and a massage studio. Some attractions can’t be reached on foot: The Thien Mu Pagoda is a 10-minute drive away and the Tomb of Khai Dinh is a 21-minute drive. It takes 32 minutes by car to reach the Hue Airport. 

While the room decor is simple, the amenities are pretty phenomenal for a hotel in this category in Vietnam. The rooms are clean and simply decorated with tiled floors and old-fashioned dark wooden furniture. Though these are clearly budget rooms, colorful artwork and flower petals on the white beds are fun extras and liven up the spaces. The combination of air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, safes, kettles, and stocked mini-fridges aren’t often found in two-pearl hotels. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also free bottled water and bananas provided, as well as laptops. Yes, the laptops are a bit dated, but that’s not a common feature found in hotels in the U.S. or abroad. In-room bathrooms are contemporary with shower/tub combos or small showers, toiletries, and hairdryers. Note that views here aren’t very impressive, with some better city views than others. 

One of the hotel's biggest selling points is its free, basically unlimited, made-to-order breakfast. The menu consists of Vietnamese dishes like pho, as well as Western options like pancakes and eggs. There are no other dining option available, but this doesn’t seem to bother the budget-focused guests. Other free perks include Wi-Fi, motorbike parking, and money exchange. There’s a public computer in the lobby and the hotel has a variety of paid tours available for those who are interested. Staff also picks up guests for free from many points in the city (including the airport and in Hoi An town).