After coming back from a trip through Vietnam, the Heritage Halong Bay was the most disappointing part of our holiday.

The room was small, dated and the air conditioning smelled unpleasant. The restaurant was also dated and the food wasn't of a very good standard. The bar was musty and the only customers were the local 'ladies'. The pool was dirty and uninviting.

Halong City itself is unappealing. If you are going to visit Halong Bay I would recommend doing an overnight boat trip out on the bay. The boats looked fabulous, and we are very disappointed that we missed out on this opportunity. Try to give the 'city' a miss, the bay itself is so stunning - stick to that!

The hotel was a good choice for just one night, but was nothing special. Overall the price/value ratio was OK, because the room was huge and clean, and the rate very cheap. However, I am sure there are other fancier hotels in Halong.

Although this hotel claims to be a four star and is described as 'glitzy' in travel books, it could only be described as such if you compare it to staying in a hostel with no electricity or running water. The rooms are cheaply furnished and although we had a beautiful view of Halong Bay, the windows were the cheapest quality. There was no attempt to decorate the rooms in any kind of style which you would expect from a four star anywhere else. The public spaces were ok, but don't let them fool you. I didn't use the pool but one member of our party had a look at it and didn't recommend it - it had definitely seen better days. Apparently its the best hotel at Halong Bay - I am really glad I didnt see the rest of the places.