During our visit to Hue, we stayed at Jade Hotel (7 nights, $119). Originally we planned to spend only three nights in Hue before continuing our trip through Vietnam to Hoi An. Unfortunately Brecht was diagnosed with dengue fever and spent four nights in the hospital, which forced us to lengthen our stay.
Upon arrival we got some wet cloths, fresh fruit juice and a plate of fruit in the lobby to welcome us. A nice gesture. The staff was friendly and helpful at all times. They sat down with us to hand over a map of the city and gave some tips about where to eat and what to see. They even asked me every day how Brecht was feeling and if he should stay in the hospital much longer. They offered to prepare some fresh fruit to take to the hospital and even brought me on the bike to the hospital. For free! I really didn’t mind going back to the hotel on my own, as everyone was very friendly and genuinely concerned.
Our room in Jade Hotel had its own bathroom with a bath and shower in one. Like in every hotel soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, cotton buds, a shower cap and even a hair dryer were provided. The sink leaked some water, which apparently is a common problem in a lot of hotels, hostels and guesthouses where we’ve stayed for the past two months. Not a major problem, it’s just that your toes get wet when you’re washing your hands.
The WiFi connection was good and the room had a fridge and airconditioning with remote. The remote worked, but the airconditioning unit seemed to have a will of its own, we couldn’t get it under control. Sometimes it just stopped working for no apparent reason. To get it back on we would push a lot of buttons on the remote and suddenly it would start blowing cold air again. Yes, we tried the on-button, but it never did the trick. We tried to explain the problem at the reception, but I guess they didn’t understand. The airco probably worked just fine for the couple of minutes they would be in the room for checking the problem or housekeeping. The second last morning I noticed a pool of water beneath the fridge and told the reception about it. Don’t know if they checked it, but it kept leaking. It stopped when the little freezer compartment was fully defrosted and held no excess ice anymore, like it should.
We got toilet paper and fresh towels every day. Breakfast was included: à la carte and all you can eat. You could choose a table, they would ask if you’d like tea or coffee and give you a menu to choose from. We tried omelet, fried eggs and pancakes, all quite good. While you were waiting for your order, you could get some fresh fruit juice and some pieces of fruit from the buffet. Even in our room we got a plate of fruit and two bottles of water every day, which was very much appreciated!
When Brecht was feeling better, we booked a private car from Hue to Hoi An with the hotel. We “negotiated” a $5 discount, just by asking. So don’t be afraid to ask. After the bad luck with the dengue fever, the universe thought we could do with some luck: the owner of Jade Hotel just opened a new four star (!) hotel in Hoi An and because the work was not fully finished, they offered a special opening price of $13 per night. We didn’t have to think this over, we let the driver drop us off at the brand new Sincerity Hotel in Hoi An. More about that hotel in one of our next blogposts.
Overall we were very pleased with our stay at Jade Hotel in Hue, despite the fact that the airco got us frustrated at times. The room was clean, the bed was nice and soft (slept like a baby) and the staff was very friendly. We will definitely return there when we ever get back to Hue.