MARUKO HOTEL HA LONG

When I arrived after a long trip, there was no one at the reception desk. There wasn’t even a phone number to call for help. I emailed the hotel but got no reply. After waiting for 15 minutes, I had to contact Agoda’s customer service for assistance. Eventually, a woman came to the reception. She immediately asked for my booking details and used a translator because she didn’t speak any English. There was no greeting or apology from her, for letting me waiting and wondering about my cook for the whole 15 minutes. It was just a rushed and impersonal interaction, without manners or kindness. While she was checking me in, someone else came from the elevator, and she stopped helping me to talk to them instead. It felt chaotic and unprofessional. Keep in mind, it was around 4:40 pm, not even a busy time and they should prioritise someone who they let waiting in the reception without an explanation for that long. Then she showed me my room, and I was shocked. My jaw dropped. The room was behind the reception desk and was being used as STORAGE for towels and bed sheets. She even removed baskets from the room in front of me. The room is beside of a toilet and a curtain horribly dirty. Imagine the noises of the elevator, people going in and out, and people working in the reception. That’s insane! It was more like a “mai’d room”, honestly. I told her I wouldn’t stay and that I’d contact customer service. She then suddenly said it was a mistake with the booking names and that my real room was different. Really??? Just after I said that? When I said I wasn’t staying, she suddenly tried to offer me the room I had actually booked. I didn’t accept cause I wouldn’t like to stay in this hotel at all. She had one job, giving the correct room I booked just for myself. “1 double room with outdoor view. 2 double beds” it could have one bed only cause it was just me. There is matter of communication and kindness as they lacked in both. There’s no excuse for this! Even with a language barrier, she could have used Google Translate to greet me and apologize properly and talk about the room. From the reviews, it seems she is the owner of the hotel, along with a man who stood outside watching but didn’t come in to apologize or fix the situation. They clearly knew what was happening but did nothing. This was completely unacceptable. I had booked a different room with an outdoor view, not a STORAGE ROOM behind the reception with no windows. The entire conversation was through Google Translate, which made everything harder. I didn’t waste time arguing. I told her I wasn’t staying and left immediately. She looked stressed and clearly didn’t know how to handle guests. Even Agoda couldn’t reach the hotel when they tried callingo or emailing them, which they confirmed by conversation. The lack of communication and professionalism is shocking.