BaDinh-DaoTan Homestay and Apartment ALAYA 14

BaDinh-DaoTan Homestay and Apartment ALAYA 14 Overview

So I stumbled across this place called BaDinh-DaoTan Homestay and Apartment ALAYA 14 — I know, the name’s a mouthful — tucked away on Dao Tan Street in Ba Dinh district, and honestly? It’s one of those hidden gems that makes you feel like you cracked some local code. The address is basically 41 Ngõ 36 Phố Đào Tấn, which sounds intimidating if you don’t know Hanoi, but once you figure out that “ngõ” just means alley, you realize you’re staying in this quiet residential pocket that most tourists never see.

What struck me first was how it actually feels like a homestay — not in that backpacker hostel way, but more like staying at your well-traveled friend’s place who happens to have impeccable taste. The building sits in this narrow alley (typical Hanoi style), and you know what? I was worried about noise at first, but it’s surprisingly peaceful. You get the occasional motorbike puttering through, but nothing like the chaos you’ll find closer to the Old Quarter. The owner clearly put thought into the details — I mean, the place has this 8.6 rating for a reason. Everything from the linens to the way they’ve arranged the common areas feels intentional, not just thrown together like some places I’ve stayed.

The location is where this place really shines, though I didn’t fully appreciate it until my second day. You’re walking distance to Lotte Tower if you need that big city mall fix, but more importantly, you’re right in the heart of where actual Hanoians live and work. There’s this incredible bánh mì lady about two blocks over who doesn’t speak a word of English but makes the best sandwiches I had in the city — I never would’ve found her if I’d stayed in the touristy areas. The nearby streets are lined with those tiny plastic stool cafes where office workers grab their morning coffee, and honestly, just sitting there watching the morning routine felt more authentic than any cultural tour. Ba Dinh district itself is quieter than the Old Quarter but still connected — you can hop on a xe om and be at Hoan Kiem Lake in fifteen minutes, or just walk to the nearby parks when you need some green space. The apartment setup means you’ve got kitchen access too, which came in handy when I wanted to try cooking with ingredients from the local market (though let’s be real, with street food this good and cheap, I barely used it). It’s the kind of place where you actually want to hang around and soak up the neighborhood vibe, rather than just crash between sightseeing marathons.

BaDinh-DaoTan Homestay and Apartment ALAYA 14 Accommodations

Reviews of BaDinh-DaoTan Homestay and Apartment ALAYA 14

• Jounie from United States – 29 December 2024 (8/10)

  I live in Hanoi and stay at different hotels and apartments to experience different parts of the city. This apartment is located in the Japanese area of Hanoi, which has a lot of authentic Japanese restaurants and cafes. The apartment looked like the pictures and it was very clean and comfortable. The bed was comfortable and the kitchen had a full set of kitchenware.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing really, I enjoyed the apartment and would return.

• Robert from Vietnam – 30 November 2024 (8/10)

  Clean, well maintained, good location, modern furnishings
  
  What could be improved: Construction going on across the alley until 0200am!

• Tân from Vietnam – 30 November 2024 (9/10)

  không gian rộng rãi,nhiều ánh sáng

• Nikola from Czech Republic – 8 October 2024 (7/10)

  The apartment was perfect and very nice. We feel there like we are at home.
  
  What could be improved: The host promised us check-in at 5 A.M. many days before our arrival. I made sure about the check-in at 5 A.M. 2 days before AGAIN and the host wrote me, that check-in at this time Is really ok.
  So we arrived at 5 A.M. And nobody was there to open for us. We wrote to the host, we rang the doorbell, we knocked the door but nobody came to open.
  After 3 hours security guy came to reception and he told us that we can check-in at 14:00 and if we want to check-in at 8 A.M., there will be addictional fee. That we refused, because the host promised us check-in at 5 A.M. and he didn't fulfill it. Finally he gave us different room from 8 A.M. to 2 P.M. and at 2 P.M. they gave us the room that we paid for.
  That was really terrible experience with check-in. SO, if the host promises you check-in before 2 P.M., don't believe him because he is not able to do it.

• Du from Vietnam – 6 October 2024 (9/10)

  Nice apartment located in the small alley, the flat is fully furnished with new equippments. The only one thing is that it could be a bit challenge to find for the first time.

• Chijioke from Vietnam – 2 June 2024 (1/10)

  They service is very poor and the one who called her self the hotel management dont knows how to treat his cúutomer as well
  
  What could be improved: They can’t clean the room

• Antony from Australia – 31 May 2024 (9/10)

  Apartment had a great view from the balcony and was fully furnished with washing machine.
  I had an amazing stay.

• Luu from United Kingdom – 19 March 2024 (9/10)

  so spacious, everything you really needed. felt like a proper apartment with washing machine, bathtub, living room space and separate bedroom bit.

• Hang from Vietnam – 15 February 2024 (5/10)

  What could be improved: The drap and towel had bad disinfectant smell. The room was very near the road so that causing the noise of motocycle, not sleep well.

• Rob from United Kingdom – 28 October 2023 (1/10)

  I booked through booking.con, they said late check in was OK. When I arrived the front desk was closed. I phoned the number and she said I had to pay 10x what it was advertised for (maybe a mistake in terms of booking.com price but they handled it terribly)

Surroundings

Facilities