We stayed in room #501 at Gia Cat Long Hotel for 3 nights in early April, 2024. For those of us who prefer to travel on a modest budget: Cat Ba has a long row of inexpensive-to-moderately-priced 2 & 3-star hotels lining the road that runs along the waterfront, including this hotel. If you get a front-facing room with a balcony, Gia Cat Long Hotel is the one to reserve. It’s not a great hotel: A wet-bathroom means just that. Glass-fronted room door (frosted glass) let in hallway light & noise. Very modest breakfast. In spite of this, if we return to Cat Ba we will stay here again. Our room was clean enough. Small refrigerator & good size open-closet/shelf space. Firm mattresses, which we prefer. Every day the trash was removed & we received fresh towels & 2 bottles of water. If neighbors don’t mind, you can turn off the hall light at night. Breakfast does include a few fresh-cooked options. The best part: It was a highlight to sit outside on our private balcony, especially in the evening. Two chairs & a table, overlooking the waterfront, with lovely Cat Ba karsts looming up out of the water in the background. Picture-perfect. Few of the more modest hotels offer this view. For this reason, Gia Cat Long is head & shoulders above the rest. Just, remember to book a front-facing room with a balcony. Restaurants, mini shops, and a Lot of travel agents are all around the hotel. As in many areas of Vietnam, you can hear a loudspeaker around 6:30am and 5pm (news?) but it’s not overly noisy or bothersome. We organized a 4-hour private (2-person) Lan Ha Bay tour at the travel agent desk of the hotel. It was a splurge, but we wanted a peaceful, quiet time while moving slowly around the gorgeous karst formations, to relax and take it all in. We requested that the boat not stop for swimming, snorkeling, eating, shopping, kayaking, biking, etc etc--- things that most of the boats stop for.

* The bathroom of our room should be renovated. * All of the hotel rooms should have wood doors without windows. * At the breakfast buffet, there are large urns for coffee & tea that do not keep the liquid hot. It would be a smart move of the hotel to inverst in coffee pots and an electric warmer. (Or, if they insist on large-batch-coffee, invest in urns with plugs to keep the coffee and tea hot.)

The hotel is right on the main strip which is great.. It is a short walk to everything, restaurants, mini-marts, beaches and bars.

The harbour in front of the hotel is being filled in. There is construction all day and into the night. Not the hotel's fault at all but our cacab driver said this will be going on for the next five years.

Gia Cat Long Hotel exceeded all our expectations! Luffy, the general manager, went above and beyond to ensure we had an amazing stay. He helped us organize a glowing plankton tour, which was the highlight of our trip, and even arranged our transportation to the next destination. The room was new, spacious, and modern, with a super soft bed that made for a great night’s sleep. We had a bay view room with a balcony, and the view was absolutely breathtaking. The staff at this hotel were incredibly friendly and welcoming. The service was exceptional – we always felt taken care of. Whether it’s booking tours or providing recommendations on things to do, they’re always there to help. I can’t recommend Gia Cat Long Hotel enough if you’re staying in Cat Ba. We’ll definitely be back!

We had a fantastic stay at Gia Cat Long Hotel. Thor was incredibly helpful, guiding us through the best activities on the island and helping us book both a plankton tour and a full-day boat tour. Our room was spacious, modern, and had a super comfortable bed. We chose a bay view room with a balcony, and the view was absolutely stunning. The hotel is right on the beachfront, making it the perfect location for exploring the island. The service here is top-notch – the staff were so welcoming and attentive to every detail. We felt completely at home from the moment we arrived. It’s rare to find a hotel where the service and amenities are both this excellent. If you’re looking for a great place to stay in Cat Ba, Gia Cat Long Hotel is the best option!

Gia Cat Long Hotel offered an exceptional experience during our trip to Cat Ba. Thor, the manager, was fantastic – he helped us book an incredible full-day boat tour and provided great advice on the best places to visit around the island. The room was modern, spacious, and comfortable, with a beautiful bay view from our balcony. We loved how soft the bed was, and everything was impeccably clean. The staff were extremely friendly and welcoming, always ready to help with any requests. The hotel's location is ideal, right by the beach and close to everything you need. The service here is excellent, and we really appreciated how attentive the staff were. If you’re looking for a comfortable stay with top-notch service, I highly recommend Gia Cat Long Hotel. We’ll definitely be back!

Staying at Quang Tung Hotel was an absolute pleasure. Luffy, the general manager, was extremely helpful, assisting us with booking all our activities, including a glowing plankton tour and a full-day boat cruise. The hotel is modern and well-kept, with spacious rooms and comfortable beds. We had a bay view room with a balcony, and the view was simply breathtaking. The staff here are so welcoming and friendly, always going out of their way to make sure we had a great stay. Thor, the manager, also provided fantastic tips on the best hiking trails and places to visit. The service at this hotel is outstanding, and it’s clear that the staff take great pride in what they do. If you’re planning a trip to Cat Ba, I can’t recommend Quang Tung Hotel enough!

Nothing

I stayed here 2 nights in a room with partial view and 3 night in a twin room with balcony and view towards the sea and sunset 😍 Absolutely gorgeous view and the balcony is cute, big and private. The rooms are nice, very clean (quite surprised as l've been traveling alot around Asia). The AC and wifi work well. There's an elevator. The breakfast is until 9am and it's a choice of either eggs or pancakes or soup. They are all good, but nothing special. All the staff have been very sweet and helpful. The room price is crazy cleap for the amazing view, the clean room, the perfect location (7-10 min to the beach by walking). But overall amazing stay for under $20 a night!! 🤯 🙋🏻‍♀️ My travel tips & recommendations on insta: deea_journey

The bathrooms are small and the shower has no curtains/ separation. There's no DND sign to hang at the door so cleaning ladies come around 8:30-9 am and knock on your door. Plus the doors have a matte glass which let's so much light in that's hard to sleep without eye mask.

Kevin is the best. He updated us to a seaview room when he had some left. He helped us to book a one day boat tour to Lan Ha Bay, a 3 days loop tour to Ha Giang then transport to Cao Bang, then Ha Noi...an amazing guy! For the hotel: our room is big, clean and great view. The boat trip: We had Ryan as the best guide ever on the boat. He explained a lot of things about the Bay, the local life, fishermen.......we were on the boat with 10 people, a small group. We all were happy together. Thanks Kevin We'd leave a good review and share your place to everyone we know. See you again

The view from the room was superb as it faced the ocean. We saw the sunset every evening. Breakfast was basic, but it was amazing to have it for free, considering how much we paid for the room (AUD30)! The staff were nice and friendly, although not many spoke English. The guy at the front desk, Kevin, was very helpful and attentive. He booked a bus from our hotel to Ninh Binh station and a sleeper train from there to Hue for our desired time. He even followed up the next day to see the trip was ok, even though we already checked out!

Not really. If anything, we need to take a toilet paper roll out from the holder before having a shower, which was not a big deal.

We stayed at Gia Cat Long Hotel after the storm, and the service was exceptional. The island was without electricity, but the hotel had a generator that kept everything running. Thor was very helpful, providing great recommendations and assisting us with booking tours. The room was spacious, modern, and comfortable, with a soft bed. Despite the difficult circumstances, the staff was cheerful and attentive. I would absolutely stay here again, especially for the reliable service.