Police in Hanoi have settled a case in which three French nationals demanded a hotel pay them compensation for harassing and threatening them. On the morning of April 24, three French nationals arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and entered a taxi, requesting to go to a 3-star hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter. However, the taxi driver drove them to another hotel on Hang Thung Street in Hoan Kiem district. A day later, the French nationals realized that the hotel was not the one they had previously booked. The foreigners told the hotel staff that they wanted to leave there and go to their booked hotel, but the staff rejected their request and threatened that they would be beaten if they left the hotel. Fearing for their safety, one of the foreigners called police for help. At the police office in Hang Bac Ward last Saturday, the French tourists said that they had been deceived and threatened, and demanded that the hotel pay them VND17 million (US$817) as compensation. After negotiations, the hotel and the guests finally agreed on damages of VND10 million ($480).  The payment was made, but local police are still investigating to clarify whether this hotel colluded with the taxi driver in deceiving the foreigners by driving them to the hotel, although they had wanted to go to another hotel.

If such a collusion is confirmed, the hotel will be punished for fraud, but for the time being, it will be given an administrative penalty for giving threats to the three travelers, police said.