Many hotels in Hoi An City, a famed tourist destination in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, have proclaimed themselves as four- and five-star establishments as a way to attract tourists, while many customers have complained about their services.

The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism has recognized only 12 five-star hotels in the city but self-proclaimed ones are plentiful.

Many travelers have believed in such misleading advertisements and got terrible experiences.

A group of tourists from Hanoi in late August booked rooms at a hotel which claimed itself to be a four-star establishment in Hoi An and suffered its poor quality as a result.

“Rooms are small like boarding houses," a tourist in the group complained.

"We had to lie on the ground as the air conditioner failed to cool the room sparsely furnished with plastic utensils.

"Services fail to meet four-star standards."

Hotels and resorts often introduce themselves as high-end venues on online platforms.

As a case in point, Le Pavillon Hoi An Hotel claimed to have two four-star facilities at 508 Hai Ba Trung Street and 145B Tran Nhan Tong Street and a five-star one at 288 Nguyen Duy Hieu Street.

However, they failed to show the certifications of meeting Vietnam's four- and five-star standards.

A Le Pavillon Hoi An representative admitted that the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism has yet to issue the certificates to the hotel but the issuance will be in the offing.

“Our services have met five-star standards even though we have yet to obtain a certificate,” the representative said, adding that they meet their locality’s four- and five-star benchmarks whereas national standards are different.

Another lodging facility named Bellerive Hoi An on Le Dai Hanh Street, about five kilometers from Hoi An Ancient Town, an internationally famous tourist destination in Hoi An City, also labeled itself as the best five-star hotel in the ancient town.

However, a representative of the hotel admitted the hotel has yet to get a certificate for meeting five-star standards as it has just been opened.

Most self-proclaimed lodging facilities in Hoi An consider their acts normal, saying that is just a marketing gimmick.

Nguyen Thanh Hong, director of the Quang Nam Department of Tourism, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that self-declared hotels violate the Law on Tourism, saying that the department’s inspectors would cooperate with inspectors of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism to impose heavy sanctions on the violators.

The department will take measures to create a healthy tourism environment and develop the sector in a green, safe, and friendly manner.

Hoi An City officially has 12 five-star lodging facilities, namely Palm Garden resort, Four Season The Nam Hai, Golden Sand Resort, SunRise Hoi An Premium Resort, Royal Hoi An, Vinpearl Hoi An Resort, Southern Hoi An Hotel, Vinpearl Resort & Golf Nam Hoi An, Shilla Monogram & The five Villa, Silk sense Hoi An river resort, TUI Blue Nam Hoi An, and Almanity Hoi An.

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