Best Hotels in Lao Cai Province for 2026

"We stayed at KK Sapa Hotel in September 2025. Although it is advertised as a 5-star hotel, our experience did not meet expectations. Upon entering our first room on the 17th floor, we immediately noticed a strong, pungent smell resembling urine. The smell was not coming from the bathroom but was strongest at the entrance. When the staff delivered our luggage, we asked about it and were advised to contact reception. A staff member came to check, acknowledged the smell and inspected the carpet, but the source could not be identified. The hotel sprayed an air freshener into the room while we went out for dinner. When we returned, the same smell was still very strong. We called reception again; they agreed to give us another room but said that because this was a “better” room than our original one, we would have to change back to our original room type the next day. This new room was on the 10th floor. In the morning we were told to vacate this room by 12:00, but at the lobby we were informed that our third room would only be ready at 14:00. When we finally received the third room — also on the 17th floor but a few doors away from the original — the same urine-like smell greeted us again. After experiencing the same strong smell in two separate rooms on the 17th floor, we began to suspect there might be a mold or moisture problem in the building’s upper-floor structures."