Victoria Sapa (tel. 020/871-522): In the hills above Sapa, this one's the best in town. Arrive by the hotel's luxury train, and enjoy a ski-lodge kind of ease and hospitality.
Victoria Chau Doc and Can Tho: These two riverside classics are worth the trip. Chau Doc is a renovated old administration building, and Can Tho is a new but retrofitted grande dame. Take great day trips and enjoy slow, riverside living.
Zephyr Hotel (tel. 04/934-1256): A very cozy new hotel in the center of Hanoi, just south of Hoan Kiem, with a compact set-up but a high standard. An affordable boutique downtown.
Church Hotel (tel. 04/928-8118): On the low end of this category, the new Church Hotel sets a new standard for renovated budget minihotels, the "boutique mini." And the location is great, right on Church Street.
Bong Sen Hotel Annex (tel. 08/823-5818): Basic, affordable, and in the heart of downtown, a good bet in Saigon.
Coco Beach Resort (tel. 62/847-111): The first, and still the best, on the long stretch of white-sand Mui Ne Beach. Rustic but comfortable wooden bungalows on stilts overlook the sea from a peaceful garden area. Great dining too.
Life Resort Hoi An and Quy Nhon: Whether at the more isolated beachside resort in Quy Nhon or at the fine, in-town resort in Hoi An (the very closest resort to town), Life Resort is a fine new standard.
