Victoria Chau Doc Hotel****

Our brief comments:
The Victoria is not just the best hotel in Chau Doc - at present, it's the only hotel with a star rating in the area. Chau Doc is a busy border gate to Cambodia via the Bassac River, the largest of the 'Nine Dragons' (the Vietnamese name for the distributaries of the Mekong River that meander east across the Delta to the South China Sea). It's a comfortable stopping-off point for travellers heading for Phnom Penh or exploring the far south-west of Vietnam.

The front entrance is off the street and unimpressive. The rear of the property overlooks the busy Bassac River. Seen from the river, the French Colonial architecture sits uneasily with the angular Vietnamese-style tiled roofs, and lacks the symmetrical elegance of its neighbour in Can Tho. An excellent riverside terrace does much to compensate, however.

The rooms comply with the Victoria chain's high standards. Wooden floors, good quality wooden furniture, ceiling fans and so on add character to the room, and good beds and bed linens ensure a restful night. Superior and Deluxe are a mixture of rooms with balconies and those without. Suites are larger, with a roomy sitting room area and views across the river.

The Bassac Restaurant offers all-day dining and a combination of European cuisine with local Vietnamese specialities. Meals and barbeques can be provided on the terrace.

The Tan Chau Salon Bar is located in the lobby and drinks and snacks. The Tan Giang Sky Bar offers similar fare, but with panoramic views of the river and Sam Mountain from its rooftop location.

The hotel has a range of recreational activities and pastimes. The swimming pool is a reasonable size and is well-located.

The road journey from Saigon to Chau Doc is around six hours. The hydrofoil service takes about an hour less. The Victoria's private 11-seat speedboat speed takes about the same time as the hydrofoil, but is more exclusive, gives better views, and clients disembark on the hotel's private jetty. The cost varies according to the number of passengers.

Room facilities (?= awaiting updated information from the hotel):

Room Categories	Street View	Superior	Deluxe	Suite
Number of rooms	33		57	3
Air-conditioner
Satellite television
Bath or shower only
Bath with shower
Bath + separate shower	?	?	?	?
Personal safety box
Coffee and tea facilities
Laptop connection
Free broadband access	?	?	?	?
Extra bed available?
Child's cot available?
Room size (m2)	25	25	32	42
View	street	river	river	river

Additional room facilities: some rooms have a balcony

Hotel facilities:

Outdoor pool		Non-smoking floor(s)	?
Pool bar		Non-smoking rooms only	?
Fitness/health centre		Vietnamese/Asian restaurant
Sauna		International restaurant
Massage		Patisserie/coffee shop/cafe
Jacuzzi		Business centre

Additional hotel facilities: private speedboat from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho (extra cost), traditional massage, babysitting service, billiard table, darts, table tennis, and boats, bicycles and motorbikes for rent.