Many accommodation establishments in areas affected by storm Yagi such as Lao Cai, Thai Nguyen, and Yen Bai have reduced prices for tourists and reserved empty rooms for locals to stay for free.
On September 9, a few hours after posting a free accommodation offer for people who need to avoid storms and floods, Ms. Thao Nguyen, owner of Thao Nguyen Hotel in Thai Nguyen, continuously received requests for help. On the afternoon of September 10, her hotel with nearly 30 rooms was fully booked, supporting more than 60 people who came to avoid the floods.
Over the past two days, many Facebook groups have posted posts sharing information about places to stay to avoid storms and floods for locals and tourists. These posts have received positive interactions, and many people have shared them to help people affected by floods find shelter.
Each room of Ms. Nguyen’s hotel accommodates a family, single rooms accommodate 3-5 people, double rooms accommodate 6-7 people. The hotel is located near Thien Dan ward committee, not flooded, with stable electricity and water. The hotel owner also prepares a generator, 30 liters first, in case of power outage.
Ms. Nguyen said that on the afternoon of September 10, the water in Thai Nguyen city was receding but slowly, and many areas were flooded, reaching the roof. In addition to providing accommodation, the hotel also provided free meals to the people.
Local volunteer group distributes free food to people staying at Thao Nguyen Hotel. Photo: NVCC
“We mobilize staff to cook and deliver food to guests’ rooms. If we don’t have enough staff, we will ask local volunteer groups to help distribute food,” said Ms. Nguyen, adding that many people still need support but her hotel is at capacity.
“With the current situation, it will take 3-4 more days for people to return home,” Ms. Nguyen shared.
After Typhoon Yagi made landfall on September 7, flooding and landslides occurred in many places in the North, including major tourist destinations. More than 140 people were killed, nearly 60 were missing, hundreds were injured and tens of thousands of houses were damaged and flooded.
In Lao Cai, Ms. Tran Thuy Nga, CEO of Big Lao Cai Hotel, also said that she has supported people to avoid floods and tourists stranded due to the impact of the storm over the past two days. “The hotel is located on Hoang Lien Street, the second highest road in Lao Cai, so it is not flooded, and electricity and water are guaranteed,” Ms. Nga said.
On September 9, the hotel provided three rooms for free accommodation for local residents. On September 10, the floodwaters in Lao Cai gradually receded, leaving only one local family in a hotel room. In addition, 28 other rooms are occupied by tourists, 60-70% of whom are Chinese tourists traveling to Lao Cai who cannot return by road due to landslides and mudslides on many roads. The hotel has provided a 40% discount on room rates for guests who stay past their check-out date.
Ms. Nga said that the water in the city has almost completely receded, leaving behind tons of mud on some streets. Some areas have lost power, and the entire city has lost water. “The hotel also had its water cut off, but there are backup water tanks so tourists and residents still have enough water for daily use,” Ms. Nga said, adding that she is ready to support accommodation in the coming days.
September is the peak tourist season in Lao Cai, hotels are often at 90% capacity and foreign guests make up the majority.
Hung Vuong Hotel in Sa Pa also offers a 20% discount on room rates for stranded tourists who want to stay longer. Mr. Vu Van Dao, the owner of the accommodation facility, said that the hotel currently has 3-4 rooms for guests, all of whom are foreigners.
On September 10, many roads in Sa Pa were still landslide-prone, such as National Highway 4B. A group of tourists scheduled to fly on September 11-12 left Sa Pa for Lao Cai on the afternoon of September 10.
“Customers have to rent small cars and take small side roads to get to the highway to avoid landslides,” said Mr. Dao.
Hung Vuong Hotel offers room discounts for guests stranded in Sa Pa. Photo: NVCC
Mr. Duong Truc Long, owner of Sapa Luxury Hotel & Spa, said that he has supported more than 10 households staying at the hotel to avoid the flood. The hotel currently has 72 rooms, accommodating about 300 people. “Tourists and residents in need of support can come and stay comfortably,” Mr. Long said, adding that he will provide food for residents to cook for themselves until the storm and flood are over. The hotel also continuously updates the room situation on its personal page so that people can easily search.
In some other flooded areas such as Phu Tho and Yen Bai, there are also hotels ready to welcome people and tourists seeking shelter from the flood.
Ms. Le Khanh Linh, owner of Truong Son guesthouse on Yen Ninh street, Nguyen Thai Hoc ward, Yen Bai city, said that she opened her house for free to welcome people to stay during the time when the city was flooded and at risk of landslides from September 7, before the floodwaters rose. Currently, this 35-room accommodation facility is a temporary shelter for more than 70 local people.
“The rooms are full, but we still have three halls that can accommodate more than 50 people and are open to welcome people in need of shelter,” said Linh.