@Moses re tp HCM, didn't have much luck with hotels this time.

The place I used on my first visit there was a hotel in De Tham, and cost me about 37usd/n. Room was big and had a balcony. Was comfortable enough, but a bit run down, and the building itself has some weird issues. The staff were really nice though. Would have booked the place for my second trip, but they decided to double the price.

On my second visit I got a room on Pham Ngu Lao for around 45usd/n, which was clean and comfortable, but kind of bland and sterile, like something on a hospital ward. There was very little sound insulation between the rooms. The staff had no problem with me bringing boys back, but honestly, the lack of privacy was a bit of a deterrent.

This is the problem when you book online: the reviews give you a bit of a guide, but ultimately, it's a case of 'suck it and see'.

Next time I visit that city, I may as well take Infoarmer's advice and use Airbnb. I've had bad surprises using that in the past, but let's face it, my recent experiences using the hotel booking apps (at least in Sài Gòn) haven't been much better.