Hanoi Villas, Homestays Halt Operations Amid Forest Land Inspections

A wave of villas and homestays located around Dong Do Lake, within the Soc Son protective forest area of Hanoi, have unexpectedly ceased operations and stopped accepting new guests. These establishments are also returning previously collected booking deposits as local authorities initiate a review of accommodation facilities in the region.

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We have to temporarily stop to complete procedures and paperwork. If the authorities say so, we have to comply. Therefore, the facility has returned all customer deposits.

Managers at several of these properties, including one identified as T.H, cited ongoing inspections by authorities concerning fire safety and public order regulations as the reason for the suspension. Despite having registered businesses and paid taxes, these establishments are hesitant to accept bookings during the inspection period. "We have to temporarily stop to complete procedures and paperwork. If the authorities say so, we have to comply. Therefore, the facility has returned all customer deposits," a manager from T.H stated.

Another homestay manager, identified only as L., confirmed that properties around Dong Do Lake are currently prohibited from accepting guests. This situation is reportedly linked to an investigation into illegal construction on protected forest land. L. warned that any entity still accepting bookings in the area might be fraudulent, as owners have been notified by authorities and subsequently informed her, leading to the refunding of deposits for prior bookings.

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Currently, if anyone can still book rooms on the lakefront, they are just scammers.

Local authorities, led by Do Xuan Huan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Kim Anh commune, have confirmed that inspections are underway to ensure all businesses comply with regulations. "If homestays and villas meet the conditions to welcome guests according to legal regulations, no one will stop them," Huan said, adding that the results of the review will be reported in phases. This crackdown follows previous reports of numerous violations within the Soc Son protective forest area, where villa and homestay constructions have encroached on protected land.

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If homestays and villas meet the conditions to welcome guests according to legal regulations, no one will stop them.