Stayed in Seastars for one night on 9th Feb 2013 for a stopover en route to Halong. Hotel was clean and comfortable, definitely worth the value for money. Breakfast was plain with not too many selection (beef pho wasn't bad). The surrounding area was quiet and you will have to walk around 15 minutes to get to some street food stalls. A nice stroll of around 45 mins will take you to the city centre. It will cost around VND 50-60,000 to get to Ben Bien Pier (for Halong). Reception staff were friendly but lacking in English (I must say that they do try though!), so it can be difficult, and at times frustrating, to get answers. The night I stayed happened to be Lunar New Year's eve and the hotel was very kind in offering me and my partner a spot at their staff party, serving us free food and booze (we also each received a decent amount of lucky money from the owner/manager). All in all, I would say that Seastars is a good hotel and I would recommend it for a 1 day stopover before heading for Halong.