My Favorite Hotels in Hanoi
• 5-star: Capella
• 4-star: Scent Premium
• 3-star: Golden Sun
• New: Media Central
• Boutique: La Siesta
• Cheap: Golden Sun
• For families: Fraser
• Couples: Capella
• Pool: Peridot Grand
Hanoi Hotels – My Recommendations
- There’s a reason most people (including me) want to stay in the Old Quarter: it’s historic, compact, and pulsating with activity. However, it’s also very crowded—overwhelmingly so for Westerners unused to bursting Asian cities. Vehicle access can be difficult, and narrow sidewalks get blocked by businesses and parked motorbikes. In the center of the Old Quarter is picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake.
- Most international-brand high-rise hotels are further out in the West Lake (Ho Tay) area, about 10 minutes by taxi from Hoan Kiem Lake. These hotels offer Lake views and more space than the Old Quarter, but few facilities are nearby.
- The French Quarter around the Hilton Hotel is surprisingly classy, with elegant cafés and welcome patches of greenery. It is also very close to Hoan Kiem Lake.
- Any hotel not located in the Old Quarter, French Quarter, or West Lake may be inconvenient to sights and likely to be along streets with few or no English menus or English-speaking staff.
- The airport is 30+ km from the Old Quarter. Legal and illegal taxes are readily available at the airport, and it’s your best option for getting to a hotel. Buses from the airport are slow and won’t necessarily drop passengers anywhere near their hotel. The Vietnam Airlines office in Hanoi offers a very cheap bus service every hour to (but not from) the airport. Otherwise, book a car from your hotel or a travel agency or hail a taxi to the airport.
- Agencies and hotels around the Old Quarter sell tickets for comfortable private buses to all major destinations, and fares should include a pickup from the hotel. The train station is convenient, and offers services as far as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
- The Old Quarter is easy enough to walk around. Taxis are everywhere, especially along the main streets outside the Old Quarter. They are cheap, and all use meters. The most reliable taxi company is Mai Linh. Also popular is Grab motorbike taxis (with a passenger on the back).
- A quaint (but touristy) way to get around the Old Quarter is by cycle rickshaw. Bargain hard; fares are much higher than taxis.
- There are a plethora of well-stocked minimarts in central Hanoi, while malls are located further out in the suburbs.
The 17 Best Hotels in Hanoi
1. Capella
Hotel phone: +84 24 3987 8888
French Quarter opera-inspired luxury hotel and steps from the Hanoi Opera House. Gorgeous and lavishly decorated rooms display historical opera ornaments and rich colors. Suites feature opera portraiture by Kate Spencer. Some suites offer living and dining spaces, but the Royal Opera Suite has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a dining area, and a terrace with an outdoor tub to bathe under the stars. In the basement, Regale offers a gym, spa, pool, sauna, and steam room. There are no windows at La Grotta, the indoor heated pool, but it’s reflected by mirrors from top to bottom to a level where you don’t know where it begins or ends. The chandelier in the middle can help you get your bearings. The hotel has some of the best restaurants in Hanoi in stunningly decorated spaces. Backstage serves modern Northern Vietnamese cuisine. Return to 1920’s New York, where The Hudson Rooms serve gastronomic creations. Koki offers authentic Japanese dining. Diva’s Lounge provides Vietnamese-inspired tapas with signature cocktails.
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2. Peridot Grand
Hotel phone: +84 24 3828 0099
Luxury hotel In the Northern part of the Old Quarter. Rooms are beautifully decorated; some have a separate living area, balconies, or connecting doors, which is perfect for a family. 1968 Restaurant serves signature Asian dishes. Olivine Restaurant offers fine dining on the roof with views of the infinity pool and city. Also on the roof is Ignite Sky Bar, which has 360-degree views of Hanoi’s Old Quarter with signature cocktails, tapas, and a DJ or live music. Peridot Spa offers massage, steam room and sauna, hot tub, and Himalayan salt stone treatments. Private or group Vietnamese cooking classes are available, and children as young as six can participate.
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3. Scent Premium
Hotel phone: +84 336 308 979
This boutique hotel is located near Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the Old Quarter. Its key features are its excellent location and service. The rooms are on the small side but beautifully decorated with wood floors and mostly neutral tones. Most rooms are for two guests, but the Family Suite has two queen beds and a balcony. Some rooms don’t have windows, though, so pay attention when you reserve. There’s no pool, but the spa offers massages, and the hotel offers bike rental, making it easy to get around. The restaurant provides Vietnamese and European dishes, and the rooftop bar has panoramic views of Hoan Kiem Lake.
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4. La Siesta
Hotel phone: +84 24 3926 3641
Our favorite boutique hotel is small but sparkling north of the Old Quarter. The newest in a chain of classy boutique hotels across Hanoi and Hoi An has an elegant nouveau-riche design immediately evident in the lobby, with its sleek tilework, overhead fans, and grand piano. The hotel is on a narrow block, perhaps 50m from the road that encircles Hoan Kiem Lake. This is considered the center of the Old Town of Hanoi, an excellent area for cafes, bars, and all types of shops. There’s a bright, breezy rooftop breakfast area with sweeping views of the lake and Moonlight Sky Bar on the rooftop. Room décor features wrought-iron Juliet balconies; the main differences are size and views—some have great ones of the lake and city. Unlike other hotels, the suites don’t have a separate living area, but the bathroom has tiled walls and ceilings. It is located on a busy but fascinating street in the Old Quarter.
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5. Metropole
Hotel phone: +84 24 3826 6919
Colonial ambiance, spacious gardens, and ideal for families. Traditionally-dressed staff greet guests in French, and an early 20th-century French-Indochine theme dominates throughout. The piano lounge has ornate, old-fashioned elevators and plushly furnished corridors that lead to the hotel’s two wings. Deluxe Rooms ooze old-world charm, with polished wood floors and marble-topped TV cabinets. Those in the New Wing are not quite as alluring but feature full-length windows with appealing garden views. The remarkable courtyard gardens with a greenhouse café and pool are insulated from the noise from outside traffic. This is a good option for families, as it is only a five-minute stroll to Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter.
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6. L’Heritage Hotel
Hotel phone: +84 24 6299 3666
Welcoming old-city vibe in the Old Quarter, not the sanitized version for tourists, and a 20-minute walk to Hoan Kiem Lake. White and neutral décor dominates throughout the comfortable guest rooms. Deluxe rooms are generally unremarkable but have a balcony, while superior rooms are smaller, and the views are blocked by slats across the outside windows. The best option is the spacious suites, which feature lovely Vietnamese art, a desk nook, two windows for maximum views and light, and a jacuzzi bathroom. All windows are double-paned, blocking most of the traffic and construction noise. No hotel of this size or location will have a pool, but it does squeeze in a gym and sauna.
• Hotel Website • Check prices for L’Heritage
7. La Sinfonía Majesty
Hotel phone: +84 243 715 2345
Elegant hotel in the northern part of the Old Quarter with views of Hoan Kiem Lake. Its key features are the staff, location, and rooftop views. The hotel is perfect for couples. The decor is spectacular, with patterned marble floors and iron details in the lobby, but the rooms are calmer. They feature dark wood and crisp white linens. Some rooms have a terrace with views, and others barely have a small window, so keep that in mind when booking. On the seventh floor, with views of the lake, the Symphony Restaurant serves a delicious mashup of Asian and French cuisine. One of the dishes is Pho with beef tail and foie gras. The open-air Majesty Sky Bar is on the roof, serving handcrafted cocktails with panorama views of the city and lake. La énMay Spa has Vietnamese and Thai massage, foot treatments, sauna, steam and milk baths, acupressure, and facials. The hotel is a few blocks from Thang Long Water Puppet Theater and about 2 km from Hanoi Opera House.
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8. De Syloia
Hotel phone: +84 24 3824 5346
Newly renovated boutique hotel in the southern part of the old Quarter. Its key features are the staff, location, and history. This charming hotel used to be a house in 1936 during the French colonial era but was later transformed into a hotel. It was one of the first hotels in Hanoi. The rooms feature paintings by Vietnamese artists and warm tones with wood floors. Some rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the other buildings or the city. The Deluxe and Presidential suites have one king bed and a sofa bed for families. There’s a small gym with a large window, a small sauna, and a steam room with a mini Jacuzzi. Cay Cau Vietnamese restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea. Even though it was recently renovated, the entrance to the building and outdoor area are original. It’s a 10-minute walk to the Opera House and close to Hoan Kiem Lake.
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9. Silk Path
Hotel phone: +84 24 3938 5555
Understated refinement, all about the views and location. One of the few hotels facing scenic Hoan Kiem Lake (albeit with a busy road in between), Silk Path Boutique suffers from limited space, so few rooms have much natural light or great views. The hotel has two sections: Block A is mostly front-facing and offers divine river views (trees permitting). The newer and quieter Block B offers views of the city – and some of the lake, but some rooms have no views. Senior Executive Rooms are not as posh as the name suggests but face the lake, and some even have a balcony. These rooms are small yet spacious; Vietnamese prints add charm. Facing the hectic lakeside road, all rooms at the front suffer a bit from traffic noise despite the double-pane windows.
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10. Pearl
Hotel phone: +84 24 3938 0666
Central, quieter, and a cut above the rest. Instantly appealing, the Pearl provides a variety of rooms across nine floors along a comparatively tranquil street. Superior Rooms are motel-like, compact, and practical but have no outside windows. Deluxe Rooms provide views of the streets or the internal courtyard (which is less exciting but certainly more peaceful) – any balconies are for decoration only and not accessible from inside. Suites offer accessible furnished balconies with street views, albeit limited. The Pearl has a gym, as well as a rooftop bar. Located just around the corner from Hoan Kiem Lake, the nearby streets are jammed with shops, bars, and cafés.
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11. Melia
Hotel phone: +84 24 3934 3343
Massive, modern, and graceful high rise in central Hanoi. Soaring 22 floors above a frenetic avenue of banks and government offices and adjacent to a Rolls-Royce showroom, the Melia is designed more for business than tourism. Most rooms fall into one of two categories: Deluxe Rooms are fashionable and luxurious but unexpectedly narrow; Premium Rooms have similar decor and furnishing but are considerably larger – there’s a double-door entrance to a separate lounge area and a walk-through luggage space leading to the bedroom. Some boast corner windows for double the light and views. The third-level pool is sunny and breezy but perhaps undersized, considering there are 300+ rooms. There are no child-specific amenities, but this is a decent option for families, particularly because of its proximity (only 10 minutes on foot) to Hoan Kiem Lake and the intriguing Old Quarter.
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12. Mövenpick
Hotel phone: +84 24 3822 2800
Large French-colonial-style hotel in the southern part of the Old Quarter. The vibrant, beautifully decorated hotel has warm colors and modern chandeliers. Rooms are mostly neutral tones with wood floors and accommodate two people, though cribs are available. The smallish outdoor Miami-themed pool has one glass wall, and the Cabana Club with cocktails and snacks. The gym has workout equipment, massages, a sauna, and professional fitness instructors. Three restaurants and a bar offer a range of cuisine from Swiss-style to Portuguese and Cantonese, to barbecue, and a daily chocolate hour from 5-6 pm. It’s within walking distance of Hoan Kiem Lake.
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13. The Chi
Hotel phone: +84 24 3719 2939
Fashionable and personable in a first-rate location. With limited views and undersized rooms, this is still better than most of the boutique hotels in the Old Quarter. Standard Rooms are reasonably nice, with shiny bathrooms and polished wood floors. Views (through oversized windows) are far better in Deluxe Rooms, which also feature spacious bathrooms and trendy decor. Best of all, the open-plan suites contain spa bathrooms and extended balconies. Only one block from Hoan Kiem Lake, it’s set along a pleasant street with a cathedral, a park, and a million motorbikes. (Note that the double-paned windows aren’t always totally effective.)
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14. InterContinental
Hotel phone: +84 24 6270 8888
Large relaxing resort with rooms and a bar over Westlake. One of the key features is the unique layout over the lake and the views. The resort snakes over the lake via walkways to rooms and Sunset bar. It’s a good family choice with king-sized beds, cribs available, and an on-call doctor. Some rooms are over the water and others on the lake edge, so make sure to look for it when booking. All rooms have a balcony to view the lake or city. The free-from pool and hot tub are beside the lake with poolside service. There’s also a large state-of-the-art fitness center. Saigon Restaurant serves Vietnamese cuisine. Cafe Du Lac is a contemporary French brasserie. Milan offers authentic Italian cuisine with premium Italian wines and has a pizza oven. There are a few lounges, some of which serve Imperial High Tea, but Sunset Bar is a standout spot for cocktails and sunset views over the lake. It’s north of the Old Quarter and great for a respite from the city, but you will need transportation to most attractions.
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15. Hôtel du Parc
Hotel phone: +84 24 3822 3535
Large hotel In the southern part of the Old Quarter and a few blocks from Thong Nhat Park. It’s also close to the train station. The rooms could use an update but are large and have views of the park or the city. There are smoking and non-smoking rooms, so pay attention when booking. The fitness center is good sized, and there’s a sauna and outdoor swimming pool on the fourth floor. There are two restaurants and a cake shop serving cheesecake, layer cakes, and tarts. Voyage is an international restaurant with windows facing Hanoi Street, and AZABU serves authentic Japanese cuisine. Enjoy an Earl Grey Cosmopolitan and other drinks at Le Salon Lounge, which also has street views.
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16. Hotel de L’Opera
Hotel phone: +84 24 6282 5555
Arty and unique. This colonial-style hotel is along a classy street of patisseries and theaters just 200 meters from the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake and grand Opera House. The hotel employs an operatic/artistic theme throughout. Colorful furniture and decor are often funky (but not functional), and bathrooms are lit to resemble backstage makeup rooms. Add raised beds so high that some would have trouble reaching them. Others may revel in its uniqueness. Many rooms face an internal courtyard, while the Opera Residences feature a kitchenette and floor-to-ceiling windows with street views. The third-floor gym is enormous, and the glass-enclosed pool is small. There are two restaurants and a bar.
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17. Sheraton
Hotel phone: +84 24 3719 9000
Classy and lakeside, but far from attractions. The Sheraton is the only high-rise set immediately next to West Lake. Standard Deluxe Rooms feature high ceilings, modern Asian art and lampshades, and marvelous lake views (though windows are small). Ambassador Suites on the top two floors are superb, with extensive views from the bathtub and balcony (which is, astonishingly, closed to guests). The resort-style pool with pagoda-shaped swim-up bar sits nicely riverside, adjacent to ornamental gardens, but the tennis court is way overdue for maintenance. However, all the space and views come at a cost of convenience. With no facilities nearby, it’s 10 minutes by taxi (or free hotel shuttle) to the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake.
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