The Best Hotels in Hanoi, Vietnam

You’re right in the thick of Hanoi’s most popular sights here: historic Ngoc Son Temple and its photogenic lake to the east, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to the west. Yet the handy Old Quarter location isn’t the only reason to book Hanoi Lotus Boutique Hotel. Wood-lined rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows open up to balconies overlooking the city, while 24-hour room service means you can snag snacks or drinks to enjoy alfresco any time of day or night.

A regal, old-world elegance pervades this Old Quarter hotel, from the chandelier-studded lounge space to the wine bottle-lined bar. There’s a large indoor pool if you fancy cooling off after a stint in the Hanoi heat and dining options aplenty if you’re too tired to head out at the day’s end. Modern-classic rooms come with soft lighting and golden hues, suiting business travellers as well as couples looking for an upmarket vibe.

It’s hard to pinpoint the biggest draw at this Old Quarter hotel. There’s a chilled-out wine bar, a tranquil spa with a turquoise pool, whilst the stylish bedrooms come complete with contemporary artworks, funky patterned tiles and fluffy robes. La Siesta certainly has plenty to entice, including a restaurant – Red Bean Trendy – which serves up a street food-style buffet each day. Indeed, with street food tours on demand, it’s clear where the focus lies at this gourmand’s paradise in downtown Hanoi.

Around the corner from Saint Joseph’s, Hanoi’s epic gothic-style cathedral, O’Gallery serves up drama in its bedrooms with dark wood walls and floors, moody lighting and splashes of royal blue and green. This indulgent, sophisticated palette draws stylish holidaymakers and business travellers alike, who appreciate the rooms’ private terraces and the restaurant serving up mango salad and barbecued pork shoulder. The front desk can help sort tours to the Unesco-listed karsts of Halong Bay or the serene hill town of Sapa.

Steps from the city’s scenic Hoan Kiem Lake, the lobby of the Apricot Hotel is a vision in white: glittering chandelier, elegant sofas, ornate wrought-iron balcony. Yet despite its grandeur, it’s not this hotel’s main highlight. That honour is reserved for the rooftop pool, lined with loungers, drenched in sun and overlooking the must-see lake itself. The spa caters to indulgent types, as does the fine-dining restaurant. And the rooms? Expect floor-to-ceiling windows, embellished carpets and more crisp white hues.

Located on the rooftop of this hotel, the appropriately named Top of Hanoi – the highest open-air bar and restaurant in the city – has 360-degree views of Vietnam’s capital and dishes up fruity cocktails, sunset scenes and DJ nights on the regular. Meanwhile, Lotte’s rooms have a timeless sense of class about them, with botanical motifs, slate-hued bathrooms and big windows that let the light shine in. Be sure to dine at the in-house branch of Tim Ho Wan, the Michelin-starred Hong Kong dim sum restaurant.

Golden Silk Boutique Hotel channels proper Vietnamese style, with lacquer-smooth wooden floors, ornate furniture, silky scatter cushions and lily-pad motifs behind beds. It combines this sense of place with European-style opulence: a lobby of oversized chandeliers, polished stone floors and cushy banquettes, for example. It’s a balance that works, from the Oriental Restaurant to the tranquil Silk Spa. When it’s time for a cocktail, pay a visit to the Piano Bar.

Set in the peaceful French Quarter, Aira Hanoi has a sense of the Parisian about it with decorative panelling on the walls, crisp white linens, trendy metro tiling and gold taps in bathrooms. Then, you get to the pool, and this could only be Hanoi: lined with stripey loungers, it looks out over the jumble of the Vietnamese capital. A grand, dramatic lobby is a stylish place to sip a pre-dinner drink, while the rooftop alfresco bar is the perfect spot for a nightcap.

Set to the east of Hanoi Railway Station, this is a handy stay if you’re stopping in the capital just for a night before heading off to explore the country by train. Yet Movenpick gives you plenty of reasons to stay longer: glamorous rooms with button-back headboards on beds; a Swiss-style restaurant (if you’ve overdosed on local cuisine) and a decked out gym with a sauna, should you want to relax.

The wedding-cake architecture of Hanoi’s opulent opera house is just a few steps away when you book into this Mgallery, a historic-fronted hotel with a trendy modern core. Dramatic rooms, dressed in dark hues with flashes of fuchsia, will appeal to couples after a dose of romance or, for that matter, anyone who appreciates a hotel with a sunlounger-lined terrace and elegant dining areas. Don’t forget to pack your costume: the semi-outdoor, third-floor swimming pool is a particular highlight.

Splashes of leafy green and crimson red bring a natural, garden-like feel to the rooms at Hanoi Anise Hotel & Spa, set in the north of the city centre. With views across lush greenery, there’s a distinct sense that you’ve escaped the crush of the city centre here. Quadruple rooms and suites, sleeping four, are on hand for families, who can also make use of the laundry facilities and 24-hour airport shuttle service.

One of Hanoi’s most popular sights is its Water Puppet Theatre – and this hotel, perched on the south side of Hoan Kiem Lake, sits within easy striking distance for a visit. The restaurant, dishing up zingy Vietnamese classics and delicate French pastries, provides fuel ahead of the big show, while bedrooms dressed in classy neutrals are a comfortable crash pad upon return. Wake up to a frothy morning coffee served up over a complimentary buffet breakfast.