Hanoi is not as busy as Ho Chi Minh City, but more of a quiet, calm city. But that doesn’t means your trips to the capital of Vietnam will be boring. Other than visiting here and there, the hotels here are not only a place to sleep, but also unique in their own ways.
Maison d’Orient
Though stuck in a tiny blind alley south of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, this amazing architect-designed hotel is full of handcrafted furniture, and beautiful propaganda-style prints. The 12 rooms, named after spices (ginger, cinnamon, anise), are decorated with bamboo furniture, red lacquer lamps and bamboo shades, as well as alluring corners with French colonial armchairs and mismatched pretty cups and saucers. Breakfasts are prepared at smart lacquered square tables, while ginger tea is served on the ground floor terrace filled with scattering of bright floral cushions. Furthermore, the hotel is surrounded by some of the best restaurants in Hanoi
La Maison Hai Ly
This house placing along the Red River can’t be mistaken thanks to the exquisite 19th century design. Although it is near Hanoi’s Old Quarter (only 15 minutes away), but a tranquil atmosphere descends on La Maison Hai Ly and its garden of orchids, banana and guava. The house’s designed: low, tiled roof tipped with circular blue ceramics was transplanted from Hoi An, a former Chinese mercantile port in the central Vietnam. The hotel alsohas an open-plan living room and kitchen facing the private garden to offer. In winter, keep cozy with the cottage wood burner; in summer, light the barbecue in the walled garden. Breakfast is included and Vietnamese meals, cooked with herbs and seasonal vegetables from a nearby market, can also be requested for supper.
St Joseph’s Hang Da
Though the size is modest, this modern nine-room hotel is a great place to meet fellow travelers. The lobby, use as breakfast room and reception, looks out to the bustling Duong Thanh Street. The hotel also offers ample breakfast: cereals, fruit, pancakes, French toast and, of course, pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). They are all served in delicate ceramics, and a fully stocked mag rack invites lounging and lingering. If you want more Vietnamese food, you can find one of Hanoi’s best cha ca (pan-fried fish with turmeric and dill) restaurant, Cha Ca Thang Long, across the street
Le Hong Thai Homestay
Hanoi artist Le Hong Thai fashioned this homestay, which used to be an old stilted house in Long Bien district. A central open fireplace takes most of the space of the huge open-plan living room, dining room, and kitchen, all supported by ancient columns. The walls are hung with artist Le Hong Thai’s abstract paintings and, there’s an artfully placed object behind every column. If you go upstairs, you’ll find a grand piano and a freestanding bath, while at the other opposite side of the room is two double mattresses on raised platforms facing each other. Climb further and you’ll find another two bedrooms, other bathrooms, stairs to a private courtyard and, carefully nurtured in the rafters, the ancestor altar reflecting on all that happens below.
Golden Silk
Spacious, comfortable rooms with huge beds make this Old Quarter hotel different from other Hanoi hotels. If you love shopping, the location of this hotel is perfect, right in the middle of busy Hang Gai (Silk Street). But most of the rooms are set back off the busy shopping route to prevent noise. It also decorated with luxurious things as well: rosewood floors, brushed silver velvet armchairs, lacquer-and-shell bedside lamps and silvery wallpaper. Finally, a tub in the bathroom to seal the deal.
6 on Sixteen
This six-room hotel was founded by an anthropologist Pete Wilkes. Bold bamboo beds with Hmong indigo fabric cushions, and handmade ceramic lamps decorate the six rooms, two of which have white curlicued balconies. You’ll find elephant trunk lamps covered with Hmong fabrics, with light bulbs blinking out of snouts. Breakfasts (sweetcorn fritters, lemon soufflé pancakes, and roasted vegetable omelets) are served in the communal dining room, with decorations of arts, crafts and clothes.
Anise Hotel
In a bundle of streets between the tip of the Old Quarter and West Lake, facing Hang Dau Park, is the friendly Anise Hotel. At dusk, you can join the local for aerobics, or tai chi lessons at dawn in the park. You can feel a genuinely warm welcome from Anise from the comfortable lobby with blue, aubergine and silver velvets and cottons wrapped around funky furniture. The smart, modern rooms come with beds made from water hyacinth rope, tasteful lacquer art on the walls, and mostly sleek bathrooms. This northern corner of Hanoi is resurgent. You can find quite a few places to visit here, such as the new art gallery Manzi, or 54 Traditions Gallery, which exhibits authentic arts and crafts of 54 ethnic groups around Vietnam
Places to stay in Hanoi
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