In this guide
The Short Version: For a colonial-era address, book the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoiad, open since 1901, or Capella Hanoiad, 47 opera-themed rooms and suites a short walk from the Opera House. For a pool above the Old Quarter roofs, choose Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotelad or The Oriental Jade Hotelad. For a drink above the lake, Apricot Hotelad and Hanoi Pearl Hotelad both have rooftop bars facing it. Little Charm Hanoi Hostelad has dorm beds for the tightest budgets. Which area suits you is covered in where to stay in Hanoi.
The hotels at a glance
| Hotel | Area | Deciding fact |
|---|---|---|
| Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi | French Quarter | Open since 1901; bomb shelter tour for guests only |
| Capella Hanoi | French Quarter | 47 rooms and suites, opera theme, by the Opera House |
| Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi MGallery | French Quarter | Trang Tien Street, indoor pool |
| Melia Hanoi | French Quarter | Ly Thuong Kiet Street, outdoor pool |
| The Oriental Jade Hotel | Old Quarter, by the lake | Outdoor pool on the 12th floor, some rooms with lake views |
| Apricot Hotel | Old Quarter, by the lake | Rooftop bar facing Hoan Kiem Lake, Vietnamese art on every floor |
| Hanoi Pearl Hotel | Old Quarter, by the lake | On Bao Khanh Lane a few steps from the lake |
| Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel | Old Quarter, west | 16-metre outdoor infinity pool |
| Hanoi La Siesta Classic Ma May | Old Quarter | Moonlight Sky Bar and a spa with sauna |
| Tirant Hotel | Old Quarter | Rooftop bar; pick an external-view room |
| Bespoke Trendy Hotel Hanoi | Old Quarter, west | A short walk from the Tong Duy Tan food street |
| Little Charm Hanoi Hostel | Old Quarter | Dorm beds, women-only dorms, indoor pool |
French Quarter
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
15 Ngo Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem · 358 rooms and suites · bomb shelter tour for staying guests, daily 17:00 and 18:00
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoiad has traded since 1901 and is the city’s colonial-era grand hotel. The Heritage Wing is the original building. Le Beaulieu, Spice Garden and the Bamboo Bar are among its restaurants and bars.
The deciding fact is the shelter. The hotel’s engineers found a wartime bunker complex under the grounds in 2011 while renovating the Bamboo Bar, and it can be visited only on the hotel’s guided tour, which is for staying guests. Ask the concierge to reserve a place when you check in.
Capella Hanoi
11 Le Phung Hieu Street, Hoan Kiem · 47 rooms and suites · indoor pool
Capella Hanoiad was designed by Bill Bensley as a tribute to opera, and each room is styled individually. It is a five-minute walk from the Hanoi Opera House, in the quiet streets behind Trang Tien. The four Opera Suites on the top floor each have an outdoor terrace.
With 47 rooms it is run at the scale of a boutique hotel, so the room category decides the stay.
Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi MGallery
29 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem · indoor pool · Cafe Lautrec
Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi MGalleryad sits on Trang Tien Street, the shopping street that runs to the Opera House, and Hoan Kiem Lake is a five-minute walk. Breakfast and coffee are served in Cafe Lautrec, and the Sante Spa is on the third floor.
It is the most convenient base here for the Opera House and French Quarter.
Melia Hanoi
44B Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoan Kiem · outdoor pool · Cham and Mosaico restaurants
Melia Hanoiad is a five-star hotel on Ly Thuong Kiet Street in the French Quarter. It has an outdoor pool, the Oasis Spa and the Cava Lounge bar, and its restaurants are Cham and Mosaico.
Old Quarter, by Hoan Kiem Lake
The Oriental Jade Hotel
92-94 Hang Trong Street, Hoan Kiem · 120 rooms and suites · outdoor pool on the 12th floor · O’ Sky Rooftop Bar
The Oriental Jade Hotelad is on Hang Trong Street a few minutes’ walk from the lake, and some rooms have lake views. The outdoor pool is on the 12th floor, beside the O’ Sky Rooftop Bar, and O’ Signature Spa is on site. Ask for a lake-view room when you book, as only some rooms have one.
Apricot Hotel
136 Hang Trong Street, Hoan Kiem · 123 rooms · Rooftop Bar One36 · Spa L’Art
Apricot Hotelad is a neo-classical building on Hang Trong Street, with contemporary Vietnamese art in the lobby and on every floor. Rooftop Bar One36 overlooks Hoan Kiem Lake, and breakfast is served in L’Artiste restaurant. The lake view from the rooftop is the reason to choose it over its neighbours.
Hanoi Pearl Hotel
6 Bao Khanh Lane, Hoan Kiem · four-star · Pearl Lounge on the roof · P-Spa
Hanoi Pearl Hotelad is a four-star hotel a few steps from the lake. The Ngoc Son Temple, the water puppet theatre, the weekend night market and St Joseph’s Cathedral are all a few minutes away on foot. The Pearl Lounge on the roof looks over the lake, and The Candles restaurant is on the first floor.
For the lake and temple, see the Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake guide.
Old Quarter
Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel
33 Duong Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem · outdoor infinity pool 09:00 to 21:00 · Ignite Sky Bar 16:00 to 23:30
Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotelad is on Duong Thanh Street on the west side of the Old Quarter. Its outdoor infinity pool is 16 metres long and open 09:00 to 21:00. The open-air Ignite Sky Bar is on the roof and serves from 16:00 to 23:30, and Olivine, a fine-dining restaurant, is on the 11th floor. Peridot Spa, a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna are on site.
The 6B Duong Thanh branch of Cha Ca Thang Long is on the same street.
Hanoi La Siesta Classic Ma May
94 Ma May Street, Old Quarter · Moonlight Sky Bar · spa with sauna and steam room
Hanoi La Siesta Classic Ma Mayad is a four-star hotel in the middle of the Old Quarter, about a three-minute walk from Hoan Kiem Lake. The Moonlight Sky Bar is on the roof, the spa has a sauna and a steam room, and Red Bean Ma May is the restaurant. The hotel also has a small cinema and a gym.
La Siesta runs several hotels in Hanoi, so check the street name when you book: this one is Ma May.
Tirant Hotel
38 Gia Ngu Street, Hoan Kiem · SkyLine Lounge on the roof · Tirant Restaurant
Tirant Hotelad is on Gia Ngu Street, close to the water puppet theatre and the weekend night market. The SkyLine Lounge is a rooftop restaurant and bar serving cocktails, and an international buffet breakfast with Vietnamese dishes is served in Tirant Restaurant.
The hotel lists its Deluxe room in an internal-view and an external-view version. Book the external one if you want daylight.
Bespoke Trendy Hotel Hanoi
12 Nguyen Quang Bich Street, Hoan Kiem · 51 rooms · formerly Hanoi La Siesta Trendy
Bespoke Trendy Hotel Hanoiad was previously Hanoi La Siesta Trendy, and some booking sites still list it under that name. It stands on a small street on the west side of the Old Quarter, about a 10-minute walk from the Tong Duy Tan food street and from St Joseph’s Cathedral. It has a spa with a sauna and a steam room, and a library.
Little Charm Hanoi Hostel
44 Hang Bo Street, Hoan Kiem · dorms, including women-only · indoor pool 08:00 to 20:00
Little Charm Hanoi Hostelad is the budget choice here: mixed and women-only dorms, with an indoor pool open 08:00 to 20:00. Hang Bo is in the heart of the Old Quarter, and the weekend night market is about a 10-minute walk away.
Booking a room
- Read the room name. Many Old Quarter hotels are built on narrow plots, and a category named “internal view” has a window onto a shaft or atrium, not the street.
- Noise. The streets around Ta Hien and Ma May stay busy late. Ask for an upper floor if you are a light sleeper.
- Airport. Check whether your hotel will send a car, or follow the directions in the airport to city guide.
- Trips. Heading out on a Ha Long Bay cruise or to Sapa? Ask the hotel about leaving bags with them before you book.
For West Lake and Ba Dinh hotels, and which area suits which traveller, read where to stay in Hanoi. Both hotel areas sit on the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem walk and the French Quarter and Ba Dinh walk, and the Hanoi guide has the rest.
Common questions
Which Hanoi hotel opened in the French colonial era?
The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi at 15 Ngo Quyen Street has traded since 1901. Its Heritage Wing is the original building, and a wartime bomb shelter found beneath the hotel grounds in 2011 is open on a hotel-led tour.
Which hotels in the Old Quarter have a rooftop pool?
Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel has a 16-metre outdoor infinity pool open 09:00 to 21:00. The Oriental Jade Hotel on Hang Trong Street has an outdoor pool on its 12th floor.
Can anyone join the Metropole bomb shelter tour?
No. The tour is open only to guests staying at the hotel. It runs daily at 17:00 and 18:00, and the concierge reserves places.
Which Old Quarter hotels have a rooftop bar overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake?
Apricot Hotel on Hang Trong Street has Rooftop Bar One36, which overlooks the lake, and Hanoi Pearl Hotel on Bao Khanh Lane has the rooftop Pearl Lounge with lake views. The Oriental Jade Hotel runs O' Sky Rooftop Bar.
How do I avoid a room with no outside view?
Book an external-view category. Tirant Hotel, for one, lists its Deluxe room in an internal-view and an external-view version, so read the room name before you pay.
