The best hotels in Hanoi

Hanoi’s chequered history has created a beautiful mess of contrasting neighbourhoods. There’s the labyrinthine Old Quarter; tree-studded French Quarter; lake-filled Tay Ho District; and the glistening modernity of the rapidly developing westside precincts.

Fortunately, accommodation options are spread throughout the city so you can pair your personality with the neighbourhood. From boutique charm squeezed into the Old City, to spacious modern creations from award-winning architects, there’s an option for all tastes.

Here are the best hotels in Hanoi.

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Best for culture vultures: Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi

Neighbourhood: French Quarter

As the name suggests, Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi is a stone’s throw from the Hanoi Opera House, a wedding cake structure built during the French colonial period and modelled on Paris’s Palais Garnier. This lavish hotel, with colourful rooms and a courtyard cafe, rests on Trang Tien Street, which connects the opera house with Hoan Kiem Lake. The hotel is part of the MGallery Collection, managed by Accor.

An eye-catching art deco building across the street houses L’Espace, a French cultural centre, while the Vietnamese Women Museum is just around the corner. JZ

Doubles from $110 USD (£86)
hoteldelopera.com

Best for the Old Quarter experience: The Chi Boutique Hotel

Neighbourhood: Old Quarter

The Chi Boutique Hotel couldn’t be better placed for absorbing the cluttered atmosphere of Hanoi’s fabled Old Quarter. But despite its sardine tin location, most rooms are refreshingly spacious, with trendy (sometimes daring) design features and chic bathrooms with bathtubs. A hip rooftop bar offering fresh angles of Hanoi’s iconic St Joseph’s Cathedral is a highlight, but The Chi’s location just steps from some of Hanoi’s trendiest shops and restaurants, including fashion boutique Chula Fashion and artisanal restaurant TUNG, is the cherry on the cake. JZ

Doubles from $57 USD (£44)
thechihotel.com

Best for romantic getaways: Silk Path Boutique Hotel Hanoi

Neighbourhood: Hoan Kiem Lake

Walk out from this boutique treasure and find Hoan Kiem Lake resting right on your doorstep. Located within one of Hanoi’s characteristic “tube houses” – narrow buildings designed to allow road access for as many families as possible – rooms are typically tight, but comfortable. The hotel comes into its own on Saturday and Sunday, when the temporarily pedestrianised lake road erupts into a frenzied playground of toddlers driving miniature Ferraris and teenage dance troupes filming their next big hit.

For now, Silk Path Boutique Hotel Hanoi remains the only hotel within this pedestrianised zone. Front-facing executive rooms offer views of the lake, while solid triple glazing keeps out any noise disturbance, a necessity on the weekends. JZ

Doubles from $70 USD (£55)
hangkhay.silkpathhotel.com

Best for art lovers: Apricot Hotel

Neighbourhood: Hoan Kiem Lake

From the outside, Apricot Hotel may look like any other luxury city property, but drift through the entrance, ignoring the gaudy chandelier, to gaze at magnificent pieces of art that adorn a dazzling lobby. The art-loving owners have adopted the hotel to display their sought-after collection of paintings and sculptures from well-known Vietnamese artists. Bright and airy rooms, also decorated with local art pieces, serve as a calm escape from the outside bustle, while the broad rooftop swimming pool and sky bar are additional perks. JZ

Doubles from $130 USD (£101)
apricothotels.com

Best for sunset cocktails: Pan Pacific Hanoi

Neighbourhood: Truc Bach

If you like your sunsets dramatic and your cocktails colourful, the Pan Pacific Hanoi never fails to impress (unless it’s cloudy). The Summit is the hotel’s pride and joy; a west-facing sky bar offering spellbinding views over the twin lakes of West Lake and Truc Bach, elegantly partitioned by tree-lined Thanh Nien Street and Tran Quoc Pagoda. This is Hanoi’s best view, so it’s worth making the trip to The Summit even if you’re not staying in the hotel. If you do decide to stay, you’ll encounter near-equivalent views from the tasteful rooms. The hotel is also situated in Truc Bach, one of Hanoi’s most charming lakeside neighbourhoods, and perfect for a morning stroll. JZ

Doubles from $120 USD (£94)
panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pp-hanoi.html

Best for lake views: InterContinental West Lake Hanoi

Neighbourhood: West Lake

Swap a cacophony of motorbike horns for the soothing sounds of lapping water at InterContinental West Lake Hanoi, one of only two Hanoi hotels that are actually built on the water (the other being the Cold War-era Thang Loi Hotel). The “over-water” rooms are particularly appealing, as they fan out on small man-made islets from the central sunset bar. After watching the sun sink over the water and enjoying one too many cocktails, you can stagger back to your room in just a couple of lurches. The hotel is within easy reach of Hanoi’s best international restaurants and cafes, such as Argentinian steakhouse El Gaucho and Australian-owned coffee specialists Maison de Tet Decor. JZ

Doubles from $137 USD (£107)
hanoi.intercontinental.com

Best for family getaways: Elegant Suites Westlake

Neighbourhood: West Lake

In Hanoi for more than a few days? Consider a serviced apartment right in the middle of Hanoi’s expat enclave, walking distance from international restaurants, cafes, bars and, more recently, a cinema. All rooms enjoy a living room space, small kitchen, dining area and balconies – most with views of West Lake. There’s a range of room types depending on the size of your party, from single-room studios to three-bedroom suites, and you’ll have access to a capacious pool and fitness room to boot. JZ

Studios from $78 USD (£61)
elegantsuites.com/westlake/home.htm

Best for mixing business and pleasure: Lotte Hotel Hanoi

Neighbourhood: New central business district

Hoan Kiem Lake may be Hanoi’s heart and soul, but the Lotte Centre Hanoi building, at the crossroads of two of Hanoi’s main traffic arteries, is increasingly thought of as the city’s central point. Occupying the upper tier of this 65-floor skyscraper, all the Lotte Hotel Hanoi rooms offer spellbinding views whatever the direction: West Lake to the north, the old city to the east and the new business district to the southwest. The variation in viewpoints reflects the ideal location, especially if you’re mixing business with pleasure – everywhere you could possibly want to be is no more than 15 minutes by cab. JZ

Doubles from $113 USD (£88)
lottehotel.com/hanoi-hotel

Best for architecture enthusiasts: JW Marriot Hotel Hanoi

Neighbourhood: French Quarter

On the lookout for something completely different? Journey to the west to uncover Hanoi’s newest precinct and the city’s most dazzling contribution to contemporary architecture: the JW Marriot Hotel Hanoi. Extravagance is served up in buckets, with crisply designed rooms, various private lounges spread throughout the hotel and no fewer than six fabulous restaurants. French Grill, serving (you guessed it) fine French food and Crystal Jade Palace, which specialises in Cantonese cuisine, regularly top articles listing the city’s best restaurants. JZ

Doubles from $242 (£189)
jwmarriotthanoilife.com

Best for the celebrity guestbook: Sofitel Legend Metropole

Neighbourhood: The French Quarter

If you’re after luxury with a healthy injection of heritage, look no further than The Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi’s French Quarter. It became the first five-star hotel in Asia when it was built in 1901 and has welcomed celebrities through its Belle Epoque doors ever since (it’s where Charlie Chaplin spent his honeymoon). With several bars and restaurants, a tranquil swimming pool and spa, and staff that cater to your every whim with a smile you’ll be hard-pressed to leave the French colonial environs – though the central location means a street food tour is never too far away. Choose between the original Indochinese or modern wings – and be sure to tour the bunker built during the American War. HH

Rooms from from $301
sofitel-legend-metropole-hanoi.com