Best hotels in Hanoi 2023: Where to stay in the French Quarter, the Old Quarter and more

These are the top places to stay in Vietnam’s atmospheric capital

Hanoi is one of the world’s most ancient capitals, celebrating its 1,000th birthday in 2010 (istock)

A chequered history has created a beautiful mess of contrasting neighbourhoods in Hanoi. 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. Meaning there is something for everyone.

This fast-paced city (Vietnam’s capital) has everything from a fantastic food scene – in our Hanoi city guide, our writer recommends a banh mi sandwich as a great place to start – to plenty of green space for when the honking scooters get too much.

But whether you’re here to take an eco-cruise along the Mekong River or want to visit Hanoi’s historic sites – such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the final resting place of the man referred to as “Uncle Ho” – you’ll want the perfect hotel to rest your head.

Fortunately, accommodation options are spread throughout this southeast Asia 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.

The best hotels in Hanoi are:

• Best hotel for culture vultures: Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi MGallery
• Best hotel for the Old Quarter experience: The Chi Boutique Hotel
• Best hotel for romantic getaways: Silk Path Boutique Hotel Hanoi
• Best hotel for art-lovers: Apricot Hotel
• Best hotel for sunset cocktails: Pan Pacific Hanoi
• Best hotel for lake views: InterContinental West Lake Hanoi
• Best hotel for family getaways: Elegant Suites Westlake
• Best hotel for mixing business and pleasure: Lotte Hotel Hanoi
• Best hotel for the celebrity guestbook: Sofitel Legend Metropole

Best hotel for culture vultures: Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi MGallery

Neighbourhood: French Quarter

The lavish grand suite at Hotel de l'Opera (Hotel de l'Opera Hanoi)

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.

Best hotel for the Old Quarter experience: The Chi Boutique Hotel

Neighbourhood: Old Quarter

The Chi is perfectly placed for exploring the city's Old Quarter (The Chi Boutique Hotel)

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.

Best hotel for romantic getaways: Silk Path Boutique Hotel Hanoi

Neighbourhood: Hoan Kiem Lake

An executive room at Silk Path Boutique Hotel Hanoi (Silk Path Boutique Hotel Hanoi)

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. Front-facing executive rooms offer views of the lake, while solid triple glazing keeps out any noise disturbance – a necessity during weekends.

Best hotel for art-lovers: Apricot Hotel

Neighbourhood: Hoan Kiem Lake

The rooftop swimming pool offers an excellent view of the city (Apricot Hotel)

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.

Best hotel for sunset cocktails: Pan Pacific Hanoi

Neighbourhood: Truc Bach

The Pan Pacific's all-season pool has a retractable roof for sunny days (Pan Pacific Hanoi)

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.

Best hotel for lake views: InterContinental West Lake Hanoi

Neighbourhood: West Lake

InterContinental West Lake Hanoi offers exceptional lake views (InterContinental West Lake Hanoi)

Swap a cacophony of motorbike horns for the soothing sounds of lapping water at InterContinental West Lake Hanoi. 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.

Best hotel for family getaways: Elegant Suites Westlake

Neighbourhood: West Lake

When the humidity gets too much, take a dip in the outdoor pool at Elegant Suites Westlake (Elegant Suites Westlake)

In Hanoi for more than a few days? Consider a serviced apartment right in the middle of the city’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.

Best hotel for mixing business and pleasure: Lotte Hotel Hanoi

Neighbourhood: New central business district

The deluxe suite at Lotte Hotel: ideal for business and pleasure (Lotte Hotel Hanoi)

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.

Best hotel for architecture enthusiasts: JW Marriot Hotel Hanoi

Neighbourhood: French Quarter

The interior of Smack-Dab bar, located in the JW Marriot, which is made from seven upcycled shipping containers (Grey Matters/JW Marriot)

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 and various private lounges spread throughout the hotel. Plus, there are no fewer than six fabulous restaurants, including French Grill, serving (you guessed it) fine French food, and John Anthony Cantonese Grill & Dim Sum, which specialises in Cantonese cuisine. JZ

Best hotel for the celebrity guestbook: Sofitel Legend Metropole

Neighbourhood: The French Quarter

The Graham Greene suite (Sofitel Metropole Hanoi)

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

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