Hotel
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Hanoi's grand colonial hotel, open since 1901, with a restored wartime bomb shelter, celebrated restaurants and a guest list from Charlie Chaplin to Graham Greene.
An Old Quarter hotel on Gia Ngu Street, open since 2011, with a rooftop restaurant and bar, a spa and airport transfers to Noi Bai.
Good to know
Tirant Hotel is a mid-range base in the heart of the Old Quarter. It opened in early 2011 on Gia Ngu Street and puts guests within walking distance of Hoan Kiem Lake, the shophouse streets and the evening food scene. For travellers who want to step out of the door straight into old Hanoi, the location is the main draw.
Rooms come in a range of categories, from Superior and Deluxe rooms, with either internal or external views, to Executive Balcony rooms, Family Rooms, a Junior Suite and the Tirant Suite. Rooms with external views or balconies are the ones to choose if you want to watch street life below; internal-view rooms may suit light sleepers, as the Old Quarter stays busy into the evening.
The hotel's facilities are compact but useful. Tirant Restaurant serves an international buffet breakfast, and the SkyLine Lounge on the roof is a restaurant and bar with craft cocktails, a good place for a drink above the rooftops after a day of walking. Ciel Spa offers treatments to help unwind. The hotel can arrange private airport pick-up and drop-off at Noi Bai, which is the simplest option if you are arriving late or have a lot of luggage.
The hotel also positions itself as a base for trips beyond the city, to Ha Long Bay, Sapa and Ninh Binh, and to craft villages near Hanoi such as Van Phuc and Bat Trang, the pottery village. If you plan day trips, ask the front desk about arrangements when you book. Contact the hotel on +84 24 6269 8899 or by email at [email protected], and check the official website for current offers.
Tirant suits couples, friends travelling together and families who want a central, practical hotel at a moderate price. Its Old Quarter address means that pho at Pho Gia Truyen, cha ca on Duong Thanh Street and egg coffee at Cafe Giang are all easy to reach, and Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple are a short walk away. It is a good choice for first-time visitors on a budget that does not stretch to the city's luxury hotels.
In early 2011.
At 38 Gia Ngu Street in the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem.
Superior, Deluxe, Executive Balcony, Family Room, Junior Suite and Tirant Suite.
Tirant Restaurant serves an international buffet breakfast; check your rate for inclusion.
Yes, the SkyLine Lounge on the roof serves food and craft cocktails.
Yes, Ciel Spa.
Yes, private pick-up and drop-off at Noi Bai Airport can be arranged.
Call +84 24 6269 8899 or email [email protected].
Bar
Vietnam's first jazz club, founded in 1997 by saxophonist Quyen Van Minh, with live jazz every night from 9pm on Trang Tien Street.
Café
The family café where egg coffee was invented in 1946, still run by the founder's son in an alley off Nguyen Huu Huan Street in the…
Restaurant
Chef Sam Tran's Michelin-starred restaurant opposite the Temple of Literature, serving a single seasonal tasting menu rooted in traditional Vietnamese cooking.
Thing to do
The historic trading district north of Hoan Kiem Lake, known as the 36 streets, where each street was once named after the goods sold there.