Golden Art Hotel

The Art Trendy Hotel is small, but sports a pleasant facade in the middle of its quiet block. The tall and narrow white building is wedged between shops and salons, with a table and umbrella right out front that's a great spot to drink coffee and watch the world pass. Inside, the small lobby is well lit, with pretty stone walls and a plush gold-cushioned couch on which to enjoy the passion fruit drink, fresh fruits, and sweets provided for all guests upon arrival. The old winding stairwells in the hotel have black-and-white photos of Hanoi life, as does the restaurant area, which has free computers for use, along with artistic glass tables filled with white pebbles that are fine places to relax over tea throughout the day. There is an elevator to reach higher floors. The hotel caters to guests looking for a clean and quiet flashpacker spot in the Old Quarter -- it sees plenty of couples and solo travelers, plus a few families. 

The Art Trendy Hotel is located in the heart of the Old Quarter, Hanoi's main tourist district. The hotel sits on a quiet side street, which is a rarity in this chaotic part of the city -- the immediate area has little traffic and is very quiet at night. It's a five- to 10-minute walk to all of the best restaurants, bars, and shopping in the district, making this a convenient base for exploring the city. Scenic Hoan Kiem Lake is a 15-minute walk from the hotel and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum takes about 10 minutes to reach by vehicle. The international airport is less than an hour's drive from the hotel -- around 40 minutes without traffic. 

The Art Trendy Hotel has 30 rooms, the majority of which are Deluxe Quiet Rooms, so named because they face away from the street and are very quiet. Rooms are stylish and modern, with polished dark wood floors, sleek wood furnishings, purple-striped wallpaper that matches the drapes, and framed black-and-white photography. All rooms are bright and spotless, and come with air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs with plenty of cable channels, minibars, safes, alarm clocks, tea and coffee facilities, and comfortable beds. A big plus: free IBM Think Pad laptops in each room, along with free Wi-Fi. The Deluxe Quiet Rooms do not have views, and only have small windows with bars over them that do not open. The Deluxe View Rooms are only marginally more expensive and offer large glass windows overlooking the street, though the view isn't particularly spectacular. The Family Suites also have street views and come with an extra bed or two for kids. Each Junior Suite has a sitting room connected to the bedroom; these are the largest and best rooms on offer. Staff go out of their way to ensure that the rooms are spotless, and they do origami-style towel arrangement for guests upon check-in, along with placing sweets on the pillows at night. Marble bathrooms are spacious, especially by Old Quarter standards, and have small glassed-in showers with rainfall showerheads as well as toiletries, raised bowl sinks, and small vanities. There was a small amount of mineral staining and rust on the fixtures in some showers that we saw.

The Art Trendy Hotel, like most of the hotels in Hanoi's Old Quarter, is small and lacks facilities like a swimming pool or fitness center. The hotel does have a restaurant, which only serves a free breakfast and drinks throughout the day. There are a few public computers in the restaurant area for guests to use. Among the hotel's best features is its amazing staff service, as they go out of their way to make any bookings travelers might need -- even accompanying them to the train or bus stations to ensure they get on the correct transport -- and are highly professional and informative about the neighborhood and city. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and the front desk is staffed around the clock. Laundry and room services are available.