22 Ta Hien Street, Hoan Kiem District, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam | (888) 223-0708
Right in the heart of the Old Quarter
Next to the pub and party street, with tons of restaurants and bars nearby
Interiors are sleek and stylish
All rooms come with laptops, flat-screen TVs, and DVD players
Upper-category rooms have minibars stocked with free goodies, free bottles of wine upon check-in, and free laundry services
On-site restaurant is one of the only hotel dining facilities in this area that's open for lunch and dinner
One of the only hotels in the Old Quarter to have a spa
Free breakfast buffet receives positive reviews
Area outside is noisy and chaotic at night because it is a big party zone
Outside street is congested and full of traffic, both pedestrian and vehicle, throughout the day
Standard Superior rooms only have internal windows
Entry level rooms are not as bright and come with far fewer perks than upper category rooms
The Essence Hanoi Hotel & Spa is a newer hotel located right in the middle of Hanoi's bustling Old Quarter, just next to the raucous nighttime Walking Street and pub area. You don't need to go far for a meal or a drink here, and it is smack in the middle of all the action. The stylish hotel has 30 rooms, all with wood floors, plush settees, and free laptops for guests to use, while the upper category rooms include free bottles of wine, minibars stocked with free items, and even free laundry services. The hotel is a step up from the average Old Quarter stay in that it has a spa as well as a restaurant that serves lunch and dinner and a free breakfast buffet. It costs a bit more than some of the competition -- so some would argue it's not quite as good a value as the Calypso Grand -- but the Essence is a solid, fresh property in the heart of the action.
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Scene
One of the Old Quarter's more mod upper-mid-range properties
The Essence Hanoi Hotel & Spa is gleaming white -- the brightest building on the block -- and it looks like one of the Old Quarter's newest digs from the outside. This continues inside, with a well-lit lobby featuring plush green velvet couches to sit on; staff brings out cold welcome drinks. In the back of the lobby is a small area they call the Vietnamese Corner, where there are traditional Vietnamese arts and crafts items for sale, and there is also an iMac computer here for guests to use, along with loaner books for guests. From here, one enters the snazzy restaurant. Despite being located in a young party zone, this is a fashionable stay for all ages, and one of the best spots in the heart of the old neighborhood, popular with those willing to spend just a bit extra.
Location
Located in the party central heart of the atmospheric Old Quarter
The Essence Hanoi Hotel and Spa sits pretty much at Ground Zero for the Old Quarter and its famed night Walking Street and party/pub area. At night, the road is closed to traffic and is packed with revelers frequenting the outdoor bars. Those who want an early sleep may not like this, although the double windows and back-facing rooms ensure that noise is not a problem inside the hotel. There are tons of restaurants and shops as well around here, and the location puts guests right in the heart of all of the best of the atmospheric Old Quarter. It's a 10-minute walk to Hoan Kiem Lake and the water puppet theater, and the international airport is a one-hour drive away.
Rooms
All stylish rooms here have laptops, flat-screen TVs, and DVD players; upper-category rooms include free minibar goodies, free laundry services, and free bottles of wine.
The Essence Hanoi Hotel & Spa is one of the newer hotels in the Old Quarter, and the rooms show it, as they have nicely polished wooden floors, colorful cushions, comfortable beds, and small settees in each room, including the entry-level Superior rooms. All rooms come with free laptops for guests to use, along with flat-screen TVs with DVD players, electric hot water kettles for tea and coffee, bathrobes and slippers, and hair dryers, plus safe boxes and minibars.
Each Suite category room includes a free bottle of wine upon check-in, plus free minibar goodies and free laundry services throughout their stay. Bathrooms each have either a single shower unit or else a shower/tub combo, with guests being able to choose which option they want in every room category; most have rain shower spouts in addition to regular showers. While the standard Superior rooms are on the small side, they do have the settees for relaxing on, and while they don't have any large external windows, they do have narrow ones letting in a bit of light, as well as internal ones so they aren't dim. The other category rooms do have windows facing out, and the Hanoi is one of the few properties in the area that actually has views across the old town; Essence Suites even have small and narrow balconies to sit on.
Features
This is one of the only Old Quarter hotels with an in-house spa; restaurant also serves a breakfast buffet as well as lunch and dinner.
The Essence Hanoi Hotel is a step up from most Old Quarter properties in that it has a restaurant that is open for more than just breakfast. The Essence Cafe is a snazzy eatery which serves one of the best buffet breakfasts in the neighborhood, free for guests; it also serves Western and Vietnamese cuisine for both lunch and dinner, with two dining areas to choose from. The hotel has the Essencia Spa, a small in-house spa with treatment rooms for one or two people which feature traditional wooden bathtubs to soak in. This is one of the few hotels in the Old Quarter that has its own spa. The hotel also has a small boutique shop next door selling Vietnamese-made items from fashion to arts and crafts.