Hanoi La Siesta Diamond Hotel & Spa

The Hanoi Elegance Diamond is a small boutique hotel that's easy to pass by from the outside -- it's in a narrow building and the signage is a bit obscured by electric cables and trees. That aside, the lobby is bright, with a beige marble floor, plush sofas and chairs, fine vases, and an air of elegance. There is an overflow seating area outfitted with contemporary striped couches and a knick-knack lined bookcase further back, and the space also includes a local handicrafts shop displaying an array of artsy souvenirs. Guests don't linger too long down here, though, as the most happening spot is up on the roof, where the Gourmet Corner restaurant and Terrace Bar are located. Views from both outside and inside overlook Hoan Kiem Lake and much of Hanoi, and the warm carpeted interior is done up with photos of scenes from around Vietnam. It's an intimate property, popular with all categories of tourists who want a bit of style in a quieter location near the Old Quarter.

The hotel sits on a side street just two blocks east of Hoan Kiem Lake, making it perfect for those who want to circle the lake and take in the sights of Hanoi's most scenic spot, including temples, crowds exercising, and local weddings. The atmospheric Old Quarter of Hanoi is a five-minute walk from the hotel, yet the street outside the hotel doesn't suffer from the chaos and noise found in the old center, making it an excellent base. There is a lovely gourmet cafe across the street, and plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops to be found within minutes on foot from the front door. It is a 12-minute taxi ride to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum or Temple of Literature, and the international airport can be reached in 40 minutes to just under an hour.

Each of the 34 rooms at the Hanoi Elegance Diamond are contemporary and stylish, with dark wood floors, old photos of Hanoi on the walls, handsomely striped wallpaper accent walls, and velvet bed runners and cushions on the beds. Rooms also come with modern amenities like free laptops for guests to use, along with flat-screen TVs with cable, DVD players, air-conditioning, safes, minibars, and electric hot water kettles for free tea and coffee. There are irons and ironing boards, bathrobes and slippers, and bathrooms with chic, embedded stone floors, marble walls, black granite vanities, and walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads. Rooms here are a bit bigger than most found just up the street in the Old Quarter, and the only negative is that the standard Superior Rooms don't have windows, and the Deluxe Rooms only have small windows, making rooms a bit dim. The bigger Family Rooms and Executive Suites have large windows and rooms get plenty of light. Guests should note that Superior Rooms only come with twin beds, and are the only category of room not to have armchairs as well. 

The Hanoi Elegance Diamond is a small hotel, but it has a lovely rooftop restaurant and bar, The Gourmet Corner, open throughout the day and evening. The restaurant serves up one of the best free breakfast buffets in this part of town, overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake as well as Hanoi, and the outdoor Terrace Bar has unobstructed panoramas of the city. Room service is also available. The hotel also has a small spa that offers massages and other health treatments, and there's a gift shop off of the lobby selling traditional Vietnamese handicrafts and other souvenirs. Airport transfers can be arranged, as can train station transfers, and the hotel's front desk is staffed 24 hours a day. Laundry and dry cleaning services are available and Wi-Fi is free throughout. Babysitting services can also be arranged.