Hanoi La Siesta Hotel & Spa

Situated in the energetic Old Quarter, Hanoi La Siesta is housed in an eight-story white building, with a touch of colonial detailing. It's a distinctive property, made all the more so by the number of features that they've managed to pack in. The hotel is also a perennial upscale favorite among Old Quarter visitors. Despite its setting, the property maintains a peaceful, mostly quiet atmosphere, and guests are greeted with a fruity welcome drink, cool towels, and a free tourist map. The lobby has a contemporary Vietnamese look, with lattice screens, inlaid walls and ceilings, and plush gray seating with shimmery gold throw pillows. Intricately patterned tile floors extend from the lobby into the restaurant, where guests gather for the free breakfast buffet and good Vietnamese cuisine for lunch and dinner. A glossy mosaic-tile bar sits in the middle of the warmly lit dining space, the only true gathering place on the property. The hotel typically attracts traveling couples who like the Old Quarter setting, intimate size, and consistently excellent service. A smaller number of families and business travelers also stay at the hotel. 

Hanoi La Siesta is in the Old Quarter, the historic section of Hanoi with French colonial architecture and preserved shop houses. The area is filled with restaurants and bars, bakeries and cafes, art galleries, and numerous stalls selling handicrafts, silks, and herbs. It's an atmospheric, bustling, sometimes chaotic part of town -- but so is most of Hanoi. Several bus stops are a short walk from the hotel, and the Long Bien Railway Station is about a seven-minute drive or 10-minute walk. 

There are plenty of tourist sights within walking distance or a short drive away. It's five minutes on foot from Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre at the north end of Hoan Kiem Lake (Turtle Lake), and Ngoc Son Temple -- on an island in the lake -- is just a few minutes farther. Bach Ma Temple is also a five-minute walk, while the Dong Xuan Market selling fashion and souvenirs is 10 minutes away on foot. 

Farther afield, the area with the Hanoi Opera House and National Museum of Vietnamese History is a 10-minute drive or 15- to 20-minute walk. The 11th-century Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a 10-minute drive or 25-minute walk from the hotel. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is 10 to 15 minutes away by car, or 40 minutes by bus. Expect a 45-minute drive to Noi Bai International Airport.

The Superior and Deluxe Rooms, variety of Suites, and split-level Duplexes at Hanoi La Siesta have a bright, contemporary look that makes them an excellent pick, especially among the frequently stark rooms available elsewhere in the Old Quarter. Wood floors, dark-wood furnishings, trendy hanging lamps, colorful accents, and Vietnamese artwork give rooms a cheerful feel. The palette is bright white and brown, with pops of purple, slate-blue, or burnt orange. 

The 32-inch flat-screen TVs are wall-mounted and each room has a work desk, air-conditioning, and free Wi-Fi. Electric kettles and minibars come standard, and there are free welcome fruit platters on arrival, as well as bottled water. Other comforting touches include bathrobes, twice-daily housekeeping, and evening turndown service -- the plush beds feature thick mattresses dressed in cotton linens. Safes are in all rooms. The stylish bathrooms have modern beige tile and pretty white porcelain basins. Scales, make-up mirrors, and the hotel's own line of bath products are provided. Some bathrooms have only showers with rainfall showerheads, and others have separate walk-in rainfall showers and deep soaking tubs. 

Rooms range from 248 to 753 square feet in size (23 to 70 square meters), so none are excessively small. It's worth noting that some rooms don't have any windows, and despite the Old Quarter location rooms are typically quiet. Some have balconies overlooking the streets below or perks like laptops, DVD players, and free minibar items. Rooms are all non-smoking, but the hotel allows smoking on its sun deck. Butler service is available on request.

Hanoi La Siesta features a full-service spa with a small wood sauna and a wide variety of treatments, including Swedish and Himalayan salt stone massages, wraps, and dragon fruit body scrubs. The spa is well-liked by past clients, and treatments all come at a fee. Given its Old Quarter location, it's not a surprise that there isn't a pool here, but it does have a good fitness center with two treadmills, a stair-stepper, recumbent bike, weight machines, free weights, and a flat-screen TV. One of the most unexpected features of the hotel is its 20-seat cinema with over 300 classic and modern films. It's available for guest viewing and for screenings at small private events. 

The Hanoi La Siesta serves an ample free breakfast buffet featuring eggs, sausages, French toast, pho, cereal, pastries, fruit, coffee, and juice. For lunch and dinner, Red Bean Restaurant is quite good, and draws locals and tourists who aren't hotel guests as well as those staying here. The menu specializes in classic Vietnamese cuisine like pho, roasted duck with orange glaze, and green mango salad with seafood. Western dishes are also on the menu and room service is available. It has a full bar as well.

The Hanoi La Siesta also has a meeting room, public computer, free daily French and English newspapers, 24-hour concierge service, airport transfer (for a fee), and guided tours (for a fee). There is no on-site parking, but nearby public parking is available for a fee.