Hanoi Morning Hotel

Our room was nice and clean, and although it initially felt dark and closed-in, we felt comfortable there. We didn't spend much time in our room anyway, as the whole point of being in Hanoi was to be out and about. Do bring your own conditioner if that's important to you. There were two unlabeled dispensers in the shower, one for shampoo and one for shower gel. They were different colors but they both smelled the same to me :) The location was pretty much ideal. It gives you direct access to the Lake of the Returned Sword (go there early in the morning) and the Old Quarter with all of its liveliness. Still, it is located in a calmer alley so it was much quieter than I had expected, and sleeping was no problem. It was also easy for us to connect with our tour guides. When you stay here, be sure to go to the 10th floor for your most important meal of the day, or even just to catch the view from up there. The breakfast options included a variety of Vietnamese and Western options. No croissants or anything, but there was toast, butter, jam, juice, coffee, etc., though you should really have the local stuff. We had pho on our last morning there, and it was delicious. The staff was great and Julie was delightful, but the unsung hero was the Breakfast Lady. She's not all smiley and bubbly, but she's very attentive, kind, and good at her job. One of us grabbed a Vietnamese banh mi and she came over to help us get it toasted (it hadn't occurred to us to do that). She took care of us with the effectiveness of a trained server but with the heart of a typical Vietnamese auntie. One couple of travelers came up, looked around, and left without saying a word, and it was clear that she was sad about it. At least say, "Hi." Oh, and when she learned that our flight out of Hanoi was at 12:45 pm, she made us a to-go box with sticky rice and sausage, and sent us off with wishes of happiness, luck, and prosperity. I was actually a little sad when we left. We had such a great time.