Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and a city that’s noisy, fragrant and always on the move. Scooters flow past in a steady stream, people eat pho and bun cha on small plastic stools, and in the middle of it all, Hoan Kiem Lake gives the city room to breathe. Around it, you’ll find narrow shopping streets, wide boulevards and quiet lakeside neighbourhoods.
Where you stay on your trip to Hanoi decides how much traffic and noise you have right outside the door, and how often you’ll need a Grab or a taxi. Here are my recommendations for five good areas in Hanoi, with hotels in three price ranges.
Contents
The Best Areas in Hanoi
- Old Quarter - best area for first-time visitors and street food
- Hoan Kiem Lake & French Quarter - best area for a quieter, more elegant base in the centre
- Truc Bach - best area for quiet evenings by the lake close to the centre
- Tay Ho - best area for longer stays, cafés and more space
- Ba Dinh - best area for large, modern hotels with a pool
Below, I’ll take you through the five areas one by one, with a map, practical facts and three hotels in different price ranges, so you can choose the base that suits the way you travel.
1. Old Quarter - best area for first-time visitors and street food 🏮
- 📍 Distance from the centre: You’ll be staying in the centre. The quarter begins at the northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake.
- 🛵 Transport: Walk around the quarter itself, and use a ride-hailing app such as Grab or a taxi to get to West Lake and Ba Dinh.
- ✈️ Time from Noi Bai Airport: The airport is around 21 km north of the centre as the crow flies. Allow 45 to 60 minutes by car, depending on the traffic. Bus 17 runs to Long Bien on the northern edge of the quarter, and you’ll find the details in the airport’s overview of buses and fares.
- 💰 Price range: € to €€€. This is where you’ll find the city’s biggest choice of small, cheap hotels, plus quite a few boutique hotels with a rooftop pool.
- 👮 Safety: The traffic is the biggest challenge. The UK Foreign Office also notes in its travel advice for Vietnam that bag-snatching by thieves on motorcycles is common, so keep your bag and phone on the side away from the road.
The Old Quarter is my first choice for a first trip to Hanoi. It’s just north of Hoan Kiem Lake, and you’ll have street food, markets, bars and cafés a few minutes’ walk from your hotel. Vietnam’s official tourism website explains how the 36 guild streets are named after the trades that once set up shop in them.
You should know what you’re letting yourself in for. The shops spill out over the pavements, scooters weave through the narrow streets from morning till night, and around the beer street, Ta Hien, things stay lively until late. Ask for a room on a high floor or away from the street if you’re a light sleeper.
See hotels in the Old Quarter here.
Many hotels are in the quarter’s narrow, deep townhouses, which are often called tube houses. That’s why the cheapest rooms in some places have no window at all, or a window that faces the wall of the house next door. Read the room description carefully before you book. I’d rather pay a little extra for daylight.
On the plus side, you can walk to most things. Dong Xuan Market, the lake and St. Joseph’s Cathedral are all within around a kilometre of the middle of the quarter, and the quarter itself only covers about one square kilometre. If you’re going to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum or West Lake, I’d book a car or a motorbike taxi through a ride-hailing app such as Grab rather than flag one down in the street.
I’d choose the Old Quarter if you have two to four days and want Hanoi right on your doorstep. If you’re travelling with small children or need quiet at night, one of the next areas is a better choice.
Places to Stay in the Old Quarter
Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel - rooftop infinity pool in the middle of the Old Quarter
Peridot Grand is my suggestion if you want to stay in the Old Quarter without giving up comfort. The hotel is on Duong Thanh Street in the western part of the quarter and has a rooftop infinity pool and bar, a spa, a sauna and a gym.
It suits a couple or a family who want a break from the noise of the street in the middle of the day. St. Joseph’s Cathedral is around half a kilometre away, and Dong Xuan Market is a little further. According to the hotel’s own information, every room has a window. Several guests do mention, though, that it can be hard to get a sun lounger by the pool.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Breakfast was particularly great, and we really enjoyed the rooftop pool.”
See photos and book Peridot Grand Luxury Boutique Hotel here.
Salute Premium Hotel & Spa - quiet rooms in the western part of the Old Quarter
Salute Premium is a four-star hotel on Cua Dong Street, around half a kilometre from Dong Xuan Market. You get a restaurant, a spa with massage treatments and soundproofed rooms, and you can choose between double rooms, suites, triple rooms and a family suite.
It’s a good option if you want a polished hotel in the Old Quarter at a price well below the five-star hotels. Be aware that one of the room categories is a double room without a window. Choose one of the others if daylight matters to you.
One review on Booking.com reads: “The hotel is super centrally located. The rooms are very quiet and well maintained.”
See photos and book Salute Premium Hotel & Spa here.
The Sono Hanoi Hotel - simple budget hotel by Dong Xuan Market
The Sono is a three-star hotel on Hang Dau Street at the northern end of the Old Quarter, around 300 metres from Dong Xuan Market. The rooms range from standard rooms to family rooms and junior suites with a balcony, and there’s a lift, a 24-hour reception and a breakfast buffet.
It’s a good choice if your budget is tight and you mainly need the hotel as a place to sleep. Airport bus 17 terminates at Long Bien, just a couple of hundred metres away. Guests mention noise from the street, and not every room has a window to the outside, so choose your category with care.
One guest sums it up on Booking.com: “The hotel itself was basic but the rooms were comfortable and clean.”
See photos and book The Sono Hanoi Hotel here.
2. Hoan Kiem Lake & French Quarter - best area for a quieter, more elegant base in the centre 🎭
- 📍 Distance from the centre: You’ll be staying by the lake itself, which is the heart of the city. The Opera House is around 750 metres from the middle of the lake.
- 🚶 Transport: You can get to most things on foot, and at weekends the streets around the lake are closed to cars.
- ✈️ Time from Noi Bai Airport: Allow 45 to 60 minutes by car, depending on the traffic. Airport bus 86 runs to Hanoi Railway Station for 50,000 dong, according to the airport, and from there it’s just over a kilometre to the lake.
- 💰 Price range: € to €€€€. Several of the city’s most expensive hotels are here, but so are small, cheap hotels in the lanes by the cathedral.
- 👮 Safety: Wider streets and a little more breathing space than in the Old Quarter. Cross the big streets calmly and predictably, and keep an eye on the scooters.
If you want to stay in the middle of the city but with a little more space around you, I’d look west and south of Hoan Kiem Lake. West of the lake are the lanes around St. Joseph’s Cathedral, with cafés and small hotels. To the south and east, the French Quarter begins, with wider streets, the Opera House and several of the city’s classic hotels.
It’s still Hanoi, so the traffic doesn’t go away. But the bars are further apart here, and a path runs all the way round the lake, so you can take an evening stroll. In the middle of it all, Ngoc Son Temple sits on a small island that you reach across the red bridge. At weekends, the streets around the lake are closed to traffic, and the area turns into one long promenade.
See hotels near Hoan Kiem Lake here.
You also have museums within walking distance. The Vietnamese Women’s Museum is on Ly Thuong Kiet Street south of the lake, and the former prison Hoa Lo is around half a kilometre further west. The Old Quarter begins at the northern end of the lake, so you can walk up there for dinner and then walk home to a quieter street.
The downside is the price. Some of Hanoi’s most expensive hotels are here, and there are fewer cheap rooms to choose from than in the Old Quarter. The small hotels in the lanes by the cathedral are the exception.
I’d choose this area if you’re travelling as a couple, you’re on a short city break or you’d like to stay at a hotel that’s an experience in itself. It’s also where I’d stay if I wanted the Old Quarter within walking distance without sleeping in the middle of it.
Places to Stay near Hoan Kiem Lake and in the French Quarter
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi - historic luxury hotel by the Opera House
The Metropole is Hanoi’s classic luxury hotel. It’s on Ngo Quyen Street, a few hundred metres from both the Opera House and Hoan Kiem Lake. You can choose between rooms in the Heritage Wing and the Opera Wing, and the hotel has a heated outdoor pool, a spa and several restaurants, including the French Le Beaulieu and the Vietnamese Spice Garden.
I’d choose it for a special occasion, or if the hotel is part of your reason for travelling. It’s the most expensive of my suggestions, and even so, some guests find the rooms a little small. One guest also notes that the pool area is smaller than the photos suggest.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The history and elegance were amazing and the staff were perfect.”
See photos and book Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi here.
La Siesta Premium Lakeside - boutique hotel with a rooftop pool just south of the lake
La Siesta Premium Lakeside is on Ba Trieu Street, just south of Hoan Kiem Lake. It’s a five-star boutique hotel with a rooftop infinity pool, a spa, a sauna, a gym and a restaurant, and you can choose rooms with a balcony or suites with a terrace.
Here, you get a central, polished stay without paying Metropole prices. The Old Quarter begins at the other end of the lake, and the Opera House is around 650 metres away. Two things are worth knowing: the pool is small, according to guests, and one of the room categories has no window.
Here’s how one guest describes the hotel on Booking.com: “Superb hotel, truly a luxurious feeling place.”
See photos and book La Siesta Premium Lakeside here.
Victory Legend Hotel - small budget hotel by the cathedral
Victory Legend is a three-star hotel in Tho Xuong Lane, less than a hundred metres from St. Joseph’s Cathedral and around 350 metres from the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. There’s a lift and breakfast, and the rooms range from doubles to a family suite and a quadruple room with a balcony.
It’s my budget suggestion if you want a quieter stay than in the Old Quarter and still want to walk everywhere. Every room has a window, according to the hotel’s description, and that’s not a given in this price range. The rooms are, however, smaller than several guests had expected.
One guest adds in their review on Booking.com: “Oh, the pho for breakfast is very good also.”
See photos and book Victory Legend Hotel here.
3. Truc Bach - best area for quiet evenings by the lake close to the centre 🌅
- 📍 Distance from the centre: Around 2.5 km north-west of Hoan Kiem Lake.
- 🚕 Transport: A short ride by Grab or taxi to the Old Quarter. On foot, allow just under half an hour.
- ✈️ Time from Noi Bai Airport: The airport is around 19.5 km away as the crow flies. My estimate is 40 to 55 minutes by car, depending on the traffic, and I’d take a taxi or a Grab all the way.
- 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€. Few large hotels, but a fair number of apartments and smaller hotels.
- 👮 Safety: A quiet neighbourhood with less traffic than in the centre. Take care when you cross Thanh Nien Road between the two lakes.
Truc Bach is a small lake and a small neighbourhood between the Old Quarter and the much larger West Lake. There’s more everyday life than tourism here: cafés by the water, local places to eat and a completely different pace from the centre. The two lakes are separated only by Thanh Nien Road, where you’ll find Tran Quoc Pagoda. I’d choose a hotel with a view of the water, because the lake is what makes the neighbourhood special.
From the lake, it’s just under 2 km to the Old Quarter. You can walk it, but most people will probably take a Grab in the evening. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is around a kilometre to the south-west, so you’re actually closer to the sights of Ba Dinh here than you are in the Old Quarter.
Truc Bach is a good choice if you’ve been to Hanoi before, or if you know you sleep badly when it’s noisy. You get lake views from several of the hotels, quiet evenings and a short ride into town when you want to go out for dinner.
The downside is the choice. There are far fewer hotels than in the centre, and several of them are apartment hotels without a restaurant of their own. The nightlife is on the quiet side too, so if you want to go from bar to bar, you’re better off in the Old Quarter.
On the other hand, it’s a good compromise if you’d like a morning walk around a lake and still want to be in the centre in no time. Late in the day, you can walk over to Thanh Nien Road and watch the sunset over West Lake, an experience you have right on your doorstep.
Places to Stay in Truc Bach
Pan Pacific Hanoi - lake views and a rooftop bar between the two lakes
Pan Pacific is on Thanh Nien Road between Truc Bach Lake and West Lake, around 400 metres from Tran Quoc Pagoda. The hotel has a heated indoor pool with a retractable roof, a spa, a gym, the Chinese restaurant Ming and the rooftop bar Summit, which has panoramic views.
The hotel is for you if you want a large, classic five-star hotel with lake views and still want to be around 2 km from the Old Quarter as the crow flies. Choose a room with a lake view, because that’s what you’re paying for. Several guests find the restaurant expensive, and the hotel has a slightly lower guest rating than my other luxury suggestions.
One guest praises the staff on Booking.com: “The staff were extremely helpful and able to deal with everything quickly and efficiently.”
See photos and book Pan Pacific Hanoi here.
Luxe Paradise Suites Hotel & Spa - mid-range hotel with a rooftop pool
Luxe Paradise Suites is a four-star hotel on Pham Hong Thai Street, around 450 metres from the middle of Truc Bach Lake and about a kilometre from Dong Xuan Market. You get an outdoor rooftop pool, a spa, a gym and a restaurant.
It’s a good choice if you want a pool without paying five-star prices and you’d like to stay between Truc Bach and the Old Quarter. Be aware that not every room has a window to the outside, so check the category. A few guests also mention that the pool area and the rooms could do with a refresh.
One guest who stayed here writes on Booking.com: “The stay was very nice, staff were great and the rooftop pool is lovely.”
See photos and book Luxe Paradise Suites Hotel & Spa here.
An Nguyen Lakeside Residence - apartments with a kitchenette by Truc Bach Lake
An Nguyen Lakeside Residence is on Truc Bach Street, close to the lake. You stay in a studio or an apartment with a kitchenette, and some of them have a balcony and a view over the water. There’s a lift, a 24-hour reception and a café in the building.
It’s the cheapest of my three suggestions in Truc Bach and a good choice for a longer stay, or if you’d like to do a little cooking yourself. Breakfast isn’t served, so plan on eating at one of the cafés in the neighbourhood. Not every apartment has a lake view and a balcony, and the simplest categories only have a window facing into the building, so choose a category with the view mentioned in its name.
Here’s how one guest describes the place on Booking.com: “The area is quiet and beautiful. Very clean and cosy.”
See photos and book An Nguyen Lakeside Residence here.
4. Tay Ho - best area for longer stays, cafés and more space ☕
- 📍 Distance from the centre: The Quang An peninsula is around 4.3 km north-west of Hoan Kiem Lake as the crow flies.
- 🚕 Transport: You’ll need a Grab or a taxi every time you head in to the sights. Hanoi’s metro lines don’t run out here.
- ✈️ Time from Noi Bai Airport: Of the five areas, this is the one closest to the airport: around 18 km as the crow flies. My estimate is 30 to 45 minutes by car, depending on the traffic.
- 💰 Price range: € to €€€. Lots of apartment hotels and a couple of large international hotels by the water.
- 👮 Safety: Quieter streets than in the centre, but scooters use them too, so keep your eyes open when you walk along the lake.
Tay Ho is the district around West Lake, which is called Ho Tay in Vietnamese. The lake covers around 500 hectares, and the Quang An peninsula is the heart of the area, with cafés, restaurants from all over the world and apartment hotels. The Hanoi Times newspaper describes Tay Ho as the city’s expat zone, and it shows in what’s on offer.
The price you pay is distance. From Quang An, it’s just over 4 km to Hoan Kiem Lake, and every trip in to the sights means a Grab or taxi ride that can drag on in rush hour. Outside rush hour, allow 15 to 20 minutes by car. It isn’t the area for three quick days when you want to see everything.
I’d choose Tay Ho for a longer stay, for a family who’d like a pool and space, or for the last days of a longer trip, when you need some peace and quiet. Several of the apartment hotels have a kitchen and a washing machine, and the big hotels are right on the water.
The district is also the one closest to Noi Bai, so it’s handy for the last night before an early flight. Tran Quoc Pagoda and Truc Bach are at the south-eastern corner of the lake, and you can take them in on your way into the centre. In the evening, you’ll find restaurants and bars along Quang An Street and in the side streets around it.
Bear in mind that Tay Ho is big. The shoreline is 17 km long, so if you stay at the northern or western end, you’ll be a long way from the cafés of Quang An. Check the hotel’s location on the map before you book.
Places to Stay in Tay Ho
InterContinental Hanoi Westlake - five-star hotel with rooms out over the lake
InterContinental Hanoi Westlake is on Tu Hoa Street on the eastern shore of West Lake, and some of the rooms are built out over the water. Every room has a balcony, according to the hotel’s description, and there’s an outdoor pool, a spa, a gym and three restaurants.
I’d choose it for a holiday where the hotel and the view are a big part of the experience. Xuan Dieu Street, with its cafés and restaurants, is around 650 metres away. Choose a room with a lake view, because guests write that the city-view rooms don’t have much of a view, and that the pool area is small.
One guest writes about the location on Booking.com: “The property is so beautiful and has a good location with a nice lake view.”
See photos and book InterContinental Hanoi Westlake here.
Oakwood Residence Hanoi - apartment hotel with an indoor pool in Quang An
Oakwood Residence is in a side street off Dang Thai Mai in Quang An, a few hundred metres from Xuan Dieu. You stay in a studio or a one- or two-bedroom apartment, all with a fully equipped kitchen and a washing machine. There’s an indoor pool with a view, a gym and a sauna.
It’s my suggestion for a family or for a longer stay, where you want to be able to cook for yourself and do your washing along the way. Breakfast is available at extra cost. It’s just under 5 km to Hoan Kiem Lake, so you’ll need a Grab to get to the sights. A few guests have been unhappy with the cleaning, but the overall rating is high.
One guest highlights the location on Booking.com: “The property is very clean and close to West Lake, which is away from the busy tourist area.”
See photos and book Oakwood Residence Hanoi here.
Alan Lumière Boutique Hotel Hanoi - spacious suites at a budget price
Alan Lumière is on Yen Phu Street at the south-eastern end of West Lake, around half a kilometre from Tran Quoc Pagoda. The rooms are suites in several sizes, including a junior suite with a balcony, a suite with a lake view and a family suite. There’s a lift, and the hotel offers breakfast and massage.
It’s my budget suggestion in Tay Ho and a good choice if you want space without paying for a big hotel. You’ll be closer to Truc Bach and the centre than to Quang An, where most of the cafés are, and there’s no pool. One guest describes the standard as three stars rather than four, so expect a neat, simple hotel.
One guest describes the room on Booking.com: “Lovely room! Lots of space and very clean.”
See photos and book Alan Lumière Boutique Hotel Hanoi here.
5. Ba Dinh - best area for large, modern hotels with a pool 🏛️
- 📍 Distance from the centre: The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is around 2 km west of Hoan Kiem Lake as the crow flies, and Lotte Center is around 4 km away.
- 🚕 Transport: Grab or taxi for most journeys. The distances are too great to walk between your hotel, the sights and the Old Quarter.
- ✈️ Time from Noi Bai Airport: Around 20.5 km as the crow flies. My estimate is 40 to 60 minutes by car, depending on the traffic. Airport bus 90 runs to Kim Ma.
- 💰 Price range: € to €€€. You generally get more facilities for your money than in the centre.
- 👮 Safety: Wide boulevards with heavy traffic. Use traffic lights and pedestrian crossings, and cross at a calm, steady pace.
Ba Dinh is the political centre of Hanoi. Ba Dinh Square and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum are in the eastern part of the district. Just over half a kilometre from there, you’ll find the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, which UNESCO added to the World Heritage List in 2010. The Temple of Literature is around a kilometre south of the square.
Most of the hotels are in the western part, around Lieu Giai, Kim Ma and Doi Can streets. It’s a modern neighbourhood of high-rises and offices, where Lotte Center is the obvious landmark, and you get more hotel for your money here than in the centre. At the larger hotels, a pool and a gym are the rule rather than the exception.
Ba Dinh is a good choice if you’re travelling with children and would like a pool, if you’re on a business trip, or if you prefer a large, modern hotel to a narrow townhouse in the Old Quarter.
The downside is the distances. From Lotte Center, it’s around 4 km to Hoan Kiem Lake and just over 2 km to the mausoleum, and the district is too big to criss-cross on foot. Count on a Grab or a taxi for most journeys, including when you head in to the Old Quarter for dinner in the evening.
The mausoleum is normally only open in the morning and stays closed on some days of the week, so check the opening hours and get there early. Staying nearby is an advantage if you want to be among the first in. The mausoleum, the citadel and the Temple of Literature are within around a kilometre of each other, so you can cover all three on foot in the same day. If you want to stay close to the square, look in the eastern part of the district, but be prepared for a smaller choice of hotels there.
Places to Stay in Ba Dinh
Lotte Hotel Hanoi - two pools and city views in Lotte Center
Lotte Hotel is in the Lotte Center tower on Lieu Giai Street in the western part of Ba Dinh. The hotel has both an indoor and an outdoor pool, a sauna, a spa and a gym, and the rooms have views over the city. There’s a supermarket and an observation deck in the same building.
Lotte Hotel is an obvious choice if you want a large, modern luxury hotel and don’t need to be able to walk to the Old Quarter. It’s just over 2 km to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and around 4 km to Hoan Kiem Lake, so count on a Grab for most journeys. One guest mentions thin walls between the rooms, but the overall rating is high.
Short and to the point from one guest on Booking.com: “This hotel is an oasis in Hanoi.”
See photos and book Lotte Hotel Hanoi here.
Super Candle Hotel - indoor pool, sauna and apartments with a kitchen
Super Candle is a four-star hotel on Doi Can Street, around 700 metres from Lotte Center. There’s a heated indoor pool, a sauna, a public bath and a gym, and the restaurant serves both Vietnamese and Japanese food. As well as ordinary rooms, you can book a studio or an apartment with one or two bedrooms.
It’s a good mid-range choice for a family or for a longer stay in Ba Dinh. The mausoleum is around 1.7 km to the east. Guests mention hard beds and a sparsely equipped kitchen in the apartments, and one thinks the pool could be cleaner.
One guest says on Booking.com: “The service by the staff was exceptional. The pool was a highlight as were the breakfasts.”
See photos and book Super Candle Hotel here.
Keypad Hotel Linh Lang - bright, simple budget hotel near Lotte Center
Keypad Hotel is in a lane off Linh Lang Street, around 250 metres from Lotte Center. It’s a three-star hotel with a lift, a 24-hour reception and breakfast, and the hotel states that every room has a window.
It works well if you want a cheap stay and you’re happy to take a Grab to the sights, because it’s just over 4 km to Hoan Kiem Lake. Guests disagree about the noise: one calls the neighbourhood quiet, while another was woken by street vendors outside the hotel and could hear the neighbours through the walls. Bring earplugs.
One guest notes on Booking.com: “The rooms are bright with a lot of natural lighting.”
See photos and book Keypad Hotel Linh Lang here.
Where should you avoid staying in Hanoi?
I wouldn’t book a hotel far out in the new districts west and south of the centre just because the price is low or the hotel is new. The distances look small on the map, but the traffic makes every trip in to Hoan Kiem Lake a long one, and you lose the option of walking home in the evening. The same goes for hotels by the airport: Noi Bai is just over 20 km north of the centre, so only stay there if you have a very early flight.
In the Old Quarter, I’d steer clear of the very cheapest rooms without a window and of hotels right by the bar streets if a good night’s sleep matters to you. Check whether the hotel has a lift too, because the houses are tall and narrow, and that adds up to a lot of stairs with a suitcase.
The Old Quarter is my first choice for a first trip if you want the food, the markets and the nightlife right outside the door and can live with the noise. If you want to be just as central but with more peace and comfort, I’d choose the area around Hoan Kiem Lake and the French Quarter.
Truc Bach is the compromise if you want peace and lake views without moving far from the centre. Tay Ho suits longer stays and families who put space and a pool first, while Ba Dinh makes most sense when a large, modern hotel matters more than being within walking distance of the Old Quarter.
My most important piece of advice is to choose according to how you sleep and how much you want to walk. In Hanoi, two kilometres can feel like a long way in the heat and heavy traffic, so stay close to where you’ll spend most of your time and take a Grab for the rest.
If your trip continues to another big city in Southeast Asia, I’ve also written about where to stay in Bangkok and the best areas in Singapore. If you need some beach time after your days in Hanoi, you’ll find ideas in my guide to where to stay in Thailand, or you can read about the best areas in Bali.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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