Hanoi: Hilton Opera House Hanoi (March 2014)

My spouse and I spent three nights at the Hilton Hanoi Opera in late March 2014. Be sure not to call this hotel the “Hanoi Hilton”, which refers to the historically infamous Hoa Lo Prison, the gatehouse / museum that is a 15-minute walk away. We remitted Hilton HHonors points for a complimentary award stay in a King Hilton Executive Suite, which we booked on-line.

The Hilton is a 45-minute drive from Hanoi’s Noi Ba International Airport. (HAN). The hotel offers private transfers to and from the airport in a BMW530i for approximately $70 USD each way, whereas a taxi costs approximately $15 USD each way. This hotel is located in the French Quarter of Hanoi, a few blocks from Hoan Kiem Lake, the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, and the Old Quarter. Hoan Kiem Lake, whose name means “Lake of the Restored Sword”, is home to the Ngoc Son Temple, Huc Bridge of the Rising Sun, and the Thap Ruaor Turtle Tower. The location is adjacent to the Hanoi Opera House (hence the hotel name), close to restaurants and high-end shopping. The hotel has two entrances, and taxis are queued outside of the main hotel entrance. A large market is located within a few blocks of the hotel, as well as many tiny shops / stalls where guests can purchase drinks (both alcoholic and non- alcoholic) and snacks.

The heated outdoor swimming pool area is small but attractive, although it was unused when we visited. The weather was too cool and cloudy to relax by the pool; in fact, we had read on-line that the pool operates seasonally beginning on April 1, but it was unofficially open two weeks prior to that time. The fitness center (with 10+ machines) features windows that overlook the pool. The hotel has a well-equipped and staffed business center. Guests can exchange money at the front desk (via SeA Bank).

This hotel offers a few dining options. Ba Mien is located on the second floor of the hotel in a series of two rooms; the main area is a glass-enclosed dining room. We ate breakfast twice at Ba Mien, which was included with our room rate. The restaurant breakfast included an extensive display of Asian and Western food. JJ’s Sports Bar on the second floor is open from early afternoon, and serves drinks and light snacks. Two other dining options exist at the Hilton Hanoi Opera House: a fine-dining restaurant on the second floor called Chez Manon, and a casual cafe / bar on the street level called Cafe Opera that has both indoor and outdoor seating. A boutique is located on the street level, as well as a tour desk to help guests plan activities.

We booked a King Hilton Executive Suite that featured a separate living room and bedroom. The living room contained a very comfortable sofa and easy chair, coffee table, end tables, flat-screen TV, and desk / chair, off of which was located a separate half-bathroom / powder room that featured one enclosure for the sink area and a separate enclosure for the toilet. You could close off the living room from the bedroom with a set of double doors. The bedroom was large, with a king-size bed, two nightstands, armchair, and small side table. The clothes closet contained bathrobes and slippers; a second smaller closet contained the mini-bar and electronic safe.

The main bathroom was spacious, with the main area housing the sink and soaking bathtub. Located off the main bathroom area was a separate room / enclosure for the toilet, and another room for the shower. The hotel offers Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich toiletries, including shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, body wash, massaging soap bar, facial soap, and toothbrushes. The air-conditioning in our Suite worked well; in fact, we wish that the hotel provided an extra blanket and pillow to wrap up.

When we checked in to the Hilton, the front desk agent mentioned that he wanted to upgrade us because we were HHonors Diamond members; however, we had already booked a high category room, so they were unable to upgrade us further. In exchange, he inquired what type of wine we preferred, and sent a bottle accompanied by a fruit basket, to our suite as a special welcome gift.

The executive lounge / clubroom on the seventh floor provided all of the necessities. Food varied with the time of day: a Continental breakfast spread, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails with several kinds of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres (enough choices so that guests could make an evening meal of it if they wished). Service in the lounge was attentive, with the staff remembering each guest’s favorite drink after just one visit. The main room of the lounge did not have doors to seal it during off hours; guests can probably spend time there, just without access to food and drink.

We were pleased with the Hilton Hanoi Opera House, both its location and the category of room in which we stayed.