Lotte Hotel Hanoi

Rooms and decor

The hotel lives inside Lotte Center Hanoi, the 65-floor blue-grey tower in Ba Dinh shaped like an upswept fin — at 272 metres it's the tallest building in the city. The entrance is on floor 5: you take the Sky Lobby Lift straight to the floor-33 lobby in about 50 seconds, into a room walled in 6-metre floor-to-ceiling glass and a Hanoi panorama that genuinely stops people in the doorway. A Deluxe Hanoi View room on floor 55 runs 38 sqm at VND 5,100,000 a night (about $195), done in modern brown-and-cream with a King bed at 200×200 cm, a sofa, a desk, a 55-inch TV and a minibar. The marble bathroom adds a jacuzzi, a rain shower, a Toto Washlet and Innisfree Korean toiletries, and the big window frames Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, the Red River and the Tam Dao mountains on a clear day.

Food and amenities

After dropping your bags, most guests head up to TOP of Hanoi, the rooftop bar on floor 70 — the highest in the city at 272 metres, reached by the Sky Lift from the lobby in about 80 seconds. It has indoor and outdoor seating and a 360-degree glass floor; cocktails run VND 350,000 (about $13), and the signature TOP of Hanoi Sunset Mojito is best timed to sundown around 18:30. For dinner, Time Restaurant, the Korean BBQ on floor 5, does a Wagyu Bulgogi Set at VND 1,200,000 per person (about $46) with A5 Wagyu and homemade kimchi. The Evian Spa on floor 6 runs a 90-minute treatment with Evian oils and Korean herbs for VND 2,200,000 (about $84), and the floor-6 indoor pool is a heated 25-metre at 28°C with city views.

Location and getting there

You're in Ba Dinh, 4 km from the Old Quarter — a 12-minute taxi for VND 80,000 (about $3), an 8-minute Grab or Be for VND 50,000 (about $2), or the free hotel shuttle that runs once an hour. The trade-off for the view is that you're not in walking distance of the lake and night market. The big draw next door is the Lotte Department Store, attached to the hotel: 6 floors with Lotte Mart, Lotte Cinema, fashion names like Coach, Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger, and Lotte Duty Free, where Korean cosmetics (Innisfree, Etude, Skinfood) run about 10% cheaper than in Korea.

Things to know before booking

Rooms start at 36 sqm, smaller than the JW Marriott's 48 sqm entry rooms — a fair point if you want space rather than a view. The elevators split into separate low-floor and high-floor banks, which confuses most people on the first ride until they learn which lift serves their room. And at 4 km out, every trip to the Old Quarter is a short taxi rather than a walk, so factor that into your plans. None of it is a dealbreaker, but it's worth knowing before you book on view alone.

Our take

Lotte Hotel Hanoi is the best pick for business travelers, couples chasing a view, Korean visitors and anyone who likes a mall downstairs. You get a room inside the 65-floor Lotte Center, the floor-70 TOP of Hanoi rooftop bar, the attached Lotte Mall and 7 restaurants, all at 9.0/10 across more than 4,200 reviews. From around $194 a night — roughly $11 more than the JW Marriott but with the highest views in Hanoi — it's the call when you want a wow-factor outlook and Lotte Mall convenience in one building.