Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi

Rooms and decor

The Movenpick Hotel Hanoi doesn't sell a legend or pile on the luxury, it sells comfortable Swiss quality at a fair price, and check-in is fast. A Superior Room runs 32 sqm at around $138 a night (VND 3,600,000), done in contemporary cream, brown and soft green, with a 200x200 cm King bed, a desk, a sofa, a 50-inch TV and a minibar. The marble bathroom has a rain shower (no jacuzzi) plus a Toto Washlet and Pure Spa toiletries, and the window looks out over the Hanoi street and the old French colonial buildings opposite. At 3pm every day guests head down to the lobby for the free Movenpick ice cream, 5 flavors that rotate weekly, with lemonade and small snacks alongside.

Food and amenities

Dinner happens at Mangosteen, the Vietnamese-fusion-and-international restaurant, where a set dinner is about $37 per person (VND 980,000): Pho Bo, Banh Xeo and Goi Cuon on the Vietnamese side, Steak Frites and Wagyu beef on the international side. The breakfast buffet runs around $18 (VND 480,000) and covers Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese and Western dishes, generous on portions and solid on quality. A 60-minute spa treatment, a relaxing Vietnamese herbal massage, costs about $46 (VND 1,200,000). There is no big outdoor pool here, just a small indoor pool.

Location and getting there

The hotel sits in Hoan Kiem district, about 1 km from Hoan Kiem Lake, an easy 10-minute walk through Pho Hue with its boutique shops, cafes and local restaurants. The lake itself is peaceful, ringed by the Tortoise Tower, The Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple. A taxi to the lake is a 5-minute hop for roughly $2 (VND 40,000), and the Hoan Kiem area is safe to walk at night.

Things to know before booking

The rooms start at 30 sqm, smaller than the 48 sqm you'd get at the JW Marriott, so this is the trade-off for the lower price. The 18-floor tower is a plain contemporary building and won't give you the wow-factor of the Sofitel or Capella. And if a big sunny pool matters to you, note there's only a small indoor pool. Accor ALL Gold members get a welcome amenity of fruit and snacks plus free late check-out at 2pm, and 1,000 Accor points knock about $1 (VND 25,000) off your next trip.

Our take

The Movenpick Hotel Hanoi is the best-value 5-star in this group, from about $137 a night, with free Movenpick ice cream daily, Accor ALL membership and a 10-minute walk to Hoan Kiem Lake. It scores 8.7/10 from 3,200+ reviews and suits travelers who want a 5-star stamp on a tighter budget, families with kids, and Accor ALL members. If you want more wow-factor, add around $29 and move up to the Sofitel or Capella.