Hanoi Anise Hotel & Spa

The Old Quarter location made it easy to walk to well-known markets and places to eat, and the cafe breakfast had a good spread and quality. I was a little wary after seeing negative Google reviews, since I booked through my travel agency, but the hotel was a pleasant surprise. My Executive room was spacious and clean, the bathroom had plenty of room and the basic toiletries I needed, and I was happy with the service from reception. The staff made our first visit to Vietnam memorable.

The staff were really friendly, and breakfast had plenty of options. My room was clean and roomy, with hot water in the bathroom, though the bathroom itself looked a bit dated. It's a good three-star hotel. Check the official site for photos, since some of the pictures on Google don't seem to belong to the hotel. Thanks for the service.

Construction on my floor was hard to ignore. There was dust and debris around, and the noise in the morning disturbed my sleep. During breakfast, I also saw cleaning staff sweeping insects away with a broom. My stay was from 16 to 18 May, and there were other problems in the room: water kept dripping from a leak, and cockroaches appeared both on check-in and again the next day. When I reported them at reception, staff removed them instead of offering me another room.

We were a family of guests on the 8th floor for 3 nights, spread across 3 rooms, and the location was the one thing that worked well. The rest made for a very frustrating stay, and it wasn't worth the money. The rooms smelled musty and seemed poorly cared for. We dealt with leaking bathtubs, loose or broken shower heads, and clogged pipes. One room had no working geyser, and it took nearly two full days to get it fixed. Charging a phone was awkward too, since there wasn't an easy outlet and we had to reach under the table to unplug the TV. Getting around the hotel was a hassle with just one small, slow lift serving every floor. It was often crowded. Breakfast was the same sparse choice for vegetarians each day, just fruit and bread. Most staff seemed inattentive, and even simple requests felt like a burden to them. I'd pick another hotel in the area.