Hanoi Amber Hotel

The room was only average in size and cleanliness, and the bathroom felt really cramped. The hotel’s best point is being right by Beer Street, which is handy if you want nightlife close by. But the narrow lane can be awkward with luggage, and the area gets crowded and noisy. If you’re with family or don’t want a party atmosphere, I’d look elsewhere. It makes sense if being near Beer Street is your main priority.

The rooms were filthy and stuffy, with no ventilation. The mattresses were worn, the towels torn, and the TV was broken. The phone didn’t work either, so I had to go down to reception whenever I needed something. There was banging and hammering constantly, and we barely slept. Staff were extremely rude, especially the cleaning lady. We had to pay for three nights and felt stuck after they took our money. We were put on the fourth floor and had to haul our luggage up and down narrow stairs. I couldn’t wait to leave. For what they charge, this felt like a shady, poor-value hotel.

The staff were really friendly, breakfast was good, and our room was clean with no bugs. The shower, though, worked poorly. We slept well even when we went to bed early on a couple of nights, with no noise from outside or the stairwell. The hotel sits on the corner of the beer street, so it suits people who want nightlife and parties. There’s no elevator and the building has five floors, so expect stairs. I’d stay here again.

Our family of five fit in the family room, though it was smaller and more run down than the photos suggested. The staff were lovely. The location was hard to beat for walking around the Old Quarter: bars and the night market were among the things within a five-minute walk. The alley is too narrow for cars, so there wasn’t traffic noise below, and even with nightlife just 100m away, bedtime stayed quiet.