Hanoi Merci Hotel

That tall woman at the front desk helped me put together an amazing time in Hanoi. A few of the staff struggled with English, but she was great. The breakfast was simple and really good, and the rooms were nicer than places next door that cost twice as much. Easily my favorite place I stayed in Hanoi. Cheers!

The night market and the lake are both an easy walk from here. Rooms are clean and simple, and the staff are friendly and accommodating. Breakfast is good, with straightforward options.

Breakfast is made to order from a menu, so there's a bit of a wait while they cook it. The hotel itself is clean and nice, right in the Old Quarter and not far from the lake in the old city center.

The location was the only thing I liked. We checked out almost immediately because the place was so dirty and run down. There was hair and dirt in the toilet, years of damp, mould and grime behind the curtains, wallpaper peeling off, and ants in the bed. The shower was worse than one in a hostel, and the stairs were full of mattresses, which felt like a safety hazard. We looked into the kitchen and didn't want to eat anything from there. They even offered tap water on arrival, which tourists are told not to drink. There was no safe, and even with the door locked, you could push it open. The online pictures didn't show the actual condition of the hotel or rooms. When we asked about leaving our bags after checkout, they wanted to charge us for another night even though we wouldn't need a room. Staff told us, “what do we expect, it's not a castle for that price.” What we expected was a clean room and no attitude. This doesn't deserve its three stars. We stayed at a three-star hotel in HCM city that was far better. For just a little more money, you can get something amazing, so raise the cleaning standards. There are plenty of other well-located options, so think carefully before booking. We booked a four-star hotel instead for an extra £8. They were amazing and couldn't have helped us more.