Lakeside Hotel Linh Dam Hanoi

Poor.

Good.

There’s a supermarket nearby, which is handy, and I was pleased to find porridge at breakfast. You can pick from several egg dishes, with two servings per person. The guest rooms are bigger than in Japan, and the beds are large, with plenty of pillows and a Western-style design. Each guest also gets two complimentary bottles of mineral water. The bathtub is old and the showerhead wobbles; the tub doesn’t fill very well. Still, I appreciated having a bathtub at all, since most of the hotel seems to have showers. Basic amenities are provided.

I didn’t sit by the window, so I missed the lake view. What a shame! 😭 The location is okay, but you’ll need a taxi. Grab makes that easy, and a ride to central Hanoi costs around 50,000 to 100,000 VND. For sights on the west side, like the National Museum of Ethnology or the Lotte observation deck, this might be handier than staying in the congested city center. The English-speaking woman at the front desk was especially nice, and all the staff were kind. I was impressed by how carefully they cleaned. They made the bathroom sparkle every day, and refreshed the toothbrush, body soap, and shampoo daily. I brought my own conditioner, makeup remover, face wash, toner, and face cream. Vietnam is quite sunburnt, so I wish I’d brought a face mask for sun protection too! I was glad I packed a power adapter. Japanese adapters worked, but some didn’t work properly depending on the outlet and Japanese product. USB cables don’t work. I didn’t eat much at the breakfast buffet because I wanted to try food outside, but the menu changed daily and seemed thoughtfully planned.