Le Petit Prince Lakeside Hotel & Rooftop Bar

The room was okay, but the bathroom had grime in the corners and the light above the tub was out. I’d read the room rules and didn’t see that the bottled water on the table cost extra. At the other hotels on our trip, table water had been complimentary. When we checked out, we asked for the 30W change they’d kept because they couldn’t make change at check-in. They said we owed 23W for taking a table water. We were so annoyed that we just left. I felt taken advantage of throughout the stay. We’d arrived two hours before check-in, and they let us leave our bags. At that point we asked if we could pay by credit card. They said yes, with a 4% fee, which is common in Vietnam and was fine with us. But when we came back two hours later, they said the card machine wasn’t working and insisted we get cash from their ATM. I immediately doubted that explanation and suspected they wanted us to pay the ATM fee. Later, we paid by card at the rooftop bar. The ATM only gave us 500W notes, and they couldn’t give us the right change, so they promised to return the 30W at checkout. We raised each issue as it happened, but they didn’t budge or seem to care. Don’t stay here. They just didn’t care about us as customers.

The room was decent, and the bed was clean and comfortable. Still, a few things bothered us: the bathroom light seemed wrongly fitted, leaving a view into the ceiling space, and the bathtub was high with no safety handle. That could be awkward for older guests or anyone with mobility problems. The air conditioning also took a long time to cool the room when it was about 35°C outside. We saw more mosquitoes here during our one-night stay than anywhere else in Vietnam, even places near rivers and in the jungle. The breakfast was basic, with a little fresh fruit, and the hot dishes were only warm even when we came down around 7am. After staying at several hotels in Vietnam, Le Petit Prince felt closer to three stars than the advertised four. The Booking photos look good, but the property seemed more worn in person. Staff strongly pushed for cash, saying the reservation card might be charged multiple times. It was surprising for a hotel claiming four stars. The stay was acceptable for one night, but didn’t live up to that rating.

We had a pleasant stay and the staff were really friendly and helpful. The room stayed clean, quiet, and comfortable even with all the activity outside. You can walk to plenty of food, markets, and cafés from this spot in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Breakfast was good if you like savory food, though I missed having Nutella.

The staff were the highlight, so friendly and helpful, and breakfast was a nice extra with more lovely staff there. Our room was comfortable and clean. The location also made it easy to reach restaurants, shops, the lake, and Hanoi’s sights. I’d definitely stay here again.