Urhome Apart Hotel

The room was clean and good enough, and the staff, maybe the owner, were very friendly and spoke English. The hotel is cozy, though a little hard to find down a small street, and the location isn't especially convenient. Still, it's not bad if you want a local Vietnamese atmosphere. Walk a bit farther into the smaller streets and you can see everyday local life; there aren't many shops on the main road by the river, but there are places to eat in the side streets. My only concern was leaving early in the morning. There was nobody at reception and the entrance door was shut. I could open it myself, but felt a bit worried about security once I was outside with nobody there to open the door.

This seems like a better fit for a longer stay than a short one, depending on how you travel. At $430 a month, it could be a good option if you plan to stay for a while. Lotte mart mall is around a 10-15 minute walk away. There's a communal kitchen, plus a little rooftop garden with potted plants and views over the neighborhood homes. The hot showers, lift and fast internet are useful, and being off the main road makes it quieter. You do have to walk about five minutes in from the main road, and taxi drivers may not always want to come in, so you might have to insist. I expected the distance from the city center to be offset by cheaper motorbike rental, based on the location and reviews I read, but an automatic was 150k and a manual 120k. In Hoi An and Hue I rented an automatic for 100k a day, and it's low season now. Also, because of the building design, you can hear the TV and people talking in rooms on the same level, as well as noise from the staircase.

Quiet, clean place in a good spot for getting to lots of places around Hanoi.

Comfortable and luxurious, with friendly staff. A nice place.