Golden Sun Palace Hotel

The Golden Sun Palace Hotel is a small but inviting hotel wedged between other similarly new low-rise buildings. The white marble reception area is austere, but touches like the ornate chandelier overhead and wooden banisters on the wide curving staircase add some color and style. There's nowhere to sit on this level, but there is a low-slung sectional couch and a computer station in the upstairs lounge. The marble dining area below reception, where breakfast is served, has four glass-topped, white tables with flower-patterned chairs, touches of greenery, and nature-inspired art, and is a quaint place to start a morning in Hanoi. This hotel offers budget-friendly style and easy access to Hanoi's Old Quarter and draws a wide swath of guests that include couples, families, and solo travelers.

Located in Hanoi's bustling and atmospheric Old Quarter, the hotel sits on charming Hang Quat, the photogenic "street of fans." While the area tends to be crazy, chaotic, traffic congested, and noisy, Hang Quat stays relatively quiet. Scenic Hoan Kiem Lake and the historic Temple of the Jade Mountain (an island at the lake's north end) take around five minutes to reach on foot. The shops, sights, food stalls, and bars of the Old Quarter are all within a 10-minute walk as well, while Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum is a 10-minute taxi ride away. Ha Long Bay is about three and a half hours east, and the hotel can help arrange a trip there, while Noi Bai International Airport can be reached by car or taxi within an hour. 

Like many hotels in the Old Quarter, the 18 guest rooms at this hotel are mostly small but stylish, with fine wood floors, white wooden cabinets and furniture, gorgeous wood-framed photos on the walls. There is a homey charm about each room and they include thoughtful details, like decorative gray patterned panels above comfortable beds and attractive brown and gold drapes. Most of the rooms here are Superior and Deluxe Rooms that are similarly decorated, though Superior Rooms are smaller and lack external windows and there are a few larger Family Suites available as well. All rooms have large flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, plus minibars, safes, electric kettles for tea or coffee, air-conditioning, and free Wi-Fi. Clean tan marble bathrooms have futuristic shower pods with rainfall showerheads, plenty of cupboard space, and toiletries. Double-paned windows throughout the property keep street noise to a minimum in rooms with external-facing windows, and some have street views. 

Like many small value options in Hanoi, there are only a few features here. Free breakfast is served in the quaint dining area off of the lobby, but the the hotel does not offer lunch or dinner. The lounge above the lobby also has two computer that are free for guests to use, though free Wi-Fi is also available throughout the property. Airport transfers can be arranged for a fee prior to arrival or with the front desk, which is staffed 24 hours a day and can also help book excursions and tours. Laundry service is also available.