Golden Sun Suites Hotel

The three-story Golden Sun Suites has a narrow white facade with finished wooden doors that lead to a small, narrow lobby. There is a long couch with giant cushions on one side and free computers for guests' use as well. The lobby extends toward the modern restaurant and another sitting area with cushioned stools -- an elegant couch. Vibrant expressionistic paintings of Hanoi street scenes done by local artists hang throughout the public spaces, adding pops of color, and there are plenty of quiet, attractive areas where guests can plan their day in Hanoi. Traveling couples make up the bulk of guests here, though families and solo travelers also pass through. 

The Golden Sun Suites Hotel is located in Hanoi's bustling and atmospheric Old Quarter, next to its sister property, the Golden Sun Palace. While the area tends to be crazy, chaotic, traffic congested, and noisy, the Golden Sun Suites is on a quiet side street known as the "Street of Fans." Hoan Kiem Lake and the Temple of the Jade Mountain are within a five-minute walk, while the Old Quarter's shops, sights, and bars -- along with plenty of great street food stalls -- are within a 10-minute stroll. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is about a 10-minute taxi ride away while the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, one of the country's top museums, is a 20-minute drive from the hotel. Noi Bai International Airport can be reached within an hour by car.

The hotel's 25 rooms are stylish and modern, with warm wood floors and dark contemporary furniture with clean lines. Crimson velvet headboards, cushions, and bed runners on good, duvet-covered beds add a touch of luxury against the subtle lotus-patterned accent walls. All rooms come with desks, minibars, electric kettles for coffee or tea, safes, flat-screen TVs with premium channels, free Wi-Fi, and air-conditioning. While Deluxe Rooms don't offer much seating beyond desk chairs, Junior Suites feature with crimson divan-style sofas and Family Rooms include armchairs and small tables as well as an extra bed. Connecting rooms are also available, which are more like small apartments and almost three times the size of other rooms. Marble bathrooms feature walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads and wood platforms beside a scattering of small white rocks, a design element that nods towards zen-garden aesthetics. Bathrooms are also spacious and have granite vanities, raised contemporary sinks, and toiletries. All rooms have double-glass windows with great insulation, so noise is not a problem despite the hectic Old Quarter location. 

The Golden Sun Suites has a small restaurant that serves a good free buffet breakfast, though it does not stay open for lunch or dinner. The hotel also has a small travel desk in the lobby, which can book tours to the Perfume Pagoda, Halong Bay, Sapa, and other sights, as well as arrange for bus and train tickets and taxis. Airport transfers are also available and laundry services can be arranged. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property and the hotel's front desk is staffed 24 hours a day.