Serene Premier Hotel

The Hanoi Serene lives up to its name when one opens the door. While the atmosphere outside of the hotel is crazy and chaotic, the small lobby is a cool breath of fresh air, with well-soundproofed windows eliminating much of the noise from outside, plus strong air-conditioning and fans keeping things cool. The clean, white walls are decorated with a couple of citrus-hued paintings, and shelves lined with artistic sculptures sit behind the dark-wood reception desk. There are just a few brown floral-cushioned chairs and a tables, plus a small newspaper and book rack, along with the travel desk in the lobby. The real scene lies outside, and photographers and those here to experience atmospheric Vietnamese market life will love the bustling passageway just out front. With its sharp, modern rooms, the hotel draws flashpackers, couples, and families looking for a convenient Old Quarter stay.

The Hanoi Serene Hotel is located in a narrow alleyway in the heart of the Old Quarter of Hanoi, a neighborhood extremely popular with tourists. By day, the tight passageway is jammed with vendors, motorcycles, and passersby, but it is dead quiet at night. It's very atmospheric and great for photography enthusiasts, although the chaos and noise may be a bit much for some during the day. The hotel is near countless numbers of restaurants, bars, and shops, all within walking distance, and the famed Hoan Kiem Lake and water puppet theater are less than a 10-minute walk away. The international airport is about 40 minutes to one hour by car from the hotel depending on traffic. One downside of the location is that automobiles cannot enter the alleyway, so one needs to walk the 100 yards or so to get out to the main road.

All rooms here are modern and well-maintained. Shiny warm wood floors look elegant next to white walls and the brown accent wall done up with wavy stripes. A few floral-patterned chairs sit near white-linened beds decorated with flower petals and brown silk bed runners, and there is a decent amount of closet space. The rooms here are a bit more spacious than neighboring hotels, and all come with air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs with cable, electric hot water kettles for making free tea and instant coffee, small safes, minibars with beer and soft drinks, and bathrobes and hairdryers. Additionally, all rooms get a free computer for guests to use, plus there is free Wi-Fi. All rooms excepting Superior bookings come with a free bottle of wine. While room categories are differentiated by size, the bathrooms are all the same, and each has a shower/tub combo with a small rainfall showerhead, brown and tan walls, and granite counters -- they aren't quite as nice as the guest rooms themselves. There really aren't any views from guest rooms, just rooftops and narrow glimpses of the city, but there are double-glazed windows, which eliminates noise from the chaotic market below, although the rooms on the second floor don't seem to benefit from this feature and can be noisy. 

Like most hotels in the Old Quarter, the Hanoi Serene doesn't really have extra facilities. There is one small restaurant downstairs, which is used only to serve the free breakfast (a nice mix of Vietnamese and Western choices). There is a small sitting area in the lobby, which also holds a tour desk where the staff can arrange trips to Halong Bay, Sapa, or other tourist destinations, plus assist with booking tickets and onward transportation. Airport pickups can also be arranged. The building has an elevator and Wi-Fi is free throughout.