Where to Stay in Hanoi: The French Quarter, the Old Quarter and West Lake, with Trang An

Hanoi by quarter: colonial grandeur around the Opera House, the Old Quarter's bustle, West Lake's calm, and a day out to the limestone landscape of Trang An.

Hanoi’s best hotels cluster in three places, and each gives a different city. Choose between the energy of the lanes, the old colonial grandeur and the quiet of the lake.

The French Quarter

The French Quarter is the city’s colonial district, laid out around the Opera House with wide avenues and grand hotels. Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi opened in 1901 and remains the city’s most storied address. Capella Hanoi is Bill Bensley’s theatrical hotel near the Opera House.

The Old Quarter and West Lake

The Old Quarter is the quintessential introduction for first-time visitors: narrow streets, colonial architecture, street food, markets and temples, and almost everything within walking distance, including Hoan Kiem Lake and the Water Puppet Theatre. Fairmont Hanoi stands beside the Old Quarter, with a rooftop pool and several restaurants.

West Lake, or Tay Ho, is serene and upscale, with stylish cafés, international restaurants and boutiques, and it is popular with expatriates. It suits travellers who want a quieter base, though it is three to five kilometres from the main sights and you will need transport. InterContinental Hanoi Westlake has pavilions over the water, away from the bustle.

A day out: Trang An

Ninh Binh lies about 90 kilometres from Hanoi, where the Red River plain meets limestone towers and flooded valleys. UNESCO inscribed Trang An in 2014 as Vietnam’s first mixed natural and cultural site. The landscape of tower-karst peaks, waterways and caves holds evidence of human occupation for more than 30,000 years, and includes Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam in the tenth and eleventh centuries. Take a rowing boat through the caves.