We arrived around 10:30 PM at Hanoi airport.Not knowing the taxi situation at late hours I decided to prearrange our transport to the city which is about an hour drive away.Unfortunately there was no one waiting for us so we had to look for some alternate options.Everything was closed at the airport so another transfer company wasn’t an option.There was a shady looking dude trying to convince people for a shared minivan ride but passed on it.Not necessarily that anything bad would have happened but there was only one drop-off point somewhere in there center and we didn’t want to wonder around town late at night.
Finally I approached one of the four cab drivers hanging out outside and after a quick negotiation we started our journey to the city.FYI we payed $20 for the ride and just to compare the pre-arranged drive was $15 and back to the airport we payed $12(it was arranged by a travel/tour agency I found close to our hotel).

There are a handful of international properties in Hanoi but they were either overpriced or in areas far from where I wanted to stay. After doing some basic trip advisor research I booked the Hanoi Elegance Diamond Hotel & Spa for our 3 nights.We payed $80 a night for a junior suite including breakfast.There were a couple of cheaper rooms as well but why not to “splurge” if it’s within range!?
The hotel was located in the French Quarter,right in the center of the city.Location was perfect since it was close to the action but still somewhat tucked away from the craziness( in a good way though , we loved the city .
Check-in took about 10 minutes only because there was a small group who got there right when we did.We were given a couple of watermelon juices,towels and more importantly wifi passwords for the time being.Just as a side-note for US pink carrier users: our free worldwide roaming is no longer supported in Vietnam.

After they took our passport and CC info we were shown to our room on the 5th floor.The room itself wasn’t especially big,I’d probably call it a deluxe room by American standards but I was completely happy with it.It was clean,spacious enough and gave us the comfort we’d take in any city when traveling.
Once entering the room there was a small bathroom with a shower only,not that I ever take baths. The shower was actually pretty nice with a rainforest head and it overlooked the bedroom.

In the main room you found a corner sofa with a small coffee table.There were a couple of welcome goodies left for us.Unfortunately I didn’t try the Vietnamese red wine,maybe next time but thought it was a nice gesture.
There was also a work-desk next to it with an older PC.







As for the bed it was queen sized with a ottoman in-front of it.



I have to say that the room perfectly met our expectations and it was a great place to return after our hectic days in the city and it’s surroundings.
As a common benefit at Asian boutique hotels breakfast was included and it was served in the top floor restaurant. It featured both a buffet selection with both hot and cold dishes, and a separate a-la carte menu that included things like egg dishes and sweets such as pancakes and french toasts.Those are somewhat smaller but I just ordered always two at a time.





There was also a small terrace which we didn’t use since it was quite chilly in the mornings.

BTW weather was perfect for my AM runs.Street life in the early mornings was busting,it was simply incredible.First day we woke up really early and waited quite “late” (7-7:30AMish) to hit the street and by that time you felt that people were done with their morning exercise.Next day it was still dark when we woke up and though it’d be fun to see what’s going out outside. Corner noodle shops were already open and had a line outside,people of all ages were doing laps around the lake,there was some tai chi,some pop-up gym…you name it.Boy I love Vietnam!



All in all we loved this little hotel and I’d recommend it to anyone visiting Hanoi.Location was fantastic,room was great,breakfast plentiful and service simply amazing.
Our next stop was Hoi An which is an hour flight away from Hanoi(you fly into Danang Airport).Originally I wanted to go on Vietnam Airlines but I completely spaced out and didn’t care buying the tickets when they were still cheap,so naturally they went up astronomically when I was trying to book them about a month before the trip.Found that low coast airline called Vietjet which offered the trip for $30 so went ahead and booked it.They were pretty good,I’d compare the whole “experience” to AirAsia which I have no problems with, and loved the flight attendants scout girl-like uniform.

In the area you have the option of either staying by the beach,where all the mega-resorts are located, or somewhere in town.We went with the latter one not only because we aren’t huge on beach but because we wanted a more Vietnamese experience.
Hoi An is getting really touristy so you can find everything from backpacker hostels to 5 star hotels.I decided to book something in the middle,okay maybe somewhat towards the nicer direction , and got a room at the Essence Hoi An Resort & Spa.Later I realized that it’s actually part of the same group as the place we stayed in Hanoi.
The hotel is located on the western edge of the city.First I was somewhat skeptic about its location but actually it worked out perfectly.See,the center of town where the “Ancient Town” is not that charming anymore.It’s completely redone which is nice but makes you feel you’re in Disneyland and not Vietnam.We liked more the other,more local,parts of town and the neighboring villages.We ended up renting a scooter/moped from the business in front of the hotel for 3 days( $5 a day) and scrolled all over with it.



We arrived at the hotel around 12PM and they were happy to check us in. Our room was located on the third floor of the main building overlooking the street(there are two more wings). I was somewhat bummed about this since I’m an early bird and non-stop traffic doesn’t help me sleeping in either.
The room itself was nice and featured furnitures somewhat similar to what we had at our Hanoi hotel.







Fast forward the second day:I had to change rooms.Didn’t sleep much so I inquired if it’d be possible to move.I really don’t like to be a pain but I didn’t want to struggle for 2 more days…The general manager came over,I forgot her name but I can remember that she was Swiss, who was happy to help out and gave us a room facing the back.It was identical to the one before but it overlooked the pool and the rice fields.

Grounds of the property were excellent too.There was a mid sized,and very cold, pool in the shades of the palm trees.





Next to the pool area there was a small garden with a pool table and a couple of daybeds.



At the end of the property there was small house where you found both the gym and the spa. The gym was well equipped but we never used it since we rather went for a run outside every morning.Yeah I run a lot,at that point I was in the middle of my Barcelona marathon training.





There wasn’t separate business center but instead in the lobby you found a communal table with a couple of iMacs on it.





Similarly to our previous hotel,our rate here included breakfast too.It was served every morning from 6:30 to 11 at the Gourmet Corner,the hotel’s only restaurant.

The selection was pretty big,exactly what you’d expect at any similar Asian property. We enjoyed very much every morning sitting in the patio right next to the pool .







All in all we had an amazing stay at the property.Hoi An was fantastic and funnily not because of the features you find in every travel guide.Our favorite things were the market on Duy Tân where we went to all of our lunches,our coffee place on the other end of town and the road trips we took on our motorbike.
We loved Vietnam,the people, how welcoming everyone was and can’t wait to return…later this year.