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Hotel Review: Hotel Bel Ami Hanoi, Hanoi – Vietnam

July 5, 2020 By James Clark

Hotel Review: Hotel Bel Ami Hanoi, Hanoi - Vietnam

Guesthouse Name: Hotel Bel Ami Hanoi
Address: 244 Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam.

I stayed at the Hotel Bel Ami Hanoi in Hanoi, Vietnam. I walked in off the street and booked a room without a reservation. The hotel I was due to stay at nearby was closed, so I walked to the nearest alternative. I was quoted a rate of 400,000 VND, which was higher than you normally pay online for such a hotel (400,000 Dong is about $17.20 USD). I wasn’t in the mood to haggle or look elsewhere at this point so I took the room.

I checked with Agoda later, and sure enough the room was around 250,000 VND. When you see hotel booking sites with copy that says “Up to 50% off hotel rooms!”, they are taking 50% off an inflated rack rate (the rate for walk ins). If I was more organised I could have checked online first, but I just wanted the room so I could get on with business. The extra $7 I paid is a reminder to check the online rate next time I am in this situation.

Hotel Bel Ami on Hang Bong

The Hotel Bel Ami is near the railway crossing end of Hang Bong street in the old city area. It’s a 7-minute walk from the main train station, and I picked this area to be near the station. There is a metro line being built next to the station and I was doing a report on the Hanoi metro. From the hotel it’s easy to walk to other parts of the old city as well.

Hotel Bel Ami

I booked a double room with a private bathroom. At first glance the room seemed nice enough. The bed was comfortable, and the air conditioner was in working order (an important feature in the hot Hanoi summer months).

After unpacking I realised there was nowhere to place my clothes. There was no hangers, and the ledge on the side of the room was only useful for small things. There was a little table above the fridge, but it was not useful as a desk (and there were no chairs either).

Hotel Bel Ami bed

I made sure I got a window room, as these skinny buildings in Vietnam have rooms without windows.

Street view

The bathroom was one of those glass box rooms that have become popular in recent years. These are good if you are a solo traveller as it lets more light into the bathroom. If you are travelling with someone though you will be subjecting the other person to watching you go to the toilet.

The bathroom space was cramped, with the sink and toilet pressed right up next to the shower cubicle.

Bathroom

There is free wifi in the hotel and I had a good connection in my room. The hotel has a lift, so no worries about lugging bags up stairs.

There is no breakfast service here. Instead I went next door to the Third Wave Roastery, which is one of the best places for coffee in Hanoi.

You can book the Hotel Bel Ami Hanoi online, or search for more hotels in Hanoi. For new visitors, read about the best areas to stay in Hanoi.

Filed Under: Accommodation Tagged With: hanoi, hotel, vietnam

About James Clark

James Clark is the founder of Nomadic Notes. He has been a digital nomad since 2003, and Nomadic Notes features trip reports, train travel articles, and where to stay guides. He writes about transport and urban development at Future Southeast Asia. Subscribe to the weekly travel newsletter.

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James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

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