Hotel: Capella Hanoi / Program: Virtuoso
Hanoi is a city of contrast and balance — having a French influence and Confucius temples alongside a bustling city full of motorbikes and constant honking. Located in the city’s historic French Quarter, Capella Hanoi is a stones throw away from the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter and yet once you step inside it’s an oasis of calm and luxury. You can read our full blog on things to do in Hanoi here.
Capella Hanoi is designed by the ever-imaginative Bill Bensley. With just 47 rooms, each one filled with vintage memorabilia and intricate details, Capella feels more like a private retreat for artists than a typical five-star stay.
After a very long journey from London to Hanoi via Helsinki and Bangkok, we couldn’t wait to get to the hotel and just relax.
Virtuoso
Before we review the property, a quick note that the hotel can be booked under Virtuoso. Booking under the rate, you can receive the following benefits:
- One category room upgrade (subject to availability at check-in)
- Daily Complimentary breakfast for two
- $100 equivalent food & beverage credit
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
- Welcome note and welcome amenity
Quite often, we can offer additional perks such as free night offers, higher credit, guaranteed upgrades, and more. For latest Virtuoso offers on the property, you can reach out to find out more.
Location
Located at a busy junction in Hanoi’s French Quarter, Capella Hanoi couldn’t be better placed. It’s about a half hour drive from the airport which isn’t too bad for one of the major cities in Vietnam.
The hotel is located just a few minutes from the bustling Old Quarters, the iconic Hanoi Opera House and a short walk to Hoàn Kiếm Lake. It a great location as it sits right in the cultural heart of the city. It could not have been more convenient!
Arrival & Check-In
We arrived via a cab in the evening after a long journey via Bangkok. The staff greeted us and promptly helped us with our bags. The interiors are one of the stand out features of the hotel. You will notice this from the point you first step in. At first, the bold designs and interiors overwhelm the eyes, but you get used to it very quickly.
If you’ve been to a Bill Bensley property before, then you know exactly what we mean. It’s elegant, bold and chic. This definitely isn’t your usual style especially if you’re into minimalist boho vibes or the cookie-cutter design that many hotels tend to go with.
Given its a city hotel, the lobby space is quite limited. As you enter, the ‘Living Room’ is the first thing you see followed by a coffee/bar counter to your left. It was too dark to take photos when we arrived, hence the below captures the bar and the Living Room during the daytime.
The staff directed us to the check-in desks, which had three counters.. We were served a welcome drink with a cold towel that felt refreshing after the long journey. It was not too busy and we managed to get check-in pretty quickly.
Room – Junior Suite
Entrance and Living Room
We were escorted to our Junior Suite by one of the ‘Culturaists’ which is what Capella calls it’s customer-facing guest experience staff. Elegant, spacious and quietly opulent, the Junior Suite is one of just four suites in the entire hotel—each designed to reflect Hanoi’s creative spirit while offering a peaceful retreat.
The Junior Suite had a small passageway as you enter the suite with an elegantly designed bar to the left. This consisted with a variety of curated alcoholic drinks, fully equipped with all you need to whip-up some amazing cocktails and for coffee lovers like us, fancy coffee-making kits as well. The minibar is complimentary in Capella, which includes a selection of snacks, chocolates and non-alcoholic beverages. I must say that the nuts and chocolates were absolutely delightful.
Even though we were in a Junior Suite and not a full Suite, we had a separate living room with a small TV and a French Juliet balcony. The living room had a number of small retro touches such as a Marshals sounds system.
As it was the wife’s birthday, the staff had done a great job in setting up the room with some Happy Birthday balloons and some sweets.
Bathroom
As you walked in from the Living Room towards the bedroom, the marble-clad bathroom was to your right followed by the bedroom at the end. A lot of detailing in the bathroom, as expected from a Bill Bensley designed hotel. The velvet curtains were absolutely stunning and the deep red bathrobes were so soft that we we wanted to take those bathrobes home!!
The washroom was separate with a full toto unit.
Bedroom
The bedroom which was as stunning as the rest of the Suite. The wallpaper behind the bed was gorgeous. The bedroom had a lovely study desk. Each of the rooms had a small French Juliet balcony. In total, our room had five of them; three in the bedroom, one in the living room and one in the bathroom.
Breakfast
The breakfast was at the only restaurant on the ground floor. It was a combination of a la carte with a small buffet selection of breads, cereals and pastries. Of course, this was Vietnam so we had to go local with our choices including trying some of the Vietnamese coffee, Pho, Bahn mi . They were all delicious with plenty of vegetarian choices!! They were all so delicious.
Definitely the best part of breakfast was the variety of local options. Despite having a limited a la carte menu, all the dishes are a must-try. If you aren’t restricted by dietary restrictions, there’s plenty to choose from. I would definitely go back again just for the breakast.
The Living Room
All Capella hotels have a ‘Living Room’ concept which is basically a lounge available to guests to relax and enjoy the hotel’s vibe. Typically, check-in will take place in the Living Room and there will be snacks and drinks served all day.
Capella Hanoi’s Living Room served non-alcoholic drinks all day, served afternoon tea and evening cocktails with live music every single evening. It was a great way to relax after a day of exploring Hanoi and mingle with other guests.
The afternoon tea menu was limited but the staff was happy to tweak the menu for us to suit our dietary requirements. We did partake in evening cocktails during our stay, which were great and had an extensive menu as well.
All snacks and drinks offered in the Living Room are complimentary. Most importantly, it was all done to a very high quality.
Bar – The Hudson Rooms
We also vitied the hotel’s bar, The Hudson Rooms, is Capella’s rooftop bar and restaurant, channeling 1920s New York sophistication. Think marble counters, a plated Oyster & Whiskey raw bar, and design motifs inspired by the grand concourse of Grand Central Terminal. The drinks menu includes cocktails themed after train lines departing from New York: Canada, Chicago, Miami, L.A.—each using inventive combinations like rye, rum, vermouth, and clarified juices.
For a more secluded experience, Track 61—a hidden “bar within a bar”—offers an exclusive whiskey and cigar sanctuary. It’s the hotel’s speakeasy homage. As the bar was not busy when we visited, the bartender welcomed us to find the key to this speakeasy bar. It has a secret passageway entrance through the wine cellar. The whole experience was memorable and would definitely recommend. I distinctly remember eating a few bowls of their complimentary popcorn as it was that delicious!
Indoor Pool and Gym
The hotel has an indoor pool and gym located in the basement. It wasn’t the best gym, but was adequate. The carpet did look worn out and tatty. Maybe Bill Bensley isn’t a huge fan of exercising and didn’t spend anytime designing this space.
Whilst the architecture is stunning of the pool, it feels a bit cramped due to no windows around. If anyone is in the pool, the splashes echo which does not make the experience very relaxing. From our entire hotel experience, I’d say this was the weakest point of the hotel. A stunning rooftop pool would’ve been much better than this basement window-less pool.
Auriga Spa
We had a 60-minute couples massage at the fabulous Auriga Spa. The entire experience from the start to the end was 10/10. We were welcomed by the amazing staff to the staff and served with water and cold towels, following which we decided on our scents and oils for the massage. We had a private room with spacious changing rooms and all the amenities you’d expect from a top notch spa. After the massage, we spent some time in the hydrotherapy rooms which was a great way to end the spa experience.
Complimentary Activities and Rituals
Capella Hanoi had a number of complimentary activities. Aside from afternoon tea and sweet treats in the Living Room followed by daily cocktails along with Jazz music in the evenings, there were so many more daily activities. During our stay, we tried the Coffee Cupping (and our barista was fab!).
On other days they had Paper Craft, Japanese Tea Indulgence, Calligraphy, leather Making Class and Tò He (a cherished toy in Vietnamese culture crafted from glutinous rice powder) on different days of the week.
They also had a number of wellness activities including a morning run. Here’s a list of all ‘daily rituals‘ and ‘Capella Moments‘ as they call it.
Service
Service throughout our stay was solid. I would give it a 10/10 for service. We had no complaints—staff did everything we needed, and we never experienced any issues. The breakfast staff really got to know us. Our barista was fab. The ‘Culturists’ as their concierge is called, was super helpful in guiding us for sightseeing and also reserving tickets for the Water Puppet show.
Who is this Hotel for?
Anyone and everyone looking for a luxury stay experience in Hanoi. It is definitely pricey compared to all other hotels in Hanoi but you get a true feel of Vietnamese hospitality. The interiors, the room, breakfast and the warmth of the staff were all standouts and I would definitely pick this again for my stays in Hanoi.
One more important point to note when comparing prices to other top luxury hotels such as Sofitel Legend Metropole, is that there are plenty of ‘inclusions’ in the Capella price. The minibar is complimentary, you have afternoon tea service, evening cocktails and all-day coffee/tea and other snacks. There’s a number of daily activities as well. Plus, given that the hotel has less than 50 rooms, you’ll receive personalised service for sure.
Looking to book Capella Hanoi?
We are Virtuoso advisors and can get additional perks by booking this hotel with us! Please fill out your details, and we will get back to you!