[Accommodation Review] – Premier Village Da Nang Resort (Beachfront Villa with Private Swimming Pool), Da Nang, Vietnam (17 – 21 Jul 24)

The Reception at Premier Village Da Nang Resort

Location

Premier Village Da Nang Resort is ideally located in the southern part of My Khe Beach, about a 10-minute car ride from Da Nang City, affording its residents the best of both worlds – proximity to the city and the advantage of enjoying the beach away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The resort is also about a 20-minute drive from Da Nang International Airport. There are numerous eateries lined outside the resort along the main street where the resort is located and along the beachfront area next to the resort. There are numerous minimarts within a minute’s walk from the resort, where we could stock up on our snacks and drinks.

The Villa

We checked into the Beachfront Villa, which gave us a generous 511㎡ real estate space. The villa has four bedrooms spread across its three levels, three on the upper and one in the basement. Only three bedrooms on the upper floors were unlocked for our use, as there were six of us. I found the villa to be a very liveable space, having an expansive living room and a dining room, a private swimming pool, and a fully equipped kitchen.

The Beachfront Villa that we stayed for our five-day trip to Da Nang

Living Room

The living room resides on the ground level of the villa, alongside the pantry, the dining room and our private swimming pool. The living room predominantly employs a wooden decor from the flooring to the furniture, giving it a contemporary and timeless look. While the walls are painted dark grey, the colour gives it a modern look. The Japanese-style lighting hanging from the living ceiling exudes a sense of zen and simultaneously brings in the resort vibe. The ceiling conny in the living room gives it an elegant character and, at the same time, provides even more illumination at night. The L-shaped sofa, the living room’s centrepiece, and the single armchair beside it can comfortably accommodate six or seven guests. The TV cabinet sits by the wall separating the living room from the dining room and not only houses the 42″ flatscreen TV but also provides generous storage space. Despite having numerous channels on TV, only a few are in English. The floor-to-ceiling window panels fitted with two large sliding door panels let a lot of natural light into the living room and make the already spacious space feel even more spacious, creating an indoor-outdoor living concept. The living room looked into our private pool and granted us a view of My Khe beach, creating a true resort vibe.

Dining Room

Located next to the living room on the ground floor, the dining room is furnished with a round dining table and eight chairs. The sizeable table is perfect for ordering in-room service or gathering to consume the food we packed from Da Nang City. The dining room is connected to the pantry, which makes this space convenient for us to cook some light meals. The dining room also looks out into the swimming pool, with its access to the pool making it great for us to grab our drinks or snacks quickly when using it. Premier Village Da Nang Resort designed a powder room at the dining room to provide convenience for its guests.

Pantry

Rather than calling it a pantry, the space functions like a small kitchen. Occupying the space behind the dining room, the pantry is segregated with a bar counter perfect for us to place the snacks we brought to Da Nang. Besides a dual kitchen sink, the pantry is also furnished with four induction cookers, which allowed us to do light cooking in the villa. There is a drip coffee machine (which we did not figure out how to use) and an electric kettle which we used to prepare hot drinks. Premier Village Da Nang Resort fully furnished the pantry with pans and pots, while the cabinets house china and cutleries, enabling us to dine with proper dinnerware. Sitting in the corner of the pantry is a large dual-door fridge for us to keep the beverages we brought cool. The resort provided a one-off complementary minibar during our stay at the villa.

Second Floor Living Room

The Beachfront Villa at Premier Village Da Nang Resort has another smaller living room on the second floor. This living room is simply furnished with a three-seater sofa and a floor lamp, which is great for occupants of the second floor to gather and relax. The earthy colour theme in this part of the villa, plus the simple design, exudes a relaxing and elegant vibe. The resort also furnished this part of the villa with a cabinet, which makes the space look less empty.

Balcony

Right outside the second-floor living room is an outdoor balcony that extends to the outside of the master bedroom. Furnished with a white wooden table and four matching chairs, Premier Village Da Nang Resort gave guests the option of relaxing and gathering outdoors while enjoying the sea breeze.

Master Bedroom

The master bedroom is on the second level of the Beachfront Villa, predominantly employing a wooden finish with walls and hints of yellow. The decor in the master bedroom exudes a resort and yet elegant vibe. The master bedroom in the Beachfront Villa is the largest of the three bedrooms. The first thing that caught my eye was the spaciousness that this bedroom offers. Premier Village Da Nang Resort designed the layout of the bedroom very well. The master bedroom has the right amount of furniture that did not make it feel too empty or come across as a cramp. Unlike the decor in a typical hotel, the king bed sits in the centre of the bedroom, facing the beach, allowing us to laze on the bed and look out into the beautiful My Khe beach. I find the quality of sleep on the mattress of the king bed to be excellent. The firm mattress allowed me to recharge every night and wake up afresh without fail. However, I found the pillows too soft for my liking, and it did not help that the resort does not have a pillow menu to cater to the different preferences of guests. The bedside tables were of a good size, allowing us to charge our lifestyle devices using the two power outlets designed on top of the tables.

I like how Premier Village Da Nang Resort placed the TV console and the armchair in the two corners of the bedroom that the king bed faces. Doing so allows guests an unobstructed view of the beach. The bedroom comes fitted with another 42″ flatscreen TV, with the same entertainment options as the living room. The armchair, placed by the floor-to-ceiling glass panel, is a good spot to laze, watch the beach or read a book. Sitting behind the king bed was a work desk that spans its breadth, providing its users ample space to work on. I like how the resort fitted two power outlets on the side of the work desk, which frees up space on the desk. However, I find moving in and out of the chair at the work desk a tad inconvenient due to the limited space allocated between the work desk and the wall behind it. The space is so limited that I find it difficult to use the two drawers fitted on the work desk. Flushed into the wall space next to the entrance of the master bedroom and beside the work desk are two sets of large wardrobes. The space afforded inside the wardrobes was very generous. We could hang up at least two weeks of clothing in each wardrobe. Despite being the same size, the interior furnishings of the wardrobes are different. The wardrobe near the entrance has open shelves and two large drawers. Including these fixtures vastly increases the amount of things we can put away. The wardrobe near the armchair is fitted with a three-tier drawer, allowing guests to keep their wardrobes organised. It is in this wardrobe that we found the in-room safe.

Bathroom

The bathroom in the master bedroom is the biggest of the three ensuite bathrooms in the villa. Entering the bathroom, a sink countertop fitted with dual sinks welcomes its occupants. The presence of the two sinks allows both occupants to freshen up simultaneously. Despite the dual sink designs, I find little space to place our toiletries on this sink countertop. Fortunately, the resort installed a three-tiered open shelving next to the sink area, which gave us space to stow our toiletries.

The walk-in shower and the toilet cubicle occupy the space opposite the sink. The space allocated in the walk-in shower was generous, allowing us to shower without engaging in elbow war with the walls or the glass door. The shower has a rain and regular shower head with excellent water pressure. The toilet cubicle, opposite the walk-in, has the same amount of real estate. Other than the porcelain throne, the toilet is fitted with a Western-style bidet. A large bathtub sits in the centre between the two cubicles, which is great for us to soak away the wariness of exploring Da Nang.

Bedrooms 1 & 2

The other two bedrooms in the villa have the same design and layout, with one on the first and the other on the second floor. Like the master bedroom, these rooms also employ an earthy theme to enhance the relaxing vibe. Entering these bedrooms, a large space dedicated to the sleeping area is immediately in sight. The king bed, with the same sleeping quality as the master bedroom, sits by the wall to provide more space for its occupants. A couple of bedside tables on both sides of the bed provide occupants with space to place their lifestyle devices. The TV consoles in both bedrooms, which house a 42″ flatscreen TV, were set to one corner of these bedrooms to provide its occupants with an unobstructed view of the outdoors.

The wardrobe is fitted in the corner next to the entrance. While not as large as that in the master bedroom, the wardrobe space is still generous for its occupants to put away at least one week of clothing. The combination of open shelving and three-tiered drawers hidden inside the wardrobe increases its storage capacity. There is another wardrobe dedicated to guests to hang their clothing, and it also doubles up as a place to stow our luggage after unpacking. Unlike the master bedroom, these bedrooms are fitted with a vanity area instead of a work desk between the wardrobe and the bathroom.

Bathroom

The space allocated to the bathroom in these bedrooms is rather generous. A single sink is fitted behind the door to the bathroom. Considering the space allotted, Premier Village Da Nang Resort was clever enough to furnish this bathroom with a single sink, which meant more space for occupants to place toiletries. The open toilet is fitted next to the sink. The walk-in shower opposite the sink, also equipped with rain and regular shower heads, is equally spacious in the master bedroom. The water pressure from these shower heads rivals that in the master bedroom. A large bathtub, identical to that in the master bedroom, is found next to the walk-in shower.

In-Villa Pool and Outdoor Terrace

The BeachFront Villa comes with a small private plunge pool. The pool serves more for guests to play in the water or cool down from the humid weather in Da Nang than allowing guests to do some laps. The poolside area is furnished with a table with four chairs, which is great for guests to enjoy their meals outdoors. There are also a couple of sundeck chairs for guests to relax or sunbathe by the pool.

Service

The service we received at Premier Village Da Nang Resort was exceptional, and every staff member we met was very friendly and welcoming. We were always greeted with Xin Chao whenever we bumped into any of them. We felt the excellent service the moment we arrived at the front gate concierge. The team sprung into action efficiently and took care of our luggage without us needing to lift our fingers. The next time we saw our luggage was in the villa. The staff at the reception welcomed us with the warmest smile one can receive. They ensured we were comfortable, serving us welcome drinks and cool towels to cool us off the humid Vietnamese weather while arranging for our host – Vivian, to attend to us. The operator would always give us an estimate of the buggy’s arrival, which was always on time. The staff ferrying us around in the buggy were also friendly and always greeted us with Xin Chao every time we hopped onto one.

Months before our arrival, Vivian created a chat group with us and was always responsive to our text messages. She welcomed us during our arrival and ensured we were comfortable with our villa. She has excellent knowledge of the city and generously shares information about Da Nang. Vivian remained contactable via Whatsapp chat and was very efficient in ensuring our requests were being attended to. Our stay at Premier Village Da Nang Resort couldn’t have been better without Vivian.

Hotel Facilities

Breakfast @ Lemongrass

Premier Village Da Nang Resort serves daily breakfast at Lemongrass. The restaurant offers a great variety of food, including Vietnamese, Chinese, and Western cuisines. As the resort has a number of Korean guests, Lemongrass even offers a large variety of Korean food for breakfast. The food served at the restaurant was constantly topped up, ensuring it was available to all guests. I highly recommend the Vietnamese coffee served. As with most hotels, minor changes to the menu were observed during our 5-day stay at Premier Village Da Nang Resort.

Nautical Club

The Nautical Club is the resort’s beach-facing main swimming pool, where guests can enjoy beautiful beach views and do some decent laps in the expansive pool. A small section of the pool is dedicated to the younger guests, and with the many floats and life vests available at the pool for borrow, Premier Village Da Nang Resort ensures the little ones can enjoy the pool as well. There are numerous deck chairs around the Nautical Club facing My Khe Beach, and with the strong sun in Da Nang, guests can get a great tan at the resort’s main swimming pool.

Gym

The gym in Premier Village Da Nang Resort occupies a three-storey villa in a corner of the resort. Due to the villa’s design, the gym has a clear distinction of workout stations. The first floor of the gym is dedicated to cardio workouts. We spotted two treadmills and stationary bikes in the room that houses this equipment. The room on the second-floor houses machines allowing guests to do strength workouts. The room on the top floor of the gym looks like a mixed workout station, with some bikes and dumbbells; this room seemed designed for guests who wanted to perform HIIT-type workouts. I was surprised to find a room being converted into a yoga studio in the gym. Like most villas in the resort, the gym has a small pool. However, similar to the villas, this pool seemed too small for guests to do any laps.

Kid’s Club

The Kid’s Club in Premier Village Da Nang Resort is a haven for younger guests. Premier Village Da Nang Resort provides child care services (at a charge) at the Kid’s Club. There are playing areas in the Kid’s Club to keep children of all ages entertained, be it in the indoor area or the outdoor swings. There is even a PlayStation room for older children to enjoy at the Kid’s Club. The Kid’s Club is also where we borrowed bicycles to cycle around the compounds of the resort free of charge.

Overall

Premier Village Da Nang Resort is a great place to relax and enjoy the sun and the beach. The resort’s proximity to Da Nang City and the numerous shops at its doorstep makes it an ideal place to stay while in Da Nang. The villa we stayed in was excellent for families or groups of friends. The three bedrooms (and the fourth in the basement) allow larger groups to enjoy the villa together. We liked to gather in the expansive living room and had a great time in our private pool in the villa. The dining room allowed us to dine in the comfort of our villa. We had a relaxing time at Premier Village Da Nang Resort and would return the next time we returned to Danang.

[Accommodation Review] – Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel (Opera Suite), Hanoi, Vietnam (9 – 12 Aug 19)

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Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel Facade at night

Location

Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel is located in the heart of Hanoi in the upmarket French Quarter. It is within walking distance to most of the attractions and restaurants in the city, making the hotel an excellent base to explore Hanoi. The hotel overlooks Hanoi Opera house and is within minutes walk from attractions such as Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi Night Market, Old Quarter and the upscale shopping centre – Trang Tien Plaza. There is a 24-hour convenient store within a 2-min walk from the hotel and numerous cafes and restaurants within 15 mins walk from the hotel.

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The Hanoi Opera House viewed from the terrace of Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel

Opera Suite

I stayed in the Opera Suite which is actually a Junior Suite in Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel. The entire suite is decorated in exquisite French-inspired decor, with wooden flooring. The Opera Suite has a floor area of 46m² and has three general areas: Sleeping Area, Lounge Area and Bathroom.

Sleeping Area

The sleeping area in the Opera Suite of Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel occupies the left corner from the entrance to the suite. A huge large King bed with thick mattress, making the bed a tad high, draped with four large soft pillows sits in the of this part of the suite. The sleep quality is excellent providing great sleep throughout the three nights of my stay in the hotel. The bedside tables on either side of the king bed make a great spot for one to set up a base for the charging of their lifestyle devices. There are power outlets, with international plug sockets, by the bedside table on both sides of the bed. This provides a great convenience for guests staying in this suite.

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The king bed in the Opera Suite

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Bedside table by the king bed

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The king bed is placed next to the entrance to the Opera Suite

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Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel provides an extensive pillow menu

Smack right in front of the king bed, enclosed in a chrome cabinet, is the only TV in the suite. The 36″ LCD TV comes with numerous local and international channels, provided guests with entertainment to kill time during their time in the suite. Unfortunately, the TV can only be viewed from the bed, it cannot be swivelled to face the living area.

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The only TV in the suite, which can only be watched on the King bed

Behind the TV cabinet, placed by the windows in the Opera Suite, is a work desk for guests to do some work. The desk is sufficiently sized for one to do some work on, yet not too large that it hinders the movement of guests in this part of the suite. A desk light is the only decoration on this desk and the hotel places some magazines on the desk to provide guests with some reading materials to occupy their time. There are a couple of power outlets underneath the desk, which is a clever way that the hotel employs in order not to clutter up the desk.

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Work desk in the Opera Suite. I find the placement of the power outlet on the floor a tad inconvenient

Lounge Area

The Lounge Area of the Opera Suite in Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel is to the right of the entrance to the suite, next to the bathroom. The centrepiece of the Lounge Area would have to be the contrasting single-seat high back red armchair and the light purple two-seater couch with a rattan glass top coffee table placed on a carpet. For extra illumination, the designers of Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel placed a floor light that resembles those used in movie sets by the window. As mentioned previously, the TV cannot be swivelled for guests in the Opera Suite to relax and watch from the lounge area, hence I would think the purpose of this lounge area is purely to chill and sip some drinks from the minibar.

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Lounge Area of the Opera Suite

The minibar is placed in the cabinet behind the two-seater couch in the lounge area. The minibar also acts as segregation between the lounge area and the wardrobe. The bar fridge is placed on the left of the cabinet, while in the right cabinet, guests can find wine glasses and champagne flute. I do find it weird that regular drinking glasses are not placed in the suite, we had to call up the operator to get these regular drinking glasses. All items in the fridge are chargeable. Guests can find complimentary coffee and tea as well as coffee cups and electric flask on top of the minibar cabinet. I thought adding a power outlet at the minibar would be great as it would save us the trouble of boiling water from other parts of the suite (such as the bathroom).

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Minibar in the Opera Suite

At the end of the suite, behind the minibar area is a double panel wardrobe. The size of the wardrobe is alright, sufficient for us to place our four days worth of clothing. Guests can find an in-room safe placed on top of the three-tiered drawer inside the wardrobe. Iron and ironing board are also well placed inside the wardrobe, which does not obstruct the use of the wardrobe space. On the right side of the wardrobe is where one can hang longer garments.

Bathroom

The bathroom is immediate to the right as one enters the Opera Suite from the entrance. The French inspiration decor extends into the bathroom, laid with pearl coloured tiles, marble walls and white themed walls, the bathroom looks clean, bright and classy. The semi-open bathroom is walled on one side and draped with curtains on the side where the bathtub is placed.  The first thing that caught my attention opening the French-inspired double panel wooden doors is the large mirror with Hollywood styled lighting surrounding the mirror. The bathroom has a single sink which is placed on one side of the sink countertop. The placement of the sink provides more space for guests to stow their toiletries. Towels are stored in the open cabinet beneath the sink. A cushioned stool is placed in the bathroom by the bathtub for guests to doll themselves up in comfort.

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View of the bathroom from the entrance

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Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel provides good quality bathroom amenities

To the left of the sink is where the toilet and walk-in shower cubicles are located. These cubicles are large enough to provide one with space and not feel too constricted while using these cubicles. The rubber lining on the doors of these cubicles means guests would have to open one door in order for the other door to open. Guests using the door to the walk-in shower would have to be careful as the placement of this door is angled in a way that it might hit the sink countertop if one opens the door with force. The walk-in shower cubicle does not feel cramp and cataphoric. A bathtub is placed opposite the toilet and shower cubicles. This is the part of the bathroom where a curtain separates the bathroom from the rest of the suite. The curtain can be drawn to provide spaciousness for guests while taking a soak in the French-inspired clawfoot bathtub. When guests turn on the tap, water would flow from the tap as well as the showerhead that is by the bathtub. I do find it peculiar that the tap for the bathtub does not come with a switch that toggles between the tap and the attached shower head at the bathtub.

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The bathroom has a semi-open concept

Service

I find the service that I received in Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel is top-notch. The moment our transport from the airport pulls up to the front porch of the hotel, the friendly and helpful porter was standing by ready to receive us and volunteered to help us unload our luggage. I observed as soon as we were at the reception with our luggage for check-in, the staffs at the front desk sprung into action like clockwork. One staff would be focused on processing our check-in, another staff went to the back of the reception desk and presented us with a welcome drink, and yet another staff was standing by ready to help us carry our luggage to our suite. The staff at the reception welcomed us with the biggest smile on her face. Despite being hours earlier than the usual hotel check-in timing, the front desk staff processed our check-in efficiently and allowed us to check into our suite. As we have made some request for the orientation of our suite in the hotel, the staff counter proposed to have us shifted to another suite. According to her, the original orientation we wanted is facing a newly opened club, where music would play into the wee hours of the night. Such a gesture goes to show the staff genuinely wanted to provide good service to guests.

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Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel reception

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Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel lobby

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Welcome drink

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Inner courtyard of Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel

The excellent service did not stop at the front desk. It is apparent in the other parts of the hotel. The staffs at the swimming pool and gym were very hospitable. One staff even showed us around the swimming pool and gym, and another passed us a bottle of chilled water from the fridge inside the gym. Whenever we were at the swimming pool area, the staffs stationed here would always welcome us with a friendly smile. The housekeeping staff not only tidied our suite tirelessly every day and ensured that we would come back to a nice clean suite. The housekeeping staff also performed turndown service every evening, placing a couple of chocolates by the bedside table. On the second day upon returning from our trip in Hanoi, I noticed one of the bedside tables was shifted slightly out from the wall. The observant housekeeping staff must have noticed that I had set up a charging station for my lifestyle devices and shifted the table outwards so that I will be able to access to the power outlet. It is such attention to details that make staying at the hotel a great experience.

The staff at Cafe Lautrec, where breakfast is served, worked with attention to details and efficiency. They would always welcome us every single morning when we were there for breakfast. They left no empty plates and mugs on the table so that we can return to a cleared table and continue to have our breakfast. The staff was even brought us a menu with items we can order for the chef to prepare ala minute. There was one instance I ordered some eggs and wanting to collect them after I had my meal, instead of leaving it by the egg station, the staff went around the restaurant and had the eggs delivered to me.

Hotel Facilities

Swimming Pool

The swimming pool in Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel is located on the third floor. The enclosed indoor swimming pool is touted to be the only heated swimming pool in Hanoi. Despite the small-sized pool, one can still get some decent laps swimming in it.

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Indoor swimming pool at Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel

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Swimming pool in Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel

Gym

Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel is also equipped with a small gym located on the third floor next to the swimming pool. The gym, although being small, is well equipped with modern exercise machines such as treadmills, weight machines and stationary bikes allowing guests to get some decent workout. There is even a small corner of the gym dedicated for guests to practise yoga.

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Gym in Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel

Breakfast

Breakfast was served daily at Cafe Lautrec, located on the ground floor next to the front desk of Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel. There are numerous options, ranging from local dishes to western and orientation dishes that fuelled us with energy to explore Hanoi. The food served during breakfast was delicious and was often topped up. I had croissants every morning during my stay at Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel, these croissants are very fluffy and tasty. Guests can also order from a menu of items that the chef would prepare ala minute. I had the Eggs benedict and they were tasty and the eggs were poached just right. Despite the sumptuous breakfast served every morning, I find dining at Cafe Lautrec uncomfortable. As we visited Hanoi in summer, the hotel did not seem to have turned on the Air-conditioner in the Cafe. Huge fans were used instead, making the environment very stuffy and hot.

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Breakfast is served in Cafe Lautrec next to the reception in the hotel

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Local delights served during breakfast

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Cold cuts and salad during breakfast

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Pastry selection during breakfast

Overall

I had a very comfortable stay in the Opera Suite in Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel. The suite is spacious and the French-inspired decor adds character to the suite. The air conditioning in the suite is excellent, which is a relieve to the heat outside the hotel. The bed is very comfortable to sleep in, provided me with excellent sleep quality. However, the only flaw in the suite is the placement of the TV, which I could only watch while lying on the bed. The service I have received in the hotel is top-notch. Every staff made me feel welcome and were always seen wearing a smile on their face. Their attention to details further adds to the reason why staying in this hotel is a wonderful experience. Customer-orientation seems to be deeply infused into the staffs when it comes to dealing with their guests. The location of the hotel is a major plus point making it a great place to explore Hanoi. I will no doubt stay in Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel the next time I visit Hanoi.