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.
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.
The king bed in the Opera Suite
Bedside table by the king bed
The king bed is placed next to the entrance to the Opera Suite
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
View of the bathroom from the entrance
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.
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.
Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel reception
Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel lobby
Welcome drink
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.
Indoor swimming pool at Hanoi De L’Opera Hotel
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.
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.
Breakfast is served in Cafe Lautrec next to the reception in the hotel
Local delights served during breakfast
Cold cuts and salad during breakfast
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.