The Hotel After visiting Capella Ubud this year, I was keen to check out Capella Hanoi and decided to make a trip to Vietnam. Capella Hanoi is located in the old quarter district of the buzzing city, which is also designed by Bill Bensley like its Bali sister property. There are only 47 rooms and suites, where the hotel takes on an opera theme from the moment you step into the lobby.

Capella Hanoi is managed by Sun Hospitality Group, which also manages the award-winning InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, one of the most stunning resort properties in Vietnam (and possibly South-East Asia). Interestingly, it is also designed by Bill Bensley.

My check-in was done at The Living Room where I was also served some welcome drinks, which is a nice gesture.

I booked the entry level room for my stay and was accorded an upgrade to the Deluxe Suite as a Discovery Titanium Member. One of the staff then escorted me to my suite and gave a tour of the suite as well. 

The Room All the rooms and suites here are designed by Bill Bensley where the striking opera theme style comes across very strongly from the moment I entered the suite. The Deluxe Suite is a spacious 71 sqm where I was first greeted with the spacious living and dining room.

There are also complimentary non-alcoholic refreshments and snacks in the pantry. 

The dining room can easily fit 4-6 diners, whereas the living space comes with a huge sofa for guests to rest and relax.   

Moving on to the bedroom, it is a king size bed with spacious side tables on each side of the bed.

One noteworthy mention is the ample charging points in the bedroom section, including a work desk zone. 

The wardrobe zone is designed as a walk-in style, and it is adjacent to the bathroom which makes it convenient for me. 

The bathroom is another highlight of the Premier Suite since it is ridiculously spacious.

You get an opulent looking bathtub, complete with a spacious standing shower zone with marble seats within. 

The Facilities I spent much of my time at The Living Room, simply because it serves complimentary Afternoon Tea snacks, all-day snacks as well as evening cocktails, wines and canapes. There is even live jazz performance in the evening at The Living Room.

Special shoutout to the Apple Kombucha drink which I had a couple, since it was so refreshing and good. 

Regale is the whole space at the basement of Capella Hanoi where you will find the gym, Auriga spa, pool, sauna, and steam room. I took a short tour of the spa treatment rooms since the staff was very helpful to show me around.

The gym is not huge, but quite well-equipped for me since I mainly just use the weights machines and dumbbells. 

The pool is quite a statement piece design of the property even though it is not huge. Simple snacks and water are served to guests at the pool. 

You can also use the sauna and steam room, although a caveat is that you need to pre-book a time slot for it as the space is not huge. This is also to give each guest their own privacy in the sauna and steam room. 

The Restaurants Breakfast is served at Backstage which is the signature restaurant in Capella Hanoi featuring Vietnamese and international cuisine.

It is a huge restaurant where you will find different aspects of the Opera theme. The breakfast spread is amazing as it is very extensive, from local Pho noodles to Bánh Mì. My advice is to allocate at least 90 minutes to fully enjoy the breakfast spread.   

Diva’s Lounge is the bar located in the lobby right after you enter the hotel where you can have hand-crafted 1920’s cocktails and Vietnamese-inspired tapas. 

On the top floor of the property is The Hudson Rooms which is a 1920s New York inspired restaurant, while Koki is a Japanese concept restaurant appointed as private rooms, intimate living hall, and progressive sake parlor. There is also One Michelin starred Hibana by Koki as well as Izakaya by Koki. 

Rants As this is not a huge property, the pool is small and due to its location in the basement, you would not get any sun, which is a pity.  

Overall Experience The main highlight for me at Capella Hanoi is the strong design theme by Bill Bensley, though I also get it that his style does not resonate with some. That said, the service here is probably one of the best you can get in Vietnam, and overall I did enjoy my stay where the suite I stayed is very spacious. If you are a fan of Bill Bensley’s design, then this is one property to check out in Asia. 

Capella Hanoi
11 P. Lê Phụng Hiểu, French Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam

For more information, check out Capella Hanoi Website.

Ranted by The Ranter