Hai Bay Hotel & Restaurant

Hai Bay Hotel & Restaurant Overview

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much when I first walked up to Hai Bay Hotel on Hang Bong Street – it’s tucked into this narrow stretch in the Old Quarter where you’re basically dodging motorbikes every few steps. But you know what? Sometimes the best finds are the ones hiding in plain sight. The moment I stepped inside, there was this immediate sense of calm that felt almost surreal after the controlled chaos outside. The lobby’s got this understated elegance thing going on, nothing flashy, just clean lines and warm lighting that actually makes you want to linger instead of rushing straight to your room.

What really got me was how the staff seemed to genuinely know their stuff about the neighborhood. I mean, sure, every hotel claims their people are knowledgeable, but the guy at the front desk actually drew me a little map showing which pho stalls open earliest (around 6 AM, if you’re wondering) and warned me that the weekend night market on nearby streets gets absolutely packed after 8 PM. The restaurant downstairs – and this is coming from someone who’s usually skeptical about hotel food – actually holds its own. I ended up eating there three times during my stay, which honestly surprised me. Their take on bun cha was spot-on, and the morning pho had that deep, rich broth that takes hours to get right.

The rooms themselves are what I’d call thoughtfully sized – not huge by Western standards, but cleverly laid out so you’re not bumping into furniture every time you turn around. The bed was properly comfortable (I’m picky about mattresses), and the AC worked without sounding like a helicopter landing on the roof. Here’s something practical that matters: the walls are thick enough that you won’t hear every conversation from the hallway, though you’ll still catch the occasional motorbike symphony from the street – but honestly, that’s just Hanoi being Hanoi. The bathroom had solid water pressure, which isn’t always a given in this part of town, and they’d clearly invested in decent fixtures rather than going cheap on the details. What impressed me most was how they’d managed to create this little pocket of tranquility just steps away from Hoan Kiem Lake and all the tourist madness, but without feeling disconnected from the energy that makes this area so addictive. It’s the kind of place where you can slip out for early morning walks around the lake before the crowds hit, then retreat back to actually get some rest when the streets get overwhelming.

Hai Bay Hotel & Restaurant Accommodations

Reviews of Hai Bay Hotel & Restaurant

• Min from United States – 16 January 2025 (7/10)

  We stay at room 801 King Deluxe room (8th floor). It is back of the hotel. The room itself is clean and spacious. The staff is very friendly and helpful. It has a big bathroom.
  
  What could be improved: On the day we stayed, we smelt some kind of rotten garbage smell. It might be coming from the floor above (9th floor) where they serve breakfast. We smelt it along the 8th floor hallway. Not sure whether or not it has smell on the other floor. The toilet seat need to be fixed. It is out of alignment. The only worse thing for us is rotten garbage smell.

• Leanne from Australia – 25 July 2024 (7/10)

  Very good location, excellent staff,especially Cherry on reception. She was very friendly and helpful.
  
  What could be improved: The air conditioner in the second bedroom didn’t work well. Very hot room. The staff brought portable fans to our room to fix the problem.

• Jonathan from Sweden – 22 April 2024 (8/10)

  Good service and rooms

• Sean from United Kingdom – 23 December 2023 (9/10)

  The room was a lot better after getting an upgrade from the King Room with a description that said window with a view. The view looks into another building so I definitely wouldn't call it a view.
  
  What could be improved: The noise from the street.

• Sandhya from India – 26 November 2023 (8/10)

  Clean, centrally located
  
  What could be improved: No milk or tea bags in the room
  No ironing board and iron

• Margaret from Australia – 24 April 2023 (7/10)

  Convenient location, close to the lake. Spacious family 2 room suite.
  
  What could be improved: I had pre-organised an extra bed, but the hotel did not follow up with actually doing it. I had to ask 3 times for the bed. The bed was finally made by an out of uniform staff member. As soon as our small 7 year old sat on it, the bed collapsed. I then had to waste another hour as someone tried to fix the bed , get another bed and finally make another bed. Terrible!
  The breakfast in the hotel was a shambles as well. not enough tables, not enough staff and poor food. Even ordering was a disaster. We opted to forgo our breakfast and ate excellent pho down the road.
  Staff could do with some etiquette skills too.

• Jacinta from India – 15 April 2023 (9/10)

  Great location. Breakfast was a good spread. Beautiful, comfortable and clean rooms with balcony over looking street below.

• Tien from Vietnam – 28 February 2023 (9/10)

  The room is super clean and comfortable. I like the pillows so much. I appreciate the attitude and professionalism of the staff members in the kitchen and dining room. They were so friendly and helpful even when we came right before the closing time.
  
  What could be improved: I booked a room with a window because I would like to have another exit way in case of emergency, not just a view. However, the window in the room will lead you to an inside deep hole (elevator’s hole or something?). It made me feel uncomfortable.

• Philippe from France – 1 February 2023 (8/10)

  What could be improved: Breakfast

• Eric from Spain – 21 December 2022 (9/10)

  The Hai Bay hotel was in the perfect location.
  The staff was very welcoming and helpful. Raina took care of us.
  Our room was very spacious and clean. The bed very comfortable though very hard and the pillows some of the bests I have seen in a long time! The furnitures are in perfect condition and made of solid wood. The lighting perfect with different possibility.
  WiFi perfect.
  Our room was quiet.
  
  What could be improved: The breakfast could have been

Surroundings

Facilities