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Whether it’s your first or fourth time visiting Hanoi, it’s always insightful learning about which is the best area to stay in Hanoi from someone who has actually lived in the capital city. And that person, would be me! If you had to do a quick Google search of hotels, most would point you in the direction of the Old Quarter.
Whilst it is an INCREDIBLE base for your time in Hanoi, it’s not the only area where you’ll find delight. Due to its popularity, I personally find this part of the city a little overwhelming. Whenever I travel, I tend to avoid the typical tourist areas. However, we all have our preferences, and I must admit, the Old Q (as us locals call it) is a fabulous place to stay for a night or two.
Local Insighter Guide: Ultimate 4 Days Hanoi Itinerary: An Insider’s Perspective
If you’re anything like me and prefer the road less traveled, have visited Hanoi before and want to stay elsewhere, or you’re planning on spending a week or two in the city and would like to switch neighborhoods up during your time — perhaps a night or two in the Old Quarter and then elsewhere — here is my guide of the best area to stay in Hanoi. It does include the Old Quarter, because let’s be real, it is iconic, as well as my other top areas that travelers would fall in love with. Each gives you a true essence of the real Hanoi, and they are also centrally located, so it’s easy to move around and explore.
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Where to Stay in Hanoi for the First Time
Old Quarter
Welcome to tourist central, along with the area that most backpackers opt to stay in and around. Hanoi’s Old Quarter is unmissable. It’s busy, it’s a sensory overload, it’s totally and utterly wonderful. A perfect playground for a first-time, real taste of Vietnam.
Low tables and chairs pave the sidewalks, late-night beer drinking corners ring with merry crowds, Made in Vietnam shops pop up on street corners (great for bargain shopping the big labels like Zara), and locals push around bicycles brimming with fruits and other interesting street foods. Xich lô (cyclo) drivers cycle past with eager tourists.
Bordering Hoan Kiem Lake and the French Quarter, it’s close to Hanoi’s must-see landmarks and attractions and has an abundance of coffee shops, restaurants and shopping streets to explore making it one of, if not the best area to stay in Hanoi for first-time visitors. It’s also a convenient locale for booking any sort of tours, from night trains to Sapa to Ha Long Bay expeditions to buses to Mai Chau, as well as renting out motorcycles.
Best Hotels in the Old Quarter
In general, the capital’s accommodation scene is really affordable. The Old Quarter is a combination of budget-friendly hotels and upscale options. It is the place in Hanoi for backpackers, and this is where the majority of the hostels are located. This makes things super fun, cue the pub crawls and meeting dozens of like-minded people. So, with that in mind, this is the best area to stay in Hanoi for backpackers and hostel-type accommodation.
Hàng Buồm (home to the famous Beer Corner) is one of the Old Quarter’s most well-known streets and is lined with many hostels, including the Old Quarter View Hanoi Hostel. The bathrooms and shared dorms are really comfortable, and nothing like you’d expect from a backpackers. Yet it’s a wonderfully affordable option. The smallest dorm only has 4 beds. My next top pick for backpackers in the Old Quarter is Hanoi Buffalo Hostel, also on the same road. Choose between dormitories or private rooms.
A well-known name, if you’ve had your fair share of Southeast Asia exploring, there’s a Mad Monkey in Hanoi, too! Meandering the best area to stay in Hanoi, this spot is located on Mã Mây, which Hang Buom pretty much converges into. A must-see attraction along this road is the Ma May Ancient House (located at number 87). Hanoi Hostel & Rooftop Bar is newly built (opening in 2025) and I have to say, it’s rather stylish for a hostel vibe!
Hoan Kiem
A hop, skip, and a jump from the Old Quarter is Hoan Kiem; the best area to stay in Hanoi for something a little more fancy or to wake up to lake views if your hotel is in the right position. Hoan Kiem is technically a few minutes’ drive from the Old Quarter, but I would recommend this part of the city for families or couples after quieter, more romantic moments.
Apart from the Lake (one of Hanoi’s most famous landmarks), the Cathedral is in Hoan Kiem, as well as some of my favourite fine dining restaurants and jazz clubs! Get a caricature done, enjoy a soft serve around the water or stroll, and cross the iconic red bridge. It’s also really romantic here in the evenings.
Best Hotels in Hoan Kiem
Looking for a spoil? Splurge and treat yourself to a night (or three) at the gorgeous Capella Hotel. It’s really grand and beautifully decorated! The spa here is next-level stunning, and couples will fall even more in love. Right near the French Catholic landmark is the 4-star L’HÔTEL du LAC Hanoi. If they’re available, nab the balcony or terrace suites, some of which have their own private outdoor tub.
Appreciate a French-meets-Vietnam fusion design in the most spectacular way at the Hanoi Grandeur Hotel. Enjoy king-sized beds, spacious rooms and on-site facilities like a spa. The hotel is really affordable, too, for what you get. Some other lovely options in and around Hoan Kiem include the urban and trendy M Village Hotel Tho Nhuom and the HOTEL de LAGOM (the outdoor pool with floating breakfasts is everything).
Tay Ho
If you’ve been travelling around Southeast Asia for some time and are keen on a bit of a westernized feel, the best area to stay in Hanoi, where many expats call home is Tay Ho. Here, discover a plethora of European and Western restaurants, cool cafes (do yourself a favor and head to Joma Cafe for amazing bagels or a breakfast burrito), lakeside bars and boutique shops in between.
Spend your days hanging out around the lake, doing yoga, riding bicycles or drinking fresh coconuts at the many parks. If you’re like me and prefer to stay in aparthotels, Tay Ho is your best bet! There aren’t an overload of hotels in this area, except for the major fancy ones.
Best Hotels in Tay Ho
At MoonLight Tay Ho, you’re spoiled for options. Whether it’s a studio, executive apartment or a double room, you’ll find all available here. Located on Yen Phu, West Lake is about a five-minute walk away, and Thắng Lợi swimming pool (open to the public) is around the corner. It’s the perfect spot to cool off during the sweltering summer! On the less touristy side of Tay Ho, on Lac Long Quan Street, is the L7 WEST LAKE HANOI By LOTTE HOTELS, where the lake views are out of this world! (I used to stay in this part of Tay Ho for a few years, and I loved its more localized feel.)
The natural light that streams through the apartments at Crescendo Urban Stay and its warm interiors are very welcoming. I also appreciate the pops of colour and trendy design touches. There are nine different apartments to choose from here. Whilst these apartments are on the busier Au Co, Crescendo Boutique Studio apartments is on the quieter and quaint To Ngoc Van. I especially love this road, lined with restaurants, bars and cafes. Lastly, another one of my top stays in Tay Ho is Otis Apartment. With its French windows, a freestanding bathtub and a super plush bed, it’s hard to believe you can rent out this entire apartment for less than $100.
Ba Dinh
I feel like out of all the areas in Hanoi, Ba Dinh might be one that is overlooked by tourists, although it really shouldn’t be! Home to some of the city’s coolest cafes and restaurants, it feels more local around this part, and the neighborhood is sort of set up within walking distance from West Lake, but then heads into the city side, as if you’re heading towards the Temple of Literature and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The famous Lotte Center and it 65-story tower, with its insane city vistas is located in Ba Dinh, as well as great local Vietnamese restaurants. One of my favorite French restaurants is also in Ba Dinh: EMM’s French Bistro.
Read more: The Ultimate Insider 3-Day Hanoi Itinerary
Best Hotels in Ba Dinh
Comfy, clean (recently built in 2025) and affordable, Wil’que Hotel Cua Bac offers guests everything you need in a hotel. I especially love that all the rooms have a private balcony, allowing plenty of natural light to streak through. Nothing feels dingy or outdated, and instead, room decor pops with colour.
Creatures of comfort, check into the luxe Grandiose Hotel & Spa, closer to the Lotte side. If you’re more keen on an apartment or studio-type setup, you can’t go wrong with the Myrcella Urban Studio.
Truc Bach
If I had to move back to Hanoi, I would without a doubt, opt to live in Truc Bach. There’s so much to love about this quieter neighborhood. Coffee shops and cute cafes line the sidewalks, a canal runs through the area into a lake where you can ride swan boats, and every house makes you want to stop and take a photo.
Discover some of my favorite coffee shops in Hanoi.
It’s about a ten-minute drive to the Old Quarter and five minutes from Tay Ho, as well as Ba Dinh. You can easily walk to famous sites from Truc Bach, like the War Museum or Hoa Lo Prison.
Best Hotels in Truc Bach
Similar to Tay Ho, Truc Bach offers incredible apartment-type stays, most of which boast waterway views. I adore everything about the Boutique Apartment Heritage Hanoi, especially its pastel tones. It’s got a distinctly feminine touch. Hanoi Heritage Hideaway- Homestay CHAT is one of the most unique stays. Think Japanese woods and certain studios/apartments even have wooden onsen baths or a patio with an outdoor tub and a pond running through it!
Enjoy your morning coffee in a Le Creuset mug, sitting on the balcony, journaling whilst drinking in the lake views at Hanoi Shouten – Staycation. It’s perfect for solo travelers or couples. Hanoi Le Jardin Hotel & Spa is tres chic, and unlike the apartments, this is a hotel. I’m obsessed with the decor and interior design across the hotel as well as within the rooms. Families, there is a family connecting suite, or if you’re traveling with your significant other, I suggest the Premium The Level Double Room!
Keen on exploring more of what Northern Vietnam has to offer? Check out this epic two-week itinerary centered around the North. Or, have you yet to visit Vietnam and are tossing up between Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City? Compare the country’s two major cities here with my Hanoi VS HCMC guide. If you are planning on traveling both cities, dive into this Ultimate Ho Chi Minh City 3-Day Itinerary: A Local’s Guide.
Venturing beyond the typical places, check out the things to do in imperial Hue. Discover the Top Things to Do in Nha Trang, A Southern Coastal Oasis.
