Vietnam has some of the best value luxury hotels in the world. I stayed at the Fairmont Hanoi in May 2026, just a few months after its debut as the first Fairmont in Vietnam. A Fairmont Gold room upgrade gave me lounge access and extensive food and beverage offerings, while the room, spa, and gym made my stay at Fairmont Hanoi one of my most memorable in Vietnam.
Booking Fairmont Hanoi
My 3-night stay at the Fairmont Hanoi was booked in a roundabout kind of way.
Originally, I was supposed to stay only 2 nights, which I confirmed directly on Accor’s website. As a member of Accor’s paid ALL Signature program (a feature of ALL – Accor Live Limitless), I receive 2 annual Stay Plus vouchers. These can be redeemed on bookings of 2 or more nights and basically cover the charges for 1 night.
I paid only 8,300,000 Vietnamese dong ($316) for a 2-night stay in a brand-new, 5-star hotel, including breakfast.
When my friend Sarah confirmed she’d join me, I booked a third night for us separately for $370, which included breakfast.
Both reservations were booked as entry-level Deluxe Rooms, though only twin rooms were available when I made the second reservation. As an ALL Gold member, I’ve received frequent room upgrades on arrival at recent Accor stays, so I hoped this would be the case at the Fairmont.
I paid using my U.K. version of the Platinum Card® from American Express. The U.S. version earns 5x points on prepaid hotel bookings made through AmexTravel.com. The hotel can also be booked through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, where Amex Platinum cardholders can utilize their semiannual prepaid hotel credit of up to $300.
A Fairmont Gold King Upgrade Afforded Me Lounge Access
Only ALL Diamond status holders or guests in Fairmont Gold rooms have access to the Fairmont Gold Lounge. My Gold status got me upgraded to a room that came with Fairmont Gold privileges and therefore access to the Fairmont Gold Lounge.
Rather than checking at the lobby on the ground floor, when I gave my name, I was whisked up to the Fairmont Gold Lounge on the eighth floor to complete the process. I was very excited to learn that my upgrade to a Fairmont Gold room also came with the following benefits:
- Daily breakfast (7 to 10:30 a.m.), afternoon tea (2 to 5 p.m.), Golden Hour with canapés, an à la carte snack menu, and happy hour drinks (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.), and evening desserts (8 to 10 p.m.) in the Fairmont Gold Lounge
- 2-hour complimentary reservation of the Fairmont Gold Lounge boardroom
- Daily pressing service of up to 3 items and shoeshine service
- Personalized wake-up call with tea or coffee
- Pillow menu
- 3 p.m. late checkout (subject to availability)
This was a very pleasant surprise, given I’d just booked the standard room category.
We Enjoyed a True 5-Star Hotel Room
The seventh floor is home to the hotel’s best rooms, including the Penthouse Suite, all of which come with Fairmont Gold Lounge access and privileges, regardless of ALL status level.
About one-fifth of the generous 441-square-foot room was taken up by the bathroom. In addition to the king bed, a cozy seating area in the corner of the living space featured a sofa, an armchair, and a table. In the entryway were an exposed wardrobe and a built-in luggage rack.
It’s only since I started living on the road, out of a huge suitcase, that I’ve realized how often there’s no dedicated place to open, unpack, or store it. When the first thing I noticed was a large, built-in luggage shelf, the Fairmont Hanoi was off to a great start.
The giant king bed was like sleeping on a marshmallow cloud. The pillows had a perfect sturdy-to-plump ratio for me, so I didn’t need to order from the pillow menu.
What I first thought was a second wardrobe turned out to be an entire unit dedicated to a minibar. The Nespresso coffee pods, water, teas, and snacks of dried fruits and nuts were complimentary and refilled daily.
The eclectic collection of fabrics, colors, and textures somehow felt rich and sumptuous rather than over-the-top and garish. The golden yellow cushion was a nice nod to Vietnam’s rich silk traditions.
My favorite part of the room, other than the luggage rack, was the bathroom.
It was so elegantly designed, and the bath with its caddy and waterproof pillow was a really great touch.
Amenities, including fragrant Le Labo soaps, combs, toothbrushes, and cotton buds, were wrapped in cardboard packaging and stowed beautifully in a Fairmont-branded vanity case.
While not the hotel’s fault, I can see how some guests might not appreciate the current construction view. Once the park is finished, it will be a sight to behold.
We had a Juliet balcony, and I noticed from the street that some rooms had full balconies.
The Hotel’s Lounge Is the Best I’ve Ever Been To
I’ve never spent as much time in a hotel lounge as I did at the Fairmont Gold Lounge. My time here started at check-in when I was welcomed with a cold towel and a fresh coconut.
The lounge had so many complimentary meal times that I could easily have spent all day there grazing.
The space was open to guests outside Fairmont Gold Lounge hours, with soft drinks and light snacks in the stunningly appointed room, offering views of the city and the lounge’s beauty.
I enjoyed the lounge’s calm during breakfast so much that I didn’t bother to check out the hotel’s main buffet restaurant on the first floor.
The quality and variety of the buffet options were excellent, considering it was just the hotel’s lounge and not the main restaurant.
The servers were happy to mix and match from the à la carte menu, too. Even as a coffee addict lover, I only learned about Vietnam’s coffee culture on this trip. I like it strong, but Vietnam’s coffee was something else.
For afternoon tea, we could mix and match from a menu of sweet and savory bites, which were then served in the classic afternoon tea style. If that wasn’t already enough, yet more small bites were for the taking at the buffet area.
The happy hour was so generous that I didn’t dine out on either of the full evenings I had at the hotel.
Each evening, a chef from each of the hotel’s restaurants prepared a menu of light bites for ordering. The chicken satay skewers were a particular favorite.
I sipped and dined alone the first night. When Sarah joined me, we indulged in wine, cocktails, and even complimentary Charles Mignon Premium Réserve Brut Champagne.
I ate at Tran Dynasty for breakfast one morning when the Fairmont Gold Lounge was closed for an event. It serves up a modern-day take on traditional Vietnamese cuisine.
Colorful Contemporary Design With Vietnamese References
I can’t remember a more striking first impression stepping foot in a hotel than this bold flower wall at reception. Vivid colors, lots of texture, and unusually shaped furniture and fittings were throughout the hotel.
The cozy, carpeted corridors felt more like a luxury apartment block than a hotel. The elevators on each floor were decorated with chic wall-hung lights and fresh flowers.
Even from the outside looking in, I got a “Willy Wonka” meets “Alice in Wonderland” vibe.
The Best Spa and Gym Facilities I’ve Ever Seen in a Hotel
The impeccable design flowed down to the basement gym and spa.
I muttered “wow” to myself several times as I explored the facilities, especially in the entryway to the spa and gym.
The gym had better equipment than some of the regular nonhotel gyms I’ve visited over the past 18 months as a nomad. The only improvement would be heavier dumbbells, as they only went up to 22 kilograms (48 pounds).
The spa was world-class. It had a full bathhouse area with a variety of different plunge pools at different temperatures, in addition to the standard sauna and steam room.
The changing rooms were so luxurious, with more amenities than I needed.
Massage treatments were also available, albeit much more expensive than at the many massage parlors on the streets of Hanoi.
The Epitome of 5-Star Staff and Service, for the Most Part
My time at Fairmont Hanoi was made even more special by the conversations I had with various team members, especially Chang, Khai, and Max at the lounge.
Turndown service was done each evening without fail.
I also really appreciated having the pressing service as a benefit.
However, the service experience at the rooftop pool was different. Despite there being a bar and staff visibly working, I wasn’t asked if I’d like to order a drink or food during my 3 visits to the pool.
I recommend heading up to the roof to catch the sunset.
Final Thoughts
I was so glad I extended from 2 to 3 nights. Fairmont Hanoi is a full sensory experience. From its design and service, and even the scents in the corridor, to the incredible dining in the Fairmont Gold Lounge, I will look back fondly on my time at this hotel.
As the world’s newest Fairmont, it sets a high bar for future properties and serves as a model for existing ones to aspire to. My only other Fairmont stay so far was for 1 night in Glasgow back in 2019, and it wasn’t anywhere near as spectacular as this. I cannot wait to stay at my next Fairmont, wherever in the world that might be.