It is said that the quality of a business, particularly a hotel business, is dependent upon the staff working there… never was this truer than with the smarana hotel, hanoi. From the moment we arrived until the moment we left every member of staff was simply incredible - going above and beyond time and time again. Their kindness, politeness and eagerness to please was truly exceptional and something rarely experienced to this level. I am fortunate enough to visit many hotels worldwide - the Smarana is an excellent hotel which is only thanks to their staff. The hotel itself is beautiful, dark and moody rooms leave you wanting to just chill for hours on end. The free breakfast is very nice and the welcome you receive is warm and heartfelt… every single time you are greeted with great staff, from the guy who drives the free shuttle to the ladies on reception to the barman on the rooftop bar (he enjoys making cocktails by the way… and he makes a hell of a good cocktail!). Just the lot of you - brilliant. The beds are very comfortable - and the pillows are lovely, where do I get these?! At home I do not think about spending a lot of money on pillows - but these were probably better than the ones i purchased for hundreds of £’s! There is no doubt that next time I am in Hanoi that I will be back here - as a base whilst staying in Hanoi you will not find much better. If you are reading this review and are considering the hotel then just book it - don’t mess about taking a chance somewhere else.. i promise, you rarely find a hidden gem like this. The hotel is situated about 25 minutes from all the loudness and brashness of the tourist area - it costs about £4 in a taxi, so not a consideration when looking for a peaceful sleep away from loud music and lots of traffic. In these parts of vietnam they use an app called grab for calling a taxi - a bit like uber. The system is efficient and cheap.

Nothing.

Food was incredible. Breakfast was the best we have ever had in any hotel. Also, (paid for) lunch menu is extremely good value for money! The dinner menu is amazing, Waygu is very good quality, better than we had in the UK. Tea and coffee is exceptional, some of the best drinks we've had. Spa is the best we saw in Vietnam, and great massages. Rooftop cocktail bar is a sanctuary! Free shuttle bus is luxury VIP limo bus!

Booking system for Spa could be available on line. We had to book through reception which meant times could change. Location is good if you want a relaxing time and away from Old Quarter, but not much to do or eat near hotel as it is a business district. We understand it is great for those who want to relax and be away from the chaos of Hanoi central, but do recommend the Shopping Mall close by (10 min walk), the Pizza Amalfi and Supermarkret is nearby. Much better to just eat at the hotel or use the free shuttle bus which is a very VIP limo bus.

In my experience, this is one of the greatest hotels in Hanoi. Since I am a huge fan of Vietnamese culture, I was blown away by Smarana the moment I knew that it had been designed with inspiration from Hang Trong folk art (a series of folk art that I had never heard of until my stay at Smarana). The service I received was excellent; the hotel was clean and comfortable, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the food and beverages were exceptional. Smarana's ground-floor lounge is my favorite spot since it's peaceful and features numerous well-known Hang Trong paintings. I would still pick Smarana as my vacation spot if I had a chance to return to HN.

Sure there’s the Metropole, but that kind of hotel is everywhere- Smarana Boutique is just the kind of place that doesn’t exist everywhere which makes it even more spectacular. A jewel-it caresses all the five senses. 1. The visual details are exquisite think color: flowers, artwork, exquisite fabrics, incredible lighting and fragrant not the overwhelming headache fragrance, but the sublime smell of memories mixed with the present, I-want-to-jar-this-kind of smell. It’s a fantasy. 2. Beds: so dreamily comfortable, crisp linens, suit yourself pillows. I slept better than I have in a very long time. 3. The restaurant served delicious food. -well prepared options for everyone. 4. Sky bar - 8th floor and cool vibes with even cooler mixologists. 5. The spa looked heavenly and I so wanted a treatment, but I was tending a little sore throat and thought it best to keep away, I did peek in and it is a continuation of detail that has to be seen to be believed. Lastly, all the people who work at Smarana are the best part of the experience. The Vietnamese hospitality sparkles. Every person was so kind, warm, interesting and put the cherry on top of an incredible stay in Hanoi.

Every inch of the property was magnificent. The painting, the fabric, the walls, the food, the exceptional service was in a class of its own.

The location is out of the way but you can be enthralled by the local houses, the interesting government buildings, the buzz of suburban life. Not a detriment, just different.

There was nothing to dislike about this property! We got a package when booking which included 60minute massage each, free airport transport one way, 300’000vnd food & drink credit, early and late check in/out. If this wasn’t great enough the staff were extremely helpful and provided us with information via WhatsApp as needed. We got free transfers too and from old town in their transport which included massage seats and only had to WhatsApp for collection giving them a time and location for pickup. The room was beautiful and we got upgraded to a deluxe room with the booking and the tv had Netflix which was a luxury we didn’t realise we needed after 3 weeks backpacking! Recommended the hotel to all my friends who are going to hanoi in the near future.

Nothing! Could not fault a single thing!

The staff were fantastic, Andi in front of house was very very helpful and proactive, "Thomas" in the bar was very friendly and chatty when I was on my first day's alone. Scar was a very cool guy and very passionate about coffee. Use of the free shuttle limousine which was the best bus I've ever been in. I could book the trips with the hotel and the boat trip was superb ! I LOVED the decor and artwork in the hotel. The bed was the most comfortable of the trip.

The location and the surrounding bars and cafes. This is not in the Smaranas control but its honestly the only criticism.

The hotel was lovely. It's small, but the rooms are very beautiful. Staff was helpful.

Location. For a 2 day trip, when all the sights and eateries are around old town, this added 30 mins one way for everything we wanted to do, so we had to plan to stay out the whole day to avoid wasting time in transit, lugging around shopping bags in the heat Food, we only ate breakfast here, and this might be a very personal preference as the family was okay with it, but I found the breakfast to be ok at best, that said, the coffee was fantastic. I've had more coffee in 2 days in Vietnam than a month back home

One of the best in room dining I have ever experienced...fine dining with exquisite presentation. Compliments to the chef. Overall the service was excellent.

Suggest the food servers do not have mobile phones, especially as it is a service/ a la carte menu and not a buffet. On my 1st breakfast I had to wave to get the servers attention each time I wanted to order something, as they were so busy looking at their phones. After I complained, the service was better the next day.

Excellent, passionate, pleasant, and kind employees were there. Nothing was too much of a hassle for them. The food was excellent. The spa's massage was excellent and reasonably priced. Loc and Phan went above and beyond what we expected.