A New Standard of Luxury: Inside My Stay at Fairmont Hanoi

If you are looking for the ultimate luxury escape in the heart of Vietnam's capital, I don't think you need to look any further. Fairmont Hanoi is the very first Fairmont in Vietnam, a new property by Accor that opened in early 2026, and honestly, it left us a little awestruck from the moment we walked in.

The hotel sits at 10 Tran Nguyen Han in Hoan Kiem, just a few steps from Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter. The space blends Hanoi's rich cultural heritage with world-class contemporary elegance. We stayed two nights in a Fairmont Gold King room, and after this stay I can say one thing for sure. This is the best swimming pool and bathhouse I have ever experienced in Hanoi.

This is a long read, because I want to walk you through every little corner we passed, from the room to the Gold Lounge to the spa that my husband simply did not want to leave. Every photo in this post can be clicked to enlarge for a closer look.

Location and First Impressions

What I love most about Fairmont Hanoi is the location. Right in central Hoan Kiem, you can stroll to the lake in the evening and wander the Old Quarter for street snacks, yet the moment you step back into the hotel the noisy city melts away behind the door. That feeling of moving from the buzz of Hanoi into a quiet, cool, softly scented space is wonderfully calming.

The hotel has 241 rooms, including the Fairmont Gold floor rooms and suites, plus eight restaurants and bars. Even though it is brand new, the team is already professional and warm, the kind of service where you feel genuine care rather than going through the motions.

The Fairmont Gold Experience

Booking a Fairmont Gold room means unlocking a hotel-within-a-hotel experience that is private and cared for down to the smallest detail. Our room welcomed us with warm tones, a cloud-soft bed and soft golden light. The bathroom has a freestanding tub and a pretty round mirror that made me want to soak for ages after a day in the city. The wardrobe and dressing area were roomy too, with plenty of space for both of our suitcases while still feeling tidy.

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But the heart of the Gold experience is the Fairmont Gold Lounge. The lounge feels like an oasis of calm, full of natural light, with elegant mid-century furnishings and plush seating. It became the place we returned to most throughout the day, for breakfast, for afternoon tea, and again in the evening for a drink.

As for the food in the lounge, I rate it highly on both the space and the quality. The selection is not as large as a big buffet, but in return everything is fresh and beautifully done. The fruit was wonderfully fresh, including strawberries and, notably, Korean Shine Muscat grapes, the sweet kind that count as a treat even when you eat out. Small touches like that made us feel genuinely looked after.

Breakfast at Bacco

We had our hot breakfast at Bacco, the hotel's Mediterranean-style restaurant. The blue-and-white tiled wall at Bacco alone is so beautiful that I had to stop and admire it for a while. The European eggs and charcuterie are done just right, a plate of sunny fried eggs with sausage, bacon and a roasted tomato, the kind of breakfast that keeps you full until lunch.

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The Buffet and Bites at the Gold Lounge

Beyond the à la carte at Bacco, the Gold Lounge has its own buffet area with gorgeous pink marble counters. There is a fresh-fruit station, a floor-to-ceiling wine display, an open kitchen where the chefs prepare dishes to order, and a good range of hot options for the morning. Everything is laid out neatly and cleanly, and just looking at it makes you hungry.

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The pastry corner and a charcuterie plate, right in the Gold Lounge.

Afternoon Tea and Sweets

The culinary journey does not stop at breakfast. In the afternoon, the lounge serves a tiered stand of dainty pastries, along with an adorable cart loaded with cakes. We sipped tea while watching the streets below, and a whole afternoon drifted by gently.

Afternoon tea and the dessert cart — a slow afternoon at the Gold Lounge.

Evening Drinks and the Story of a Bloody Mary

As the sun goes down, the lounge serves canapés and evening drinks. My favourite moment was sitting by the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching Hanoi light up with a chilled glass of wine in hand. But the most memorable story came from my husband.

He asked for a Bloody Mary, but it was not on the lounge menu at the time. I thought that would be the end of it, but the lounge team surprised us by calling the hotel bartender up to the lounge to make one specially for him. And he loved it. It is exactly these unexpected gestures that set a hotel apart. Click the photo below to zoom in on that deep-red Bloody Mary.

Evening canapés and a glass of wine by the window as Hanoi lights up.

Cirua Bathhouse: The Best Spa in Hanoi

I do not say this lightly. The Cirua Bathhouse and Spa is the best wellness facility I have ever experienced in Hanoi. Spanning a massive 3,500 square metres, this sanctuary makes the city outside disappear completely. We were there for only two nights, yet we went down to the bathhouse three times, a number that says it all.

The indoor pool and thermal circuit here are genuine works of architecture. The vitality pools are lined with beautiful blue mosaic tiles and fitted with strong jacuzzi jets that massage the body. Between them are softly lit marble areas, an indoor infinity pool, and a warm glowing onyx wall that makes the whole space come alive. Every time I soaked here, the tiredness of a long day walking the Old Quarter simply dissolved.

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I have to single out the jacuzzi pool, because my husband became completely addicted to it. Whenever he had a free moment he wanted to go back down and sink into the warm bubbling water, his back against the massage jets, eyes half closed in pure relaxation. I rarely see him relax for so long. This one feature alone was worth the whole stay.

Meditation Pods and the Relaxation Lounge

Between the hydrotherapy pools sit the meditation pods, egg-shaped cocoons with soft lighting where you can curl up, close your eyes and breathe slowly. I loved the feeling of sitting inside a pod, completely cut off from every sound, with nothing left but my own breath. It is something I rarely find in other hotel spas in Hanoi.

The post-bath relaxation area is beautifully designed too, with plush loungers under a ceiling that sparkles like a starry sky, and a view over the city. We often lay here for a long while, wrapped in soft robes, sipping a little herbal tea, with no desire to leave. That is the kind of relaxation money sometimes cannot buy, because it comes from real quiet.

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The Rooftop Pool

If you prefer to soak up the sun, the outdoor rooftop infinity pool offers a completely different but equally luxurious vibe. The infinity edge opens onto sweeping, panoramic views of the Hanoi skyline. Relaxing in a private cabana with a couple of chilled local craft beers on a silver tray is the ultimate way to spend an afternoon. The contrast between the energetic city below and the peaceful, elevated retreat above is simply perfect.

Final Thoughts

Fairmont Hanoi has set a new benchmark for luxury in Vietnam. Between the impeccable service of the Fairmont Gold team, the exquisite food in the lounge, that surprise Bloody Mary for my husband, and the unmatched relaxation of the Cirua Bathhouse and rooftop pool, every detail is flawlessly executed.

If you are planning a trip to Hanoi and want to treat yourself to a truly complete escape, I believe Fairmont Hanoi is well worth it. As for my husband, I am quite sure that the first thing he will do when we come back is head straight down to the jacuzzi.