Review: Time Hotel, Hanoi Vietnam

The facade of Time Hotel

The Time Hotel is located in the Old Quarter area of Hanoi City. It's distance from the airport is about 40 - 50 minutes and we used the hotel airport service. We availed this groupon promo to stay in this hotel. we paid $52 (SGD) for a stay of 3D/2N. The price for the airport transfer is about $18 (USD). Hiring a taxi in Hanoi can be tricky so you better arrange it with your hotel as locals may take advantage of you. Hanoi does not have a proper shuttle buses or transportation to the city and the easiest and safest way to get in to the city is by taxi or hotel transport.

The location of the time hotel gave us an easy access to the night market. there was a minimart and Lotteria restaurant just outside the hotel. Hoan Kiem Lake is just 10-15 minutes walk. You just have to walk straight in the same road where the hotel is towards the inner part of the city. At night, that same road you will be walking will closed for a night market which was pretty convenient for us when we walked from Hoan Kiem Lake back to the hotel.

The hotel was quite decent. Wifi is free and accessible anywhere. The elevator was bit scary and the room was also a bit old style which made it creepy for me because I was alone in the room.

Notes on Ha Long Bay and Hanoi, Vietnam

Old cities that have withstood time always draw my attention. Especially if the city hides behind the shadow of a bigger and more famous one, Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam. Yet Ho Chi Minh City seems to be the destination favoured by many tourists. Although I have never been to HCMC, I was told that it is more developed than the city capital. But then I still chose to go to Hanoi with two of my friends because of Ha Long Bay. The bay is famous for its limestone islands and rock cliffs scattered along that north eastern coast of Vietnam and almost close to the border of China. Everything you need to know about getting there and going around can be found in several internet sites but I would like to share is how enigmatic Ha Long Bay is which is quite the same thing I felt with Hanoi City. If you are the type who enjoys laid back atmosphere and to be in a city that still possess the magic of olden days. Head to Hanoi and visit the Old Quarter and the French Quarter. Although luxury shops and boutique hotels are scattered in the French Quarter area, many of these establishments are housed in French-inspired buildings in the olden days. The tallest buildings probably reaches only up to 5^th and 6^th storeys in these area (you can correct me if I am wrong and I am only referring to that area in the French and Old Quarters). The absence of western capitalism is very evident considering this is the capital city of the country. In the Old Quarter you can visit shop houses anywhere in the streets. At night, they also have night markets which sells cheaper than the shop houses that are open anytime of the day.

Hanoi Opera House, one of the best preserved French-Colonial Building in Hanoi