Hanoi Impressive Hotel, Vietnam

The Hanoi Impressive Hotel

Last updated October 2016 | Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle

This post was last updated 8 years ago. Please check the comments section for possible updates, or read more on my Updates & Accuracy page.

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In the quiet, shaded alleyways, behind the neo-Gothic façade of St Joseph’s Cathedral, the Hanoi Impressive Hotel is my go-to place to stay when visiting the capital. Stylish yet homely, modern yet elegant, the Impressive is excellent-value, mid-range accommodation, right in Hanoi’s historic heart. Rooms are well-equipped and comfortable, but their greatest asset are the cathedral views from their balconies. [You can check current rates, availability and make a reservation for the Hanoi Impressvie hotel HERE]

*Please support Vietnam Coracle: I never write a review for money: all my content is free & independent. You can support the work I do by searching & booking your hotels via the Agoda links & search boxes on my site, like the ones on this page. If you make a booking, I receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Any money I make goes straight back into this site. Thank you.

View of St Joseph's Cathedral from Hanoi Impressive Hotel

View of St Joseph’s from a balcony at Hanoi Impressive Hotel

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REVIEW: HANOI IMPRESSIVE HOTEL


Address: 54-56 Au Trieu Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam [MAP]

Price: $35-$65 | Phone: (+84) 4 3938 1590 | Website: www.impressivehotel.com

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MAP:


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The trendy streets around St Joseph’s Cathedral have long been a favourite area of mine when staying in Hanoi. There’s a cluster of mid-range accommodation here, but Hanoi Impressive Hotel beats them all for value and facilities. Located down an alley opposite the north side of the cathedral, the Impressive has an elegant, European-style entrance. But look up and you’ll realize it’s a typical modern Vietnamese town house: tall and slender, like a meerkat standing on its hind legs.

Hanoi Impressive Hotel

Exterior, Hanoi Impressive Hotel

In fact, the Impressive is two town houses, each eight storeys high, with separate elevators. The lobby and adjoining dining area (where breakfast is served) is comfortable and clean but bland. Staff at reception are well-trained, warm, friendly and very helpful. When booking a room at the Impressive, be sure to ask for one at the front of the hotel, on a high floor with a balcony (rooms at the back do not have balconies and are, relatively, dark and pokey). A high floor ensures that you’ll have superb views over the big, neo-Gothic backside of St Joseph’s and the surrounding rooftops.

Room at Hanoi Impressive Hotel

Guest room, Hanoi Impressive Hotel

Rooms are fairly small, but very well-appointed indeed: wooden floorboards, personal computers, flat screen TVs, attractive light fixtures, coffee making facilities, minibar, wifi, balcony furniture, and fully equipped bathroom. Beds are soft and comfy with bright, fresh linen.

Room at Hanoi Impressive Hotel

Stylish yet homely: interior decor at the Hanoi Impressive Hotel

The balconies are marvellous during the hot summer months, but the rooms are also very cosy during Hanoi’s cold, grey, drizzly winters. The bells of St Joseph heard through the early morning mist is a romantic and eerie experience. Although even the family rooms would feel a little cramped with two adults and a child, the Impressive is perfect for couples, or budget travellers looking to splash out on a few days of comfort after roughing it in the northern mountains. Room 803 is the penthouse, all on its own at the top of the hotel, with a balcony and a fabulous view.

Balcony, Hanoi Impressive Hotel

Balcony with a view: Hanoi Impressive Hotel

The buffet breakfast, which is included in the room price, is everything you need but not a memorable feast. The immediate vicinity is excellent for wandering around on foot. The narrow, leafy streets are lined with both cheap, local eateries and smart, western bistros. Apart from St Joseph’s, most of Hanoi’s well-known sights are also within walking distance: it’s a pleasant five minute stroll to Hoan Kiem Lake. Staff can help you navigate to the Old Quarter, the Temple of Literature, and the History Museum, among other places of interest. The fact that the Impressive is not actually in the Old Quarter works to its advantage: These days the Old Quarter, while still very attractive and interesting, is just too crowded and overrun with tourist trinket stalls to be relaxing or genuine. Here, by St Joseph’s, you still get some local life, especially in the evenings when Hanoi’s youth take their seats in cafes opposite the cathedral, drinking lemon tea and munching on sunflower seeds.

Balcony, Hanoi Impressive Hotel

The leafy streets around Hanoi Impressive Hotel

With average prices for rooms with balconies around $40-$50 per night, the Impressive Hotel is superb value. Book in advance for the best rates, and try to take advantage of their free airport pick-up for guests staying three consecutive nights or more. For me, the Impressive is where I treat myself after weeks of guesthouses and camping in the mountains, or where I choose to stay if my family or friends from the UK are visiting Hanoi.

*Please support Vietnam Coracle: I never write a review for money: all my content is free & independent. You can support the work I do by searching & booking your hotels via the Agoda links & search boxes on my site, like the ones on this page. If you make a booking, I receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Any money I make goes straight back into this site. Thank you.

Balcony, Hanoi Impressive Hotel

For me, the Hanoi Impressive Hotel is a reward after ‘roughing it’ in the mountains

Disclosure: I never receive payment for anything I write: my content is always free and independent. I’ve written this review because I want to: I like this hotel and I want my readers to know about it. For more details, see my Disclosure & Disclaimer statements here

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Questions, updates and trip reports are all welcome. However, please keep comments polite and on-topic. See commenting etiquette for details.

  1. Quinten Iglesias Jiskoot says:
    September 29, 2023 at 10:30 PM

    Hi Tom, you made a wonderful website, with well written texts! Regarding Hanoi Impressive Hotel, I saw the name has been changed into ´Hanoi Capital Premium Hotel´. See their website for more information.
    With kind regards,
    Quinten Jiskoot

    1. Tom says:
      September 30, 2023 at 7:19 AM

      Hi Quinten,

      Thank you for this useful update.

      Best,

      Tom

  2. Andrew Eames says:
    September 21, 2022 at 1:36 AM

    Sadly, the Impressive is now closed. A casualty of Covid, apparently.

    1. Tom says:
      September 21, 2022 at 1:40 AM

      Thanks for the update, Andrew. Sorry to hear it’s no longer operating.

      Tom

  3. Alison Barber says:
    May 7, 2017 at 9:38 PM

    Thanks for the recommendation Tom, as a result we stayed at Hanoi Impressive while on recent family trip to Vietnam and it was a great little hotel. Gorgeous views from balconies over cathedral, easy to get to and fro from, very helpful staff and yes, an ample cooked and cold fresh breakfast. Also found lots of great places to eat nearby. All the best with your great blog. Alison, Melbourne

    1. Tom says:
      May 8, 2017 at 12:34 AM

      Hi Alison,

      Thanks. It’s great to hear you enjoyed your stay at the Impressive. I love that area too and all the little places to eat nearby.

      Tom

  4. SILVIA MIRELMAN says:
    October 19, 2016 at 8:07 PM

    Hi!
    I’m very excited planning my journey to Viet Nam departing 21 of december. With my husband Carlos we are a couple of architects in our 60′, we travel at low cost as we will be spending 40 days there, we want to see everything We like places not so crowded with not so many tourists ( we say we are travelers, not tourists) I wonder if you coud recommend some places and also lodging even in family houses. We live in Patagonia Argentina, near the glaciers, so hot climate is not so good for us. We lke nice , not overcrowded beaches too. I’l be gratefull of your advice….Silvia

    1. Tom says:
      October 21, 2016 at 3:08 AM

      Hi Silvia,

      If you like warm weather then stay in the south at that time of year: December is the dry season anywhere south of Nha Trang; but anywhere north of Nha Trang will be increasingly cold, grey and with some rain. You can read more about the weather here.

      Take a look at Haven and Life’s a Beach – both of them are near Quy Nhon, which is a lovely coastal area. Also, have a look at Jungle Beach, which is near Nha Trang. You might also read my guide to Camping the Ocean Road. These are all cheap, communal-style, scenic places to stay by the beach, but they are not homestays with local families.

      For homestays you could consider Mai Chau and Pu Luong Nature Reserve. But the problem with this is that during December they will be quite cold.

      I hope this helps,

      Tom

  5. Jan says:
    October 9, 2016 at 1:17 PM

    Hi Tom,
    my friend and I will be in Vietnam starting at November 11. Thanks to your post about the Impressive Hotel in your fantastic blog I will book 3 nights in that nice hotel as our first days in Vietnam. How should I do the booking so that you will have a benefit from that?

    Best regards,
    Jan

    1. Tom says:
      October 9, 2016 at 1:57 PM

      Hi Jan,

      It’s great to hear you’re enjoying my blog 🙂

      That would be great if you could book through my site. All you have to do is start your booking from the search box in my review of The Impressive Hotel here. (under where it says ‘Check Rates & Availability).

      I make a small commission which goes straight back into my website. (I’ve explained a little bit more about it here if you’re interested).

      Thanks, I really appreciate it.

      I hope you enjoy your trip.

      Tom

      1. Jan says:
        October 10, 2016 at 12:27 PM

        Hi Tom,
        I have done the booking via your link. So, I hope you’ll receive the benefit accordingly.
        Thanks again for your very helpful and interesting blog. Keep on with that!
        One question for my further trip planning. We think about visiting Angkor Wat in Cambodia which “lies on our way” to Bangkok from where we are heading back to Frankfurt/Germany. Have you ever heard of doing a trip from Saigon to Angkor Wat/Cambodia by boat?? I could imagine that this would be a fantastic tour with complete different views and impressions than doing this by bus.

        Whish you all the Best and maybe we’ll have a beer together in Saigon 🙂
        Jan

        1. Tom says:
          October 10, 2016 at 3:37 PM

          Hi Jan,

          Thanks for booking through my site, I really appreciate it.

          Yes, I think you can get a boat from the Mekong Delta all the way to Siem Reap (Angkor). I did half of that journey, but that was 10 years ago. It was very interesting but I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s worth going the whole way from Vietnam to Angkor by boat: the Mekong is an extremely wide river which means that there’s not always a lot to see (because the banks are so far away). Of course, it’s a fabulous journey, but perhaps just opt for half of it: either Can Tho to Phnom Penh or Phnom Penh to Angkor.

          I hope this helps,

          Tom

  6. Debra says:
    September 6, 2015 at 9:17 AM

    Your review of the Impressive Hanoi Hotel is spot on Tom. It is a fantastic place to stay as a solo traveler and also when traveling with family and friends. The staff are outstanding, friendly and helpful, the rooms are lovely and the view from the balcony on the higher floors is beautiful. The location is in easy walking distance to all the main sights and a pleasant retreat from the bustling Old Quarter. There are delicious street food options just a short stroll from the front door of this hotel. Very impressed with the Impressive Hanoi hotel.

    1. Tom says:
      September 6, 2015 at 11:22 PM

      Hi Debra,

      Thanks. I’m happy to hear you had a similarly pleasant experience there. I love the view and the position – it’s a great little corner on Hanoi 🙂

      Tom

  7. Phương Khưu says:
    April 18, 2015 at 1:09 PM

    Thanks for the post. I’ve always been curious about this place since I saw your picture captured at the back of St Joseph’s Cathedral. 🙂

    1. Tom says:
      April 19, 2015 at 4:25 AM

      Yes, it’s a great view of the cathedral from the hotel balcony 🙂