Daewoo Hotel*****

Our brief comments:
The eighteen-storey Daewoo Hotel is about five kilometres (a fifteen minute taxi ride allowing for traffic) from Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart of the tourist area. Opened in 1996 and renovated during the summer of 2004, it's part of the Daeha Business Centre which also includes a fifteen-storey apartment building and an eighteen-storey office block.

Its size and distance from the city centre may be something of a deterrent, but the quality of the facilities and service compensates for the short journey. It's been the chosen accommodation of heads of states and other celebrities, such as President Clinton during his historic visit to Vietnam in 2000, President Putin in 2001, the President of China Jiang Zemin in 2002 and the King and Queen of Sweden in 2004.

The ground floor of the Daewoo is unusually spacious. That, and a well-chosen colour scheme, creates an atmosphere of unhurried calmness. Also unusually, the reception area is well to the left rather than the usual location opposite the main entrance. The effect is to direct attention to the interior of the hotel and reduce the significance of the mundane check-in procedures.

Entering the body of the hotel, a striking bar and lounge area in green and white comes as a pleasant surprise. Floor to ceiling window, rattan furniture and a palm tree centrepiece (artificial, but you have to look closely) create an ambiance of post-colonial luxury. The Café Promenade, the main international restaurant, is adjacent to the bar.

Rooms are large, well-equipped and offer good city views, especially on upper floors. The rattan theme is continued in the furniture. The bed is firm and comfortable, and a good welcome dish of fruit awaits new arrivals.

The Daewoo has four restaurants in all, the Edo, Silk Road, Cafe Promenade and La Paix, offering Japanese, Chinese, European and Asian, and Italian respectively. Each one is well designed in the appropriate national style and offers a comprehensive menu prepared by a specialist chef, and a good wine list. The à la carte La Paix is particularly noteworthy. It's small and utterly delightful - ideal for a romantic dinner.

The executive lounge is comfortable as well as functional with a panoramic view over Thu Le Lake and good facilities for business and/or relaxation.

The hotel's Fitness Centre is well-equipped with modern equipment and a sun terrace. There's also an indoor golf range, the largest swimming pool in Hanoi, and outdoor tennis courts.

Service is efficient and unobtrusive, as one would expect in a high quality international hotel. However, a genuine sense of friendliness from the staff is a bonus.

For visitors, business travellers or honeymooners who are not put off by a short taxi ride, the Daewoo is definitely worthy of consideration.

Inspected February 2005

Room Categories	Deluxe	Executive	Suite
Number of rooms	330	47	34
Air-conditioner
Satellite television
Shower or bath
Bath with shower
Bath + separate shower
Personal safety box
Coffee and tea facilities
Laptop connection
Free broadband access
Extra bed
Child's cot
Room size (m2)	34	34	68 upwards
View	lake/city	lake/city	lake/city

Additional room facilities: free broadband Internet connection in all rooms, daily fresh fruit and newspaper.

Hotel facilities:

Outdoor pool		Non-smoking floor(s)
Pool bar		Non-smoking rooms	n/a
Fitness/health centre		Vietnamese/Asian restaurant
Sauna		International restaurant
Massage		Patisserie/coffee shop/cafe
Jacuzzi		Business centre

Additional hotel facilities: