Horison Hotel*****

Our brief comments:
The Horison's name is not misspelt - the owner is from Indonesia, where it's spelt with an 's', not a 'z'. Indonesian features and motifs in the hotel range from the display of ceremonial weapons to shadow puppets on the walls.

Another striking feature is a massive chimney in front of the building. The site was once a large French brickworks that made the bricks for all the 19th century buildings in Hanoi. Today, it acts as a reminder that the Horison is located outside the central tourist area in an area populated by artisans and their families.

The imposing fourteen-storey building was opened in 1997, and underwent an extensive renovation during 2000. It now houses 250 guest rooms in eight categories. In addition to those listed below, there are a further six Garden Suites, two Horison Club Suites and Presidential Suite.

The spacious foyer and reception area has two-storey-high windows and sturdy pillars. There's a patisserie and coffee shop at one end with a pleasant seating area.

At the opposite end, glass doors lead to an escalator to an extensive conference and banqueting area. Beside the central lifts, a flight of stairs sweeps to a semi-mezzanine floor where the main restaurants are located.

The Superior, and the larger Deluxe rooms are unexceptional - comfortable and well equipped, but somewhat lacking in character. They overlook a busy commercial area. Deluxe rooms and upwards have 'Pool Views', so-called because the view encompasses a large open-air swimming pool on the 3rd floor.

The Cabana rooms are more exciting - more like a mini-suite. A door opens on to a patio area next to the pool surround. Executive rooms come with a range of 'benefits' listed below.

The fitness centre has both dry and wet saunas for each gender, and a shared jacuzzi.

Le Mayeur restaurant serves international breakfast, lunch and dinner while the adjacent Lee Man Fong offers a range of Chinese and Vietnamese specialities.

The Horison is about 5km from the Hoan Kiem area, about a ten-minute taxi ride depending on the traffic. In exchange for that minor inconvenience, the hotel offers comfortable accommodation and facilities in an area populated by 'real' Vietnamese people rather than the tourist centre.

If you're looking for friendly service and good food in comfortable surroundings, the Horison Hotel is well worth consideration.

Last inspected February 2005

Room facilities:

Room Categories	Superior	Deluxe	Cabana	Horison Executive	Deluxe Suite
Number of rooms	138	57	12	26	8
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)	30	35	38	38	77
View	city	pool	pool	pool	pool

Additional room facilities:

Executive Floor:

• express check-in/out in the Executive Lounge
• complimentary buffet breakfast in the Executive Lounge
• complimentary tea and coffee facilities from 07.00 to 22.00
• use of Executive Lounge for appointments and meetings
• evening buffet with complimentary soft drinks and alcoholic beverages from 17.30 to 19.30
• broadband Internet and computer access in the rooms and Executive Lounge
• complimentary one-hour massage per three-day stays
• complimentary use of computer with 30 minutes of broadband Internet access per day
• laundering and pressing three items of clothing per day free of charge
• 15% discount on food and beverages in any of the hotels bars and restaurants
• VIP treatment throughout your stay

Hotel facilities:

Outdoor pool		Non-smoking floor(s)	2
Pool bar		Non-smoking rooms only	n/a
Fitness/health centre		Vietnamese/Asian restaurant
Sauna		International restaurant
Massage		Patisserie/coffee shop/cafe
Jacuzzi		Business centre

Additional hotel facilities: barber shop, facilities for disabled people, child care facilities, in-house medical services, pet care, Cisco Internet connection