Khách Sạn First Eden — Hotel in Hà Nội

I was in Hanoi for a workshop. I was alone (in my room), but booked this hotel as a large group of friends/colleagues, many of whom had stayed here previously decided to stay here again. This was my third visit to Hanoi; previously I had stayed at the Sofitel Plaza (which we revisited on this trip for a drink - recommended if this is your budget) and the De Syloia (also recommended). The Chains First Eden was recommended by colleagues as a reasonable mid-point between the 4-5* hotels and the 1-2* budget places. It works as a lower end 3* hotel. Yes, a bit worn. In my experience in SEAsia, many 3* hotels are either (1) not new, and not recently refurbished, but lower-priced than newer or recently refurbished places, or (2) newer but built to lower specs. Our group could afford to spend more, but the veterans in the group considered this a good combination of location and price-value point. The restaurant was adequate for breakfast and other meals, the location (for work, and outside eating, drinking and shopping) and service were fine. Tripadvisor contains some negative reviews on service. I always wonder what circumstances lead to this. In this case, I suspect that tired or frustrated tourists let slip their feelings in an undiplomatic manner in the vicinity of hotel staff. For me and the others (Japanese, Thai, French, North American) and our hosts (moderately senior but not rich professionals in VietNam) the service was fine. If you want to spend more, I'd suggest the De Syloia as more expensive but parallel value. Book on their Website unless you can get a better deal otherwise. Please note: I checked the box for "free high speed Internet" as Tripadvisor's categories could use some refining. The WiFi was gratis, but of varying speeds...

We stayed at this hotel as part of a tour in Vietnam. While the hotel was fairly clean and the staff were polite, the overall experience was quite unusual.||||We arrived in Vietnam at midnight and reached the hotel around 1am. The entire lobby was in complete darkness, making it difficult for even our bus driver to locate the entrance. When we finally got in, we found the staff asleep on the floor and sofas in the reception area. They quickly got up and were helpful, but it was definitely unexpected and not something we’ve experienced before.||||After checking in, some of us wanted to head out to find a nearby minimart, but we discovered the front doors were locked and the reception team had gone back to sleep. We were essentially locked inside, which felt very strange and a bit unsettling.||||The rooms were basic but in need of a more thorough clean — the floors and cabinet edges were quite dusty. On our second night, the room had been serviced, but the blanket was tucked in upside down, which left us confused.||||Breakfast was simple and adequate, with a small range of Western and Asian options, though nothing stood out.||||On the positive side, the hotel is in a strategic location with plenty of cafés and restaurants within walking distance, which made exploring the area much easier and more enjoyable.||||In summary, the hotel is okay for a short stay if you're not expecting too much — it’s clean enough, in a great location, but the service and overall experience could definitely...

We stayed at this hotel as part of a tour in Vietnam. While the hotel was fairly clean and the staff were polite, the overall experience was quite unusual.

We arrived in Vietnam at midnight and reached the hotel around 1am. The entire lobby was in complete darkness, making it difficult for even our bus driver to locate the entrance. When we finally got in, we found the staff asleep on the floor and sofas in the reception area. They quickly got up and were helpful, but it was definitely unexpected and not something we’ve experienced before.

After checking in, some of us wanted to head out to find a nearby minimart, but we discovered the front doors were locked and the reception team had gone back to sleep. We were essentially locked inside, which felt very strange and a bit unsettling.

The rooms were basic but in need of a more thorough clean — the floors and cabinet edges were quite dusty. On our second night, the room had been serviced, but the blanket was tucked in upside down, which left us confused.

Breakfast was simple and adequate, with a small range of Western and Asian options, though nothing stood out.

On the positive side, the hotel is in a strategic location with plenty of cafés and restaurants within walking distance, which made exploring the area much easier and more enjoyable.

In summary, the hotel is okay for a short stay if you're not expecting too much — it’s clean enough, in a great location, but the service and overall experience could definitely...