Fairmont plants its first flag in Vietnam – we booked a stay

Billed ‘the modern heartbeat of Hanoi,’ Fairmont’s Vietnam debut leans hard into style and conviviality while veering slightly from the brand’s historic reputation as a collection of elegant grand dames. Then again, in 2025, Fairmont unveiled a new brand campaign that positioned the hotels as vibrant social hubs for locals and travellers alike.

In keeping with that vision, the Fairmont Hanoi brings together six vibrant culinary concepts, a rooftop pool, and a large subterranean health club in addition to 241 guestrooms. Outside, a French Colonial-style entrance is topped with sculptural vertical channels of rooms and balconies that reflect the surrounding ‘tube house’ vernacular architecture – narrow, vertical shophouses that make use of the dense urban space. Inside, the palette is vibrant and confident, with each public space focused on a motif of Vietnam’s history or culture.

Wallpaper* checks in at Fairmont Hanoi

What’s on your doorstep?

If the city centre’s Hoàn Kiếm Lake were a timepiece, the Fairmont Hanoi sits at 3 o’clock sharp. The location is ideal for exploring both the lively Old Quarter and the atmospheric French Quarter. All are within ambling distance, and the streets are heaving with little Vietnamese cafes and boutiques to keep you entertained while you wander toward Ngoc Son Temple, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi Opera House, or Ta Hien Beer Street.

Who is behind the design?

Together, Perkins Eastman and Aston Design have created a splash of modern glamour in the historic neighbourhood. The architecture is French Colonial and Indochinese, with a collonaded entrance, sculpted balconies, and geometric floor patterns. Greenery drips from terraces surrounding the bibliophilic courtyard.

Aston Design frames the interiors as a journey through layers of Hanoi’s identity. To wit: Garnet lacquer accents and oxblood carpeting à la Hanoi’s Red River flow throughout, connecting public spaces that feel like stepping from one moodboard to the next. There’s the lobby, a riot of colourful midcentury glam and florals, crowned by a chandelier that looks like a dragon or a phoenix, depending on your vantage point. On the second floor, a painted mural of mandarin ducks – ‘love birds,’ in Vietnamese culture – welcomes guests into YY Bar, where feather-shaped chandeliers illuminate curvaceous velvet chairs and bamboo adornments. And down in the Cirua Bathhouse, undulating sand-colored walls lead into an airy reception where a school of sculptured crystal fish dangles from the ceiling.

The room to book

Fairmont Hanoi has 241 guestrooms, including 38 Fairmont Gold rooms and 12 suites, all with city or courtyard garden views. As at other Fairmont properties, rooms feature Marshall speakers and Le Labo amenities – Rose 31 in standard rooms and suites, Santal 33 in Fairmont Gold. Mini bars are lightly stocked with local treats such as dried mango, roasted cashew nuts, and single-origin Vietnamese chocolates. A leather-wrapped Nespresso machine and matte-black Fuji kettle ensure easy in-room coffee or tea, and a trio of Fairmont-branded spirits shelved above a brass cocktail shaker and ice bucket invites you to mix up a nightcap.

Compared to the public spaces, guestrooms are restrained, with minimal artwork and walls awash in soft taupe moulding. Curiously, standard and Fairmont Gold king and twin rooms have single-sink bathrooms. The Fairmont Gold 1-Bedroom King Suite feels like a small apartment, with a balcony, a generous living room, and a separate sleeping space.

Word to the wise

Book a Fairmont Gold room if you can. In addition to unlocking admission to the Fairmont Gold Lounge, with its offerings of a more private breakfast, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails and canapes, booking a Gold-level room ensures elevated décor and a higher – and hopefully quieter – perch above Hanoi’s noisy streets.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The hotel has six distinct dining and drinking venues, from Vietnamese to Japanese to Italian. 10 Central offers a coffee bar, afternoon tea, and café staples; on the second floor, Bacco serves hearty breakfasts followed by pizzas, pasta, and seafood. Hiryua focuses on Japanese sushi and teppanyaki, while YY Bar pairs creative cocktails and mocktails with local bar snacks. For more casual drinks and bites, there's the rooftop pool bar and lounge.

Tran Dynasty boasts Vietnamese fine dining led by Chef Luke Nguyen. Here, dinner is an elegant affair that echoes the royal life of ancient Vietnam. Think traditional paper lanterns reimagined as luxe glass-and-brass pieces and a jewellery box-like bar swathed in red and gold.

Where to switch off

The impressive 3,500-square-meter wellness centre, of course. It encompasses the Cirua Bathhouse & Spa, a Technogym-kitted fitness space, and a yet-to-be-opened salon.

Cirua is a calming labyrinth of pools and chambers housing a Vichy shower, OpenSeed meditation pods, a Himalayan salt room, a low-heat forest therapy vault, several saunas, and a cave-like relaxation room lit only by an LED constellation of lights meant to evoke the glow of fireflies in Cuc Phuong National Park. The space sprawls to the point that guests, heavy-lidded after a signature massage, would be forgiven for getting lost on their way to the tea-focused café at its centre.

The verdict

In a city as warm and lively as Hanoi, the hotel fits like a silk glove (available, by the way, from the tailors on Hang Gai Street). It’s stylish and modern, with enough food and beverage options to suit everyone. With a bathhouse that rivals those of top wellness resorts in Asia, this property is bound to attract a loyal following of well-heeled Hanoi residents and visitors alike.

Fairmont Hanoi is located at 10 P. Trần Nguyên Hãn, French Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam. Rates from VND 12,000,000 per night (inclusive of tax), without breakfast