As the hit TV show is always spruiking, it’s all about location, location, location.
This mantra isn’t just true for homes – it applies to hotels too. Especially when you arrive in a new, slightly chaotic city and need an oasis of calm amid the maelstrom of humanity.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Silk Path Hotel Hanoi.
Vietnam is rapidly becoming one of the hottest destinations for Australian travellers, drawn by the absorbing culture, delicious food, value for money and incredible hospitality.
When visiting the nation’s 1,000-year-old capital, a stay at the Silk Path will give you the opportunity to sample all four.
I must confess I didn’t actually choose the hotel for my recent trip. It was part of a package deal organised by the excellent Golf Asian company (yes, I’m a golf addict). We checked it out online and it seemed to be everything that a four-star hotel should be. But of course you never know until you actually stay there…
The hotel has 106 rooms across five categories and an impressive and clean looking facade. Its location is ideal for all that Hanoi has to offer, including the thrilling but totally bonkers Train Street, which is a mere hop, skip and a jump from the front door.
You’ve probably seen it on TV many times but until you’ve actually sat trackside and felt the ‘t-force’ as the train thunders by just inches from where you’re sitting, you haven’t experienced it for real.
But back to the hotel. Check in was smooth, swift and friendly. It was immediately obvious that we’d chosen the right hotel for our three-night stay as the property was modern and comfortable.
It was also unique – in a most amusing way. It’s the first hotel in the world where I’ve been presented with a printed diagram of how to turn the shower on!
And trust me, you needed instructions to tackle the space age device I encountered in the bathroom (why do hotel designers feel the need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to fittings? A tap is a tap – end of!)
Weird plumbing notwithstanding, my 25-square-metre deluxe room on the 5th floor was clean and functional, with a well-appointed bathroom and a big bed. The latter was perhaps a tad firm for my liking but that appears to be the custom in Asia.
It certainly didn’t stop me sleeping like a baby every night, although playing golf in 35 degree heat and 80 per cent humidity could have had something to do with that.
Breakfasts at the Silk Path were a delight, with freshly made omelettes complementing cooked or cold selections. Tea and delicious Vietnamese coffee were plentiful and I snuck several of the pastries away in a napkin for on course snacks later in the day.
Because we were out playing every day and wanted to sample city life at nighttime, we didn’t dine in the hotel but guests can chow down on Vietnamese, Mediterranean and international cuisine at Bellissimo Restaurant.
For a relaxing pre- or post-dinner cocktail, the Terrace Café allows you to watch the world race by outside while the Piano Bar is the perfect place to wind down at the end of the day. More on that later. There’s also a fitness centre, business centre, Jacuzzi and sauna.
Two things really stand out in my memory about our stay.
The first one was Mi, who works in the hotel’s Silks Bar. After a few short pleasantries we ended up having a long conversation about her university course and plans for the future, and she quizzed me about life as a travel writer.
It’s the kind of charming inquisitiveness you can expect to find throughout the country and made me appreciate the staff even more.
This was further emphasised when one of our party requested to tinkle the ivories in the Piano Bar one evening. Not only was he encouraged to do so the staff even gave him song requests and clearly enjoyed every performance. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so welcomed and comfortable in a hotel in all my travels.
The second memory is linked to my friend’s piano playing. One night a group of youngsters joined us and it turned out they were from a school on the Central Coast in New South Wales.
Accompanied by two teachers, they were in the country doing humanitarian works while also having an eye-opening life experience.
They were a fantastic group of young individuals – a couple of them played and sang for us – and great ambassadors for this country.
It may not be the biggest. It may not be the swankiest. But the Silk Path hotel definitely struck the right note with me.
# Writer was not hosted for this review and paid for his accommodation.
