Somerset Grand Hanoi

Location & getting around

49 Hai Ba Trung, 720m from Hoan Kiem Lake

The address is on Hai Ba Trung Street in Hoan Kiem — a wide civic street of offices and shopfronts rather than an Old Quarter lane, which matters if you are arriving with luggage or a pushchair.

Hoan Kiem Lake is 720m away, Hoa Lo Prison 70m and the night market 1.2km. Agoda rates the location 9.1. Reviews describe walking it comfortably when the weather is mild and reaching for a Grab when it is not.

The railway station is 570m — the closest here

Hanoi railway station is 570m away, about 10 minutes by car, the shortest in this Hanoi set. One review describes arriving early on an overnight train, leaving bags at the desk and using the gym shower before check-in. If Sa Pa is on the itinerary by rail, that 570m is doing real work.

Public transport is 540m away and a hospital 120m. On the other side of the ledger, Noi Bai International Airport is 21.9km straight-line, about 44 minutes — the far end of the range in Hanoi. Walkable lake, distant airport: the Hoan Kiem trade-off applies here as everywhere else in the district.

One practical detail from reviews: units have a water dispenser rather than bottled water, and the nearest shop for bottles is a short walk, so buying on the way back is easier than going out for it.

Rooms & occupancy

From a 78 sqm one-bedroom to a 128 sqm three-bedroom

Built in 1997, last renovated in 2010. 185 units, rated five-star as a serviced residence. Size is the whole argument here.

Listed sizes: 1-Bedroom Executive 78 sqm, 2-Bedroom Deluxe 82 sqm, 2-Bedroom Executive 85 sqm, 3-Bedroom Deluxe 106 sqm and 3-Bedroom Executive 128 sqm. These are apartments with separate bedrooms rather than large hotel rooms, so once you are past three people the comparison stops being about square metres and starts being about doors.

Kitchen, washer-dryer, and how children are charged

Units include a kitchen with cookware, a fridge, a washer-dryer and a balcony. Reviews mention ordering delivery and eating together at the living-room table, controlling air conditioning separately in each bedroom, and the convenience of two bathrooms. The longer the stay, the more all of that counts.

One condition to settle before booking: the property lists no free-child policy, and extra charges may apply. Compare the total rather than the headline rate if you are a larger family. In the other direction, up to two pets per unit are allowed.

Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out noon. Reviews repeatedly describe the building as dated — fair enough against a 2010 refurbishment, and worth weighing if the photos set a different expectation.

Facilities

The outdoor pool and children’s pool

There is an outdoor pool and a separate children’s pool, plus a playground and a kids’ club. Reviews mention children swimming through light rain and staff bringing out a parasol unprompted, and one guest reports using the pool-floor showers and towels after check-out.

Tennis and squash courts, 24-hour fitness centre

The fitness centre is free and listed as 24-hour. Alongside it are tennis and squash courts, table tennis, a yoga room, a billiard table and bicycle hire — an unusually wide set for a city residence.

There is a convenience store and shopping arcade in the building, a hair salon, a laundry room and a grocery delivery service.

Breakfast divides opinion. Some call it decent for the area; others say it is thin for the price. Several reviews point out that pho shops open from early morning a few minutes’ walk away, which is the usual workaround.

Compared & alternatives

Within Hoan Kiem, if three in one room is enough, the 30 sqm triple at La Siesta Classic Ma May or the three- and five-adult rooms at Melia Hanoi are lighter options. To be closest to the lake, Apricot Hotel Hanoi is 140m away.

If the airport run matters more than the lake, change area: the Ba Dinh area guide collects the 29–35 minute properties.

For distances within this district see the Hoan Kiem Lake area guide, and if the train north is part of the plan, where to stay in Sa Pa is the next decision.

Bottom line

Once you are four or more, or staying a week, this is a different product from the hotels around it: 78–128 sqm, separate bedrooms, a kitchen and a washing machine. The station at 570m makes rail itineraries easy in a way no other property here does.

If you want recent interiors, start with the 2010 refurbishment date. Before booking, confirm maximum occupancy per unit type, what children add to the total, and what the kitchen actually includes. Rates vary by date and occupancy.