📍Pullman Hanoi: An Honest Review. (2024.)
WONDERING WHETHER STAYING AT PULLMAN HANOI IS WORTH IT?
In the north of Vietnam lies Hanoi, the country’s vibrant capital. Amongst all the places we visited during our month-long trip throughout the nation, this distinctly felt much more Communist, providing a uniquely stark contrast to everywhere else we went, making it a fascinating place to see and experience. In addition to that, some of its finest attractions include the Ho Chi Minh Masoulem Precinct, dedicated to honouring the life story of their first president Ho Chi Minh and the bustling historical charm of the Old Quarter, making this interesting Vietnamese city a must-visit.
And if you’re looking to live the high life while you’re here, the 5-star Pullman hotel is high-end luxury brand in a prime location and only a short distance to numerous attractions. Here are our honest thoughts about staying at this place for 2 nights and who we think it would be great for.
Pullman Hanoi.
- 5-star luxury hotel.
- 4.4/5 from 3806 Google Reviews.
- Infinity pool & terrace.
Pullman Hanoi: Review Overview.
In this detailed review of our stay at Pullman Hanoi, I explore all of our favourite aspects of accommodating here while also mentioning areas I feel could use improvement. I cover aspects such as the presentation and ambience of the room, facilities, the pool, its dining options, the location, who the hotel would be best suited for, and what our overall thoughts were..
Is Pullman Hanoi Worth Visiting?
The Pullman Hanoi is a hotel I am up in the air about recommending. It has many great features, such as a comfortable bed, luxe furnishings, a lovely bathroom, a gorgeous reception, a fantastic infinity pool and an upscale bar. Plus, it’s in a great location if you don’t want to be smack bang in the middle of Old Quarter but still in the heart of the city.
But the room gives off more of a slightly outdated 5-star hotel vibe, which would probably be considered 4-star today, especially in the bathroom, which I was the most disappointed about. I mean, there’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but it just didn’t have that daring, edgy and airy vibe that I came to expect from Vietnam’s hotels as most of the other eleven 4 and 5-star (and even one 3-star) hotels we went to blew me away.
What’s also a kicker is that this hotel was one of the more expensive places we stayed, so compared to those, it just wasn’t giving me the same value for money. However, if they can elevate the rooms a couple more notches, I think they will be onto something great. Until then, I’m on the fence about this one because Hanoi has plenty more highly rated 5-star hotels that are more affordable and would offer a higher level of luxury.
Rooms.
General Overview & Room Amenities.
- 242 rooms and suites with 4 configurations.
- Superior Room.
- Deluxe Room.
- Deluxe Executive.
- 32sqm+.
- Complimentary wi-fi.
- 32-inch LCD TV.
- Coffee Maker.
Our Room. – Superior Room.
✔️ Pros.
- Nice modern decor.
- Comfortable bed.
- Reasonably spacious with a large wardrobe.
- It had a dedicated bench for luggage and a lovely seating area near the window.
- Lovely bathroom with clean lines and soft grey marble tiles.
- Features a dual shower head that can switch between a rain shower and a hand-held shower, in a spacious cubicle.
- Plenty of bench space around the bathroom sink and Hollywood lighting framing the large mirror.
- Immaculately clean.
❌ Cons.
- Compared to all the other 4 and 5-star hotels we stayed at in Vietnam, this was our least favourite for many reasons.
- The decor was nice, but felt more in line with a 4-star hotel.
- I liked the view, but my boyfriend didn’t like it as it wasn’t overlooking the nicest parts of the city and it didn’t have a wow factor, which is unfortunate, given this is a 5-star hotel.
- Breaks one of the fundamental rules of bathroom design which is that the toilet is not supposed to be the first thing you see. It didn’t bother me, but for some, it might.
- Overall, the bathroom was clean, functional and a solid space, but after staying at all the other hotels in Vietnam that had floor-to-ceiling glass windows separating the bedroom and the bathroom, it was a little anti-climatic seeing that this one didn’t share that feature as it made it feel a touch out of date while those felt super modern, luxurious and sophisticated.
- There were two occasions when staff came into our room unannounced…
Facilities & Services.
- Swimming Pool.
- La Cheminée Restaurant.
- Mint Bar.
- Spa Lounge.
- Fit Lounge.
- Tennis Court.
- Unlimited access to PressReader, online world-wide newspapers and magazines.
- Meeting and Event Rooms
- Hybrid Meetings
- Van Meiu Grand Ballroom
- 8 Contemporary Meeting rooms
- Chill-Out Area.
- In-house shop.
- Executive Lounge Access for Deluxe Executive and Deluxe Suite guests.
Swimming Pool.
✔️ Pros.
- Gorgeous oval-shaped outdoor infinity pool with a terrace.
- Views overlooking the city.
- Also has awesome views of the hotel and its unique shape with the elevator going up and down in the middle of it.
- The water was a lovely temperature.
- It featured a cute little manicured garden.
❌ Cons.
- There are two blank spaces on either side of the pool with faux grass that are oddly devoid of furniture. A few deck chairs and umbrellas would have made the areas feel purposeful rather than abandoned.
Mint Bar.
✔️ Pros.
- Beautiful and modern space on the ground floor, so it’s easily accessible.
- They actually had vegan options stated so on the menu, rather than me having to ask! The burger was excellent.
❌ Cons.
- Expensive.
Other Resort Pros & Cons.
✔️ Pros.
- The reception was absolutely gorgeous. I loved the see-through elevator which meant we could enjoy views of the city as we were riding it up and down.
- There was a gift shop there too.
Staff.
✔️ Pros.
- Lovely and welcoming staff in the reception and at the bar.
❌ Cons.
- They had security guards patrolling the car park. No motorbikes are allowed near the hotel including in the porte-cochère. When we had ordered a grab motorbike to pick us up or drop us off, they wouldn’t let them come in and had them wait at the road, which was weird when we first did it and were wondering why they were over there. This was the only hotel where this happened and I didn’t like that they were made to feel like second-class citizens.
Location.
✔️ Pros.
- Within walking distance to numerous attractions such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Vietnam Military History Museum.
❌ Cons.
- Not that close to Old Quarter, but also not too far away from it and its many heritage attractions.
Overall Impressions.
Our two-night stay at the Pullman Hanoi had its positives and negatives. The upscale reception, stunning infinity pool, glass elevator and high-end bar with its amazing vegan burger were all excellent examples of high-end luxury.
However, I will admit that the room was less impressive. Compared to the exceptional quality of the 11 other hotels we stayed at in Vietnam, this one was amongst our least favourite. That is because the decor didn’t exude the level of opulence and modern sophistication that the others did so well, making it feel a bit outdated and like something you’d expect to see in a 4-star hotel.
It also makes the fact that this accommodation was more expensive than many of the other places feel like it was less value for money. Even the 3-star Ibis hotel right next to the airport in Ho Chi Minh City had a bolder and edgier elegance to it than this one did.
I also really didn’t like that our Grab motorbike drivers were made to wait at the fence perimeter, which just made them seem like second-class citizens because they weren’t picking us up in a car, so unfortunately, I didn’t become enamoured with the Pullman as I was hoping as it didn’t quite offer the level of high-end luxury expected for a place of this star rating and price point.
Who Is The Hotel Most Suitable For?
- Couples, families and groups.
- Those who want to explore the other parts of Hanoi, not just the Old Quarter.
Pullman Hanoi: FAQs.
Does Pullman Hanoi Have A Pool?
Yes. The hotel has a lovely oval-shaped outdoor infinity pool overlooking the city.
Conclusion: Honest Pullman Hanoi Review.
While boasting an upscale reception, a stunning infinity pool, a sophisticated glass elevator with views, and a high-end bar and restaurants, the Pullman Hanoi hotel falls a little short when it comes to room decor and overall value for money, which didn’t feel as high end as many of the other more affordable 4 and 5-star options available.
