Capella Hanoi

Rooms and decor

Capella Hanoi is a small luxury boutique sitting right on Hoan Kiem Lake and next to the Opera House in the Old Quarter. It is a 7-floor cream-and-gold building in the European Belle Époque style of the 1900s, with a heavy opera influence, designed by Bill Bensley, an architect who has worked in Asia for 30 years. It opened in 2022, so everything still feels fresh and new. The 8-metre lobby has Bohemia crystal chandeliers, deep-purple drapes, velvet chairs, and classic opera artwork — luxurious but warm. The overall guest score sits around 9.4/10, the highest in Hanoi. The Stage Suite runs 65 square metres at roughly $710 a night, the largest room in the building, done up in vintage opera style with gold line-work on the walls, 4-metre ceilings, deep-purple drapes, vintage instruments like a violin and saxophone hung on the wall, and portrait paintings of opera singers. The balcony looks straight at the Opera House. Bathrooms come in Carrara marble with a deep jacuzzi tub, rain shower, a Toto Washlet, and Bvlgari toiletries. Even the phone is vintage and every minibar bottle is a vintage one — pure Bensley detail.

Food and amenities

Mornings tend to start at Auriga Spa, a World Luxury Spa Awards 2023 winner. Its signature 120-minute "Auriga Journey" runs about $184 and uses an in-house oil blending Vietnamese herbs with Australian aromatherapy. There are 8 spa rooms, and each one has its own private steam, sauna, and plunge pool — about as high-end as spa treatments get in this city. For dinner, Backstage is the French-Vietnamese restaurant, where a 7-course tasting menu costs around $107 — think foie gras bánh mì, wagyu phở bò, and a pandan soufflé. The fusion is well judged rather than gimmicky.

Location and getting there

The next day, guests usually book Capella Culturists, the hotel's free private guides. A culturist named Linh walks you around Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter, St. Joseph's Cathedral, and Dong Xuan market, then stops for egg coffee at Cafe Giang — open since 1946 and the place that invented egg coffee. The whole loop takes about 4 hours and hits spots most guides do not know about. In the evening, Diva's Lounge inside the hotel does cocktails and live jazz at around $13 a glass, with a room that feels like a scene from an opera.

Things to know before booking

This is the priciest pick in the group, starting around $385 a night and climbing to roughly $2,570 for the top suites. Because it only opened in 2022, it has fewer reviews to read through — around 600+, versus 7,500+ for the Sofitel — so there is less of a track record. And with only 47 suites, this is a small property, so some of the services you would expect at a large hotel are limited here. If a long review history and big-hotel facilities matter to you, weigh that before booking.

Our take

Capella Hanoi is the best boutique hotel in the city. The Bill Bensley design, the 2022 opening, the 47 suites, the Auriga Spa, and the spot right by the Opera House and Hoan Kiem Lake add up to everything a luxury boutique should have. The 9.4/10 is the highest in Hanoi, and from about $385 a night it earns its keep for honeymooners, luxury travelers after something unique, opera lovers, and anyone who cares about design.