we stayed 3 nights at Hanoi Plaza hotel: we had booked the family room (2 adults and 2 kids). When we got there the air conditioning unit was broken so the staff moved us to another room for the first night. We then moved to a larger room the other 2 nights. Overall the rooms were somewhat older but spacious - the ones in the back of the building were quiet - the one right on the front street was a lot louder during the day and early morning. On our last night we found a 2 inch long cockroach running around by the window: not a pleasnt roomate to have around - my partner killed the darn thing while the kids and me run for cover on the bed ;-). The staff was very friendly - the breakfast was ok but basic. Overall not the most interesting place to stay at - i will try other hotel next time we stay in Hanoi.

I recently stayed at Hanoi Plaza, and I have to say I'm baffled by some of the tripadvisor reviews that have bad things to say about the place. I've stayed at a lot of hotels in Vietnam (several of them in Hanoi), and Hanoi Plaza stands out for me as one of the best.

- The rooms are clean and tastefully decorated - it's true that most don't have windows, but that's actually a plus in central Hanoi, as it keeps out the noise of beeping motorbikes and cars.'

- There's satellite TV with a wide range of channels, if you're missing your fix of western movies, news and series, and I found the A/C efficient and mercifully quiet - not always the case in Vietnamese hotels!

- The free internet access in the lobby was among the quickest I've seen in Vietnam.

-There's a lift, which is a pleasant surprise for a hotel in this price range. (Previous reviewers complained about the fact that the lift wasn't working when they were there. I can only say that it was working fine during my stay, and that it was nice not to have to haul my bags up flights of stairs, as I've done in other Hanoi budget hotels.)

- The staff were charming and attentive. They also went the extra distance - my friend and I stayed there one night before heading off to Sapa, and when we returned to Hanoi on the night train, they let us in at 5AM and didn't charge us any extra for our early arrival.

- The taxis and tours they arranged for us were prompt, satisfying and priced at the going rate. At no time did they pressure us to buy any tour packages. On occasion, they suggested a few options, but let the matter drop immediately if we said "no thanks".

I discovered the Hanoi Plaza by chance during a previous trip to Hanoi in 2006, and sought them out again because my time there was so pleasant the first time round. They completely lived up to my expectations.

The hotel which i've chosen is the Hanoi plaza hotel. In the original package by Airasia, we are assigned the standard room. however, I emailed the owner (tony/jack) to upgrade my room to deluxe with an additional charge of USD10/day. Before going, I've read many complaints from tourist regarding the room swaps that is common practice there. Hence, I can only pray for the best and hope that they keep their word that I will be given a deluxe room. Unfortunately, things were not so. For the first night, we were assigned a "dodgy room" called Super Deluxe room. We were told that this room is more expensive than the normal Deluxe room. Since there werent any Deluxe room, they were kind enough to let us use it without extra charge. Why is it a "dodgy room"? First, the room is at the top floor (7th) which is an unused floor. the corridoor were filled with rubbish at one end with the room at the other end. secondly, there is a closet/maintenance room there just beside our room. The room looked very unused with all its furniture incomplete. The worse part was that they have a praying altar just above the door frame! that means we have to walk under the altar everytime we go in and out of the room. That is enough to spook us. We suspect that the room is unused most of the time. The reason it is unused is best left to your imagination. All I can say is that I fell sick on the first day there. Though they transferred us to another room the next day, I was too sick to enjoy my trip there.If you have travelled enough in Asia, you would learn to read the signs to be wary of certain places.

Ive seen the standard room. If you OK with tight places, you will be fine. otherwise the deluxe will be a better bet.

The staff are very friendly especially Mr Chim and the rooms are clean. However, my experience on the first night with the dodgy room spoilt the trip. My advise is...If you are booked there, pls just make sure you are assigned the room you asked for and if you stick to deluxe room, you would find the hotel a nice and comfy place.

This is a funny hotel. The first impression was already wrong. We were asked for US$5 more for extra bed although in our booking US$5 was quoted for extra guest/bed. However they did let we check in early FOC.

When we entered the room, the floor was dirty, the wall clock wasn't working, one ceiling light was spoilt, the drawer was broken. And from the supposely City View Room we booked, we see only a tiny bit of the sky from the back of the hotel through a narrow corner window. That's it. We decided we would not stay another day longer.

There is a weird feeling in this hotel. It is runned in unprofessional manner.

The day when we checked out, they tried to keep us for another night by showing us a much cleaner and better room at the same price we had paid. But we didn't want to stay in a weird place like this.

These guys can be friendly but are also quite creative in trying to make more money from you.