Hotel de l'Opera Hanoi

Accor has categorized a handful of its properties around the world, including the Hotel de l’Opera in Hanoi, as members of its “MGallery” collection, the “m” standing for “memorable.” It’s one thing to say your hotel is memorable, but it’s another thing entirely to pull it off. This boutique-style hotel, however, really does demonstrate character, a singularly stylish vision that offers an extraordinary alternative to budget guesthouses or corporate monoliths.

Although the sensory overload that is Hanoi ceases at the hotel’s entrance, its vibrancy continues inside, at least in the form of an extremely bold color scheme. Smoke seems to trail along a hallway, in the form of a finely wrought silvery pattern on a background of moonless night. Elsewhere, a wall bursts with teal, another in purple swirl. Rainbow mosaics offset bathroom mirrors. Understatement doesn’t apply. The locale gets a firm nod in the form of silk drapes, but there’s nothing traditional about deep pink furniture. We don’t travel with a tape measure, but we’re almost positive the mattresses measure at least a meter high and several times wider. They’re the great white anchors of every room.

In Vietnam you can’t be surprised when a hotel, particularly a French-owned one, makes the most of the country’s colonial inheritance. This one does so most specifically at its eateries and lounges, including Café Lautrec, named for painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, of the black cats and women in great plumed hats, and La Fée Verte. This elegant bar, which takes its name from one of absinthe’s old nicknames, harks back to Paris circa 1903, when the époque was at its most belle. Order one, and relish the ritual that ensues.

How to get there:
Hotel de l'Opera Hanoi is located approximately 33 km (20 mi) from the Noi Bai International Airport.