Craig

I think it would be advantageous for Peter and Linda to be in town, so that they can walk to shopping, at their leisure. It would really be a pain to take a taxi to shop. And while they (and Karen, perhaps) go shopping, you can hang at the hotel and relax. Not sure exactly when you are going, but if it is late fall, it may be cool and not so sunny in Hanoi - not great for lounging around a pool, anyway (unless it is indoors)...

mr_go

Hi Bob... sounds like fun. I'm afraid I don't know the names of specific drivers, but I do know this. If I found myself in Hanoi and in need of a reliable driver right now, I'd go over to the Elegance Ruby and ask the guy in charge at the front desk. That guy knows everything!

rhkkmk

we will be in bkk first, then chiang mai (I know, I know we hate it---final chance), khao lak, the new le meridian near bkk airport, Hanoi, hoi an, bkk again and hopefully munich for a couple of days on the way home for the Christmas market.

I've asked peter about the Marriott location.

I rather fancy a daily cyclo ride around town.

Smeagol

Is this Peter and Linda's first trip to Hanoi? If it is I think it would be a shame to be on the outskirts of the city..as Craig said it's lovely to just wonder around ( without needing a cab)

rhkkmk

yes it is their first visit...

I'm hearing you all

deptrai

Bob -

You will love the JW. I've been to Hanoi twice now and stayed at one of the Elegance properties the first time and the JW last month. I wrote a report over in the Marriott forum at Flyertalk. I'm a lifetime Marriott Platinum and have stayed at their properties all over the world. The JW Hanoi is in my top 5. They do have a free shuttle a few times per day into the city. The neighborhood across the road from the hotel is amazing. Big C is a 20 minute or so walk and is bigger/better than the one in BKK. My wife wants to return to Hanoi just so we can stay the JW again. The lounge is huge, but doesn't offer the variety of foods you may be accustomed to in other Marriott properties in Asia.

rhkkmk

thanks for the jw info.... we are looking forward to it..

please ease our minds by detailing how being outside the city affects your stay....
about how much did you pay for taxis into the old town??

ANY DRIVERS PLEASE???

thursdaysd

Why are you going to Hanoi?

If you want to relax and hang out by the pool and stay in a western chain hotel, you don't need to go to Hanoi, go to the beach.

If you actually want to see and experience Hanoi the place to stay is the old town, right in the middle of the action. It's not fair to the ht's to stick them in the outskirts.

Craig

Bob, it's not about the cost of the taxis. It's about being able to step out whenever you want, shop and go to great restaurants without wasting time in traffic.

You might want to try TA's Hanoi Forum for a driver...

rhkkmk

good suggestion craig..

I wasn't born yesterday and we have travelled to asia once or twice, so I think I know a thing or two about hotel selection and hotel location

ht's have expressed an interest in what Marriott offers.

now that rant is over---nothing is set in stone---btw, I find the metropole, everyone's #1 choice, to be a bit out of the way---yes not as far as the Marriott, but not in the action either.

Craig

The Metropole is within walking distance of the action, although crossing the street(s) to get there is a bit of an adventure, as you know. We were fine with it and walked everywhere. The Marriott sounds terrific and if I were returning to Hanoi, I would consider staying there. For first-time visitors, a central location would be the ideal choice. Given the mobility issues with both you and the HT's, it may not matter that much, especially if you can find a reliable driver. I'll be interested to see how you make out...

dgunbug

Funny how Peter and Linda have not weighed in here! I'm sure whatever you do will be fine. Mmmm the thought of some of the food makes my mouth water. Have a terrific time.

rhkkmk

ha ha--peter and linder do what they are told--ha ha...

HappyTrvlr

We stayed at the Metropole for 5 nights and didn't think it was out of the way at all, loved it. The Ly Club was nearby, an excellent restaurant. By checking the Metropole's website frequently, we found a deal for their concierge floor that was incredible. One of our all time favorite hotels.
We arranged for drivers with Tonkin Travel.

rhkkmk

love the LY

I will be talking with tonkin

deptrai

We only stayed at the JW 2 nights and never went into the old town. We were winding down a 3-week trip and our return flight just happened to originate from HAN. My report on Flyertalk includes a photo of the shuttle bus schedule and a recommendation for the dirt cheap airport transfer service we used.

hawaiiantraveler

Truth be known I would be happy in either location old town or outskirts. We have arrived at a point in life where lux is preferred to boutique wherever we go and the people at Bob's Travel Service always offer us the best accommodations at the very best pricing available. Being a frequent client of BTS is a plus as they know exactly what we want and provide that service at a reasonable cost. We sometimes have issues with Smedley their "point man" but all in all an invaluable service is provided and we are ever grateful to find such a fine company in this day and age of people looking for the "real" things in life.....

Aloha!

Smeagol

HT Lol.

rhkkmk

that would be like the "real" Thailand, the "real" bali, and now the "real" Vietnam...i.e. lux...

ok, so the metropole is lux too.

rhkkmk

I should add: "let them eat cake..."