Review: Grand Mercure Hanoi – an excellent new hotel

This is our review of the Grand Mercure Hanoi hotel.

It is the third review from my current Vietnam series. You can see my review of Park Hyatt Saigon here and my review of the brand new Hilton Saigon here.

My experience with the Mercure brand is limited. Whilst I had seen it come up in searches I had completely disregarded it. I shouldn’t have. A closer look at the Grand Mercure Hanoi after a personal recommendation revealed the brand at its best, with some really stylish rooms and a good breakfast.

Note that there is also a standard Mercure hotel in Hanoi: as a Grand Mercure, it is a cut above with a noticeable upgrade in terms of room design and fit out. The Grand Mercure Hanoi opened in 2023.

Accor arranged for my stay for review purposes, but I paid for all other expenses. The hotel website is here.

Where is Grand Mercure Hanoi?

A lot of tourists flock to the neighbourhoods surrounding Hoàn Kiếm Lake with the Old Quarter to its North. In fact, that’s where I was the first time I visited Hanoi, in the now-closed Hilton Hanoi Opera.

The Grand Mercure is in a different neighbourhood, close to the beautiful Temple of Literature and within walking distance of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.

This neighbourhood is a bit grander, with wider roads and larger buildings including, towards the Mausoleum, government offices and embassies. You don’t have to go far for more of a local feel: literally across the road from the hotel is a quaint narrow street laced with bunting and hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

Access is relatively easy, although compared to some of Vietnam’s other airports the main Noi Bai Airport is surprisingly far out – about 30km North with a travel time of approximately 45 minutes by car. Using ride hailing apps such as Grab makes getting around the city a doddle.

Inside the Grand Mercure Hanoi hotel

The 16-storey hotel is located on a fairly busy junction. You enter via two big red doors:

…. into the lobby, which features a floral chandelier installation as well as concierge and reception. The room wasn’t ready when we arrived at 9am but we were happy to drop our bags. The concierge was very helpful, recommending a local street food vendor for pho and helping us with various other activities we had planned.

When we arrived back after lunch and some sightseeing the room was ready. There are just five room categories, ranging from the entry-level Deluxe to the Presidential Suite, which keeps things simple.

We had been given a Deluxe Room, a relatively compact (by Vietnamese standards) 27-32 square meters, but ample enough for a city visit and beautifully decorated in warm brown tones and textures.

Let’s start with the bathroom which was encased in lovely brown tinted glass, the front of which had this amazing dappled texture. In the wrong context it might look a bit 1970s but it just works here.

There’s a large shower on one side and a toilet cubicle on the other, with a single wash basin sandwiched in the middle. Toiletries are in unbranded pump bottles.

(Don’t worry, there’s a blind should you want to shower in private!)

The rest of the room is equally stylish, with a rattan headboard and modern, bird-cage inspired lamps:

Universal mains and USB-A sockets were provided, although the USB port was a bit too close and inaccessible when I had my big UK plug plugged in!

Opposite is a lovely oxblood lacquered cabinet housing the mini bar and Nespresso coffee machine:

A writing desk is next to it and there’s also an armchair and coffee table by the window.

At least from our floor there isn’t much of a view, with another building going up next door (possibly another hotel?)

Gym and pool at Grand Mercure Hanoi

On the rooftop you have the gym and pool as well as an open air bar that’s open in the evenings. The pool is long and thin with a long glass wall along one edge:

Seating around the pool is relatively limited, especially if you want to catch some rays, but it was never busy when I went.

The gym is just next door and larger than I expected:

The hotel also has an Executive Lounge although, as I don’t have Accor Platinum status, I didn’t see inside.

Breakfast at Grand Mercure Hanoi

Breakfast is served on the first floor. There’s a good buffet spread which includes a noodle station and an egg station.

Other options include fresh sushi rolls and a range of salads:

…. plus fresh fruit, pastries and a range of hot dishes.

Conclusion

The Grand Mercure Hanoi is a lovely new hotel that offers pretty much everything you need for a stay in Hanoi: lovely stylish rooms, a decent breakfast and a good location.

The concierge was particularly helpful in sending us recommendations and arranging a few things for us.

Overall, it’s definitely a hotel I’d return to if I find myself back in Hanoi.

Room rates start at around £100 per night. Because Accor Live Limitless has fully revenue driven redemptions, your points are worth the same 2 Eurocents each as they would be at any other Accor hotel in the world.

You can find out more, and book, on the hotel website here.

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