The new hotel offers a range of activities that make your experience of Hanoi fun and immersive
It takes a lot of work to plan a travel itinerary, especially for a new destination you are not familiar with. If you are thinking of visiting Hanoi, though, Wyndham Garden Hanoi can help to make the planning simpler and smoother. Newly opened just a few months ago, Wyndham Garden Hanoi offers not only top-class amenities and comfort, but also a range of activities for guests to have an authentic experience of the capital of Vietnam.
Located about a 20 minutes’ drive away from Downtown Hanoi, the hotel is great for visitors who wish to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city central, while still enjoying quick access to the attractions there. In just about 10 minutes, guests can also walk from the hotel to the historical Van Phuc Silk Village. We can look forward to more attractions and shops popping up in the surroundings of the hotel, too, as it is in the heart of one of Hanoi’s fast developing districts.
We recently had a delightful stay at Wyndham Garden Hanoi, and we immediately fell in love with the place. The service staff are warm and helpful, and the accommodation is beautiful. As the name We had the Junior Suite, which is very spacious and elegantly designed. The wide living room area has a sofa, a lounge chair, several tables and chairs, and a large TV. There’s another TV in the bedroom, where the king-sized bed is incredibly comfortable – just the right kind of balance between soft and hard! The en-suite bathroom is also excellent and roomy, with a shower and a bathtub.
And to top it all off, the suite boasts floor-to-ceiling windows that look out to a great view of Hanoi! We could see the busy city roads and far out to the farming areas, too.
Our lovely hosts at Wyndham Garden Hanoi had planned four activities for us over three days, to immerse us in the many fascinating sides of Hanoi: food and agriculture, the vibrant streets, history and tradition. All the activities can be booked via Wyndham Garden Hanoi’s concierge.
Day 1
After checking in at the hotel, the staff brought us to the farm and paddy field just a stone’s throw away from the hotel. They are surrounded by high-rise buildings, with more housing projects being constructed, and this clash of tradition and modernity was interesting. We hope the agricultural side of the district will continue to survive and thrive!
Walking through the grass to explore the place, the path was not always even but it felt exhilarating to get just a little taste of how the farmers navigate every day. Along the way, we saw little trees that would soon grow and flower with beautiful peach blossoms in time for the Tet holiday. The newly planted paddy field was a tranquil sight, and after our walk, we got to enjoy the rice that was grown there from the previous harvest!
Yes, after trekking through the fields under the hot sun, we were rewarded by a fantastic afternoon tea! The talented Wyndham Chefs, led by Executive Chef Derek Watanabe, prepared a meal of spring rolls, sushi, fruits and dessert using locally grown produce and the rice from the paddy fields we just visited. Everything was fresh and delicious.
Guests at Wyndham Garden Hanoi can enjoy the Farmers-Style Afternoon Tea and Snacks activity at 350,000 VND per guest. A minimum of four guests are required for booking.
We weren’t done feasting for the day yet! After a good rest in our comfy hotel room, we indulged in the seafood buffet dinner at the hotel’s Silk Garden restaurant. Available every Friday to Saturday starting from 6pm, the buffet spread is amazing, shimmering with the freshest catch. There were lots of oysters, prawns, king crabs (including a Singapore-style chili crab dish), mussels, sushi and sashimi, and lobsters baked upon order. Hot mains, salads, soups, vegetables and desserts complete the very satisfying meal.
Day 2
We don’t just love food; we love making food, too. If you’re like us, you would love the Chef Cooking Class and Demonstration activity (600,000 VND per guest, with a minimum of four guests required for booking). We began the day with an early morning visit to the local market to shop for groceries that we would be cooking at night for a hotpot! We gave suggestions of what ingredients we wanted to eat, and we watched the chefs pick the freshest out of the batch and make the purchases.
The market was a bustling place packed with many vendors and shoppers. We were drawn to the stacks of colourful fruits and vegetables. It’s also a good place to get fresh meat and seafood. If you are looking for household items, there’s a whole indoor space to browse.
Next on the agenda: exploring the nearby Silk Village!
A short distance away from the hotel, the Van Phuc Silk Village oozes with history. For more than 1,200 years, the ancient village has been a source of the Vietnam’s silk-weaving tradition, producing the silk used to make the colourful cultural elements on the costumes of the locals. The practice and business has been passed from one generation to the next, and we got to see the inner workings of a family business.
As part of the Silk Village Through The Ages activity (200,000 VND per guest, a minimum of four guests required), a local villager took us around and explained the rich history of the village.
In a little factory, we watched the expert weavers handle these enormous buzzing machines, turning single threads into a large, intricate textiles. If the gorgeous colours and patterns catch your eye, there are stores not far away where you can purchase apparels and scarfs made by the weavers. Head to the nearby temples to learn more about A La Thi Nuong, the worshiped pioneer who started the silk-weaving practice in the village.
For lunch, we stopped by none other than Bun Cha Huong Lien, the famous restaurant where former US President Barack Obama and the late chef Anthony Bourdain shared a meal in 2016.
A specialty dish of Hanoi, Bun Cha is a gpork noodle soup. We had never tried Bun Cha before, and we enjoyed our first bowl. The soup is a unique mix of sweet and savoury, thanks to the combination of grilled pork and sliced green mangoes, as well as the mint leaves provided for toppings. We recommend you get the Combo Obama (90,000 VND), which consists of a bowl of Bun Cha, a plate of fried seafood spring rolls and a can of Hanoi beer.
Back at the hotel, it was time for something we were looking forward to the whole trip: our spa treatment!
We were ready to be pampered, especially after seeing the luxurious spa and wellness facility. They offer a variety of services, such as massages, steam or sauna, facials, body scrub and waxing. We went for the Dreams Body Treatment (899,000 VND for 75 minutes), one of their signature treatments, with an added sauna. The treatment was the best massage we ever had at a spa! The expert therapist got the pressure just right – not too hard or too gentle – and we had a truly relaxing time.
The cooking part in the Chef Cooking Class and Demonstration comes at dinner at the Twilight Bar. Located on the 20th floor of the hotel, the bar has a very spacious outdoor area where we saw the sun set into a beautiful pool of pink. There, the Wyndham chefs displayed all the produce we bought from the markets that morning, and demonstrated how to prepare the tougher ingredients for lettuce wraps and hotpot.
Each of us got our own individual hotpot cooked traditionally on coals. We were surprised by how good our soup and food tasted. Most of all, it was really fun and we picked up some cooking skills that we think our parents will definitely appreciate!
Day 3
Our third day is all about street food, so we knew we had to start the day off with a workout at the hotel gym.
The Wyndham Garden Hanoi gym is much more roomy and stocked with more equipment than most hotel gyms we have seen. We love that the hotel provides a bottle of water and clean towel at each treadmill and cycling machine. Right outside the gym is a wide swimming to have a dip in after a run.
Then, it was time to hit the streets! For the Cyclos & Local Street Food Favourites activity (200,000 VND per guest, with a minimum of five guests required), two tour guides from the Hanoi Kids Organisation took us around the Old Quarter of Hanoi.
Our first stop was the Ngoc Son Temple and the surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake. The park around the lake is popular with not just tourists, but also locals spending quality time relaxing with family and friends on the weekend. As we explored the famous temple, our guides shared with us about the interesting story of the Golden Turtle God that legend says took place at the lake during the Chinese Ming Dynasty.
Next, we got to try some local street food! We’re so blessed to have our guides with us to show us the eateries that are hidden and lesser-known to tourists, but popular among the locals who know.
We enjoyed the egg coffee at Dinh Cafe, beef pho at Quán Phở Bò Khôi Hói, and the famous pan-seared tumeric catfish with a fermented shrimp paste sauce at Chả Cá Lã Vọng.
For the vegetarians and vegans, we recommend going to the famous vegetarian restaurant Ưu Đàm Chay. It’s a beautiful nature-inspired spot that served a wide range of healthy and scrumptious dishes that would not make you miss meat at all.
With many activities prepared and available for booking, a stay at the Wyndham Garden Hanoi has most of your itinerary covered. We appreciated having local guides and chefs show us their Hanoi and places that tourists would not usually know of. If you’re looking to immerse yourself in Hanoi while also enjoying a relaxing getaway, let Wyndham Garden Hanoi make your discovery of the city more comfortable and unique.
ADVERTISEMENTS