At first glance, Dolce by Wyndham in Hanoi may appear to be a typical hotel belonging to a multinational chain.

In reality, however, it was one of the most bizarre hotels I have ever stayed in. The whole place is covered in gold. Literally. Even the toilet, the bidet, the swimming pool and, for that matter, the steak at the on-site restaurant are made of gold.

Why did I choose this hotel, and what are the prices like?

The reason for my choice was clear. I simply had to see such a gilded oddity with my own eyes.

What’s more, it was at a very reasonable price: Dolce by Wyndham Hanoi Golden Lake is a 5* hotel , and I paid 3 275 000 vnd for one night’s stay in a Golden Classic room , including breakfast .

That’s a very reasonable price, even by local standards for comparable 5-star hotels.

I made the booking via booking.com relatively at the last minute, about three weeks before my trip, and it’s possible to find prices that are even slightly lower.

Check current prices: Dolce by Wyndham Hanoi

The location isn’t exactly ideal

To be honest, unless you’re looking for this sort of quirk or more upmarket hotels, I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

The hotel isn’t actually right in the centre, and although you can get there in under 20 minutes by Grab or the very frequent public buses, there are hundreds of better deals in Old Hanoi.

Apart from the rather unattractive Golden Lake (after which the hotel is named and which is gilded), there isn’t much else in the vicinity of the hotel.

• 👉 How public transport works in Hanoi
• 👉 My recommendations for other hotels in Hanoi

Is it really gold? What in the hotel is gold-plated?

Yes. The owner wanted to create an ultra-luxury hotel that would become one of Hanoi’s biggest attractions, and was inspired by the name of the nearby Golden Lake.

The exterior façade

The entire façade of the hotel is covered with a very thin layer of genuine 24-carat gold.

The hotel really is covered entirely in gold and, particularly on sunny days, it shines out across the whole neighbourhood.

Lobby and public areas

The entire main lobby features striking gold elements absolutely everywhere.

But it is the gold lifts that stand out the most – from their interiors to their doors and the exterior surfaces.

Gold-plated steaks

I’ve seen this elsewhere in the world, mind you, but in this particular hotel, gold-plated food is simply a must.

The on-site restaurant serves signature steaks coated in a wafer-thin, easily digestible layer of gold.

I decided to give it a miss, though, because 50 grams of Japanese Wagyu costs 600 000 vnd. So a full-sized steak will set you back around 6, 000 000 vnd.

The most bizarre feature is in the room: a gold toilet and bath

The room itself looks very nice, spacious and, well, quite normal.

It’s even tasteful – I really like it.

Everything is clean, quite modern and practical.

But then I take a peek into the bathroom and realise once again where I am.

I’m looking at a gold washbasin, a large gold bath, a gold shower and, to my surprise, even a gold toilet with a bidet.

I must admit that I’d never actually used a golden toilet before.

And that’s not all: even the rooftop infinity pool is gold!

Straight after checking in, I take the lift up to have a look at the roof.

There’s even supposed to be a gold-plated pool up there. And sure enough, it really is completely gold! I can’t help but laugh – it’s just not possible.

I have to say, though, that after dark the pool is truly impressive; the water is clear and the view of Hanoi is magnificent.

How is the room from a practical point of view?

As I’ve already hinted, I quite like the room. There aren’t that many gold elements in the room itself, so it’s quite pleasant to spend time and sleep here.

 I appreciate the desk, the fairly spacious wardrobe, the bathrobes, the slippers and the safe.

The bathroom, of course, has a hairdryer, as well as useful little items such as a razor, a toothbrush with toothpaste and cotton pads.

There’s even a bathroom scales.

What is, on the other hand, a major disappointment is that a 5* hotel only provides a kettle with instant coffee.

No, absolutely not. Hotels like this should have a capsule coffee machine!

At least I’ve got a total of four bottles of free drinking water in my room: two by the kettle and two in the bathroom.

There’s no minibar either. There’s a fridge and a price list with the items, but in reality the fridge is empty.

However, there is a 24/7 paid food delivery service from the hotel restaurant available to the room.

Any other hotel services?

On the 27th floor, by the pool, there is also a fairly spacious and well-equipped gym, open 24/7.

There is a restaurant and a massage service in the lobby. A laundry service is also available. 

I didn’t make use of any of these, though. After all, I was only here for one night.

Breakfast: nothing to write home about, but certainly nothing to complain about

I like hotel breakfasts; for me, they’re simply the most convenient way to start the morning.

That’s why I tend to be quite strict when rating them.

The breakfast restaurant is quite spacious and looks bright and pleasant.

At first glance, there’s a wide choice, but in reality there’s just a little bit of everything. I didn’t come across anything here that made me think, ‘Wow, that’s unique – I’ll remember that!’

Well, apart from the gold-plated steak, of course – though I really don’t fancy that in the morning.

Otherwise, it’s just the usual fare.

A few sweet and savoury pastries. The selection isn’t great, but it’s nothing to write home about.

I appreciate the ice cream more – that’s not exactly standard fare at hotel breakfasts. On the other hand, there’s a rather limited selection of muesli, porridge and yoghurts.

The cold dishes include sushi, banh mi (though you’ll find 100 times better ones on the high street) and a rather limited selection of ham, cheese, vegetables and fruit.

The hot buffet is probably the weakest part: there are only the usual staples such as bacon, sausages, one type of classic hot dish and vegetables.

Fortunately, however, there’s an egg station and a counter where you can order pho soup or pancakes.

As for drinks, there are only three juices to choose from, water and, unfortunately, just coffee from a vending machine. That’s the biggest disappointment of the whole breakfast.

Overall, it’s average. It’s good, but I’ve had much better.

Staff and free early check-in

Apart from the receptionists, I didn’t have any contact with the staff.

However, I really appreciate the check-in service. Officially, it’s not until 3.00 pm, but I was given my room as early as 1.00 pm. That’s always very pleasant and really adds to the hotel’s appeal.

Check-out is quite quick by Vietnamese standards.

Would I book Dolce by Wyndham Hanoi again?

Probably not.

Or it’s hard to say. The hotel itself is actually quite good.

The price is good by European standards.

It’s a proper oddity – I’ve honestly never used a golden toilet before, but it’s certainly an interesting sight. And I simply love seeking out unusual experiences whilst travelling!

If the hotel were in the centre of Hanoi, I’d probably happily stay there again.

But as it’s outside the Old Quarter, I’ve no reason to come back here.

That said, if you’re looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, I’d definitely recommend it. You won’t be able to take a selfie on a gold-plated bidet just anywhere.

Check current prices: Dolce by Wyndham Hanoi