New Years Eve in Hanoi Vietnam
Arrival in Hanoi
In a previous post, I mentioned that this trip opened my eyes to what my limitations are, as they relate to travel duration. No flight to Europe can equip you for the toll which 27 hours, three airports, and a twelve-hour time difference will do to your mental and physical state.
That said, my self-gratified attitude toward my travel skills, had aspirations of us arriving in Vietnam on New Years eve night, taking some pictures that say “we’re so awesome,” and ringing in the new year a full 12 hours before all of our friends back home would be able.
Ha!
I’ve never been more deliriously tired in my entire life, and the best we could do after landing was to try and stay awake long enough to take a shower.
JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi Vietnam
From the moment we got through customs at the airport, the staff of the JW Marriott was there assist us in our transition to being in Vietnam. My husband (the angel of hotel research), discovered while reserving our room, that they offered a private car service for picking you up from the airport, and had taken the step to arrange it before we had departed, and was THE BEST DECISION.
Completely bedraggled, we arrived at the airport and were met by both a driver and a guest service liaison, who scooped us up in a beautiful Audi and whisked us away to the hotel. It was was like being Cinderella and discovering your pumpkin carriage for the first time. We felt like royalty that was in desperate need of a shower.
Nonetheless, through the darkness of the night, we zipped along, too tired to notice anything outside of the backseat of the car. That is until we reached the long winding driveway of the hotel, which is impressive, to say the least.
There’s no place like a Marriott
Entirely focussed on the immediate necessity of a shower and bed to sleep in, I don’t recall much about my first impressions of the hotel, the check-in process, or anything before stepping into our room, but I tell you what, it could have been the delirium, but I’m pretty sure that angels began singing when we stepped through the door.
Needless to say, I took one look at that bathtub and turned the water on before I had even set down my luggage.
This very tired bird has finally landed, and just in time to watch the clock strike midnight.
Waking-up At the J.W.
After some MUCH needed rest, we were able to begin exploring our new digs, which were SO NICE. Anxious to start looking around, but VERY ready to eat something other than airplane food, our priority became making our way to the complimentary breakfast.
Happy New Year - USA
After breakfast, we went back to our room with just enough time to watch the ball drop in Times Square. It was really strange watching everyone celebrate something that to us, had happened the day before, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to celebrate a second time.
The Spa
Hotels are not typically known for their reasonably priced spa services, and neither was this one, but the difference is that after the journey we had to get there, I wanted a massage. However, the spa was fully booked and so we decided to “make do” with a hot tub and pool.
So the pool is amazing, and views from the pool-deck are awesome, but it was the hot tub we were on the hunt for…
Located inside of the locker room for both men and women, is the largest hot tub I’ve ever seen. Not being able to share the experience with my husband was a bummer, but a clothing-optional hot tub was worth it. That said, for the same reason, there are no pictures I can show you of the room containing it, but the rest of the space was great, and I took FULL advantage.
The Lobby
The lobby was lovely, and when we went to inspect it, we realized that this hotel is MASSIVE! Multiple restaurants, and conference facilities, this place is a city unto itself!
Tea Time
We had a great breakfast, then a leisurely soak, and then it was time for tea. A typical practice in Vietnam, high-tea begins in mid-afternoon and involves any number of tasty treats.
Vietnam Awaits
As lovely as it was, we didn’t fly to Vietnam to just hang out in a hotel. We were super grateful to have had such a wonderful experience for our arrival in a new country, but the next leg of our journey was going to be one of a more “authentic” nature, and containing zero stars from any hotel ranking system.
To the staff at the J.W., thank you for helping to turn two weary travelers back into humans again! If we’re ever in Hanoi again, we’ll be sure to stay here again.