We spent 3 nights at the Hanoi Royal View Hotel. This is our third stay in Hanoi and we've previously stayed in 4 hotels. Our main purpose of this trip was to eat, I had a craving for Vietnamese food.

Location:
The hotel is located in the old quarter (shoe street) walking distance from the lake. Getting around is really convenient and most places are walkable. 1 min walk or just down the street is Green Tangerine and across from it a bar that serves cheap beer and great coffee.

Rooms:
The rooms are small and not terribly well maintained. But this is typical of an old quarter hotel. We've noticed a few "big" hotels have popped up in the old quarter but they seem to lack charm. There was no view of any kind and definitely not royal. The room had no windows except a tiny one that looked into the staircase. The beds are extremely firm/hard and gave us both a sore back. Note to bring your own toiletries, they toiletries provided are very basic. The walls are very thin, you can hear pretty much everything happening on the floor and downstairs.

Service:
What most old quarter hotels lack in fancy rooms they make up with fantastic service. Unfortunately this hotel lacked that interest. Right from the point where I called to confirm my reservations, they have repeatedly tried to sell us a "package". When they realise they could not tell us a tour their interest level in us also dropped. We were somewhat invisible. Having said that, there was an exceptional bell boy who was always ready with a smile and helpful whenever he could. He made all the difference in returning to the hotel.

Food:
The breakfast at the hotel was dismal. Most of the food is left on the table looked dried out and unsanitary. The yoghurt was left on a plate without an attempt at keeping it chilled. The pho (which is usually the highlight of breakfast for me) was decent. The meat however I avoided.

We didn't pay for the hotel on this occassion so I can't comment on whether it was good value for money. I am assuming like most hotels of this standard in the old quarter it was decently priced. I doubt I would ever stay here again, there are much better hotels in Hanoi at this price point.

Our family of 5 comprising 2 adults and 3 children stayed at this hotel over 4 days and in between our Ha Long adventure (where they stored our luggage without charge) in late September in their Family room consisting of 2 single beds and 1 queen. The hotel is fairly new, clean and modern though don't expect a "real" window. As space is very limited in Hanoi, we were able to touch the wall to the next building by opening our window. Balcony rooms are available though I believe only for rooms located at the front of the hotel and definitely not for Family rooms as my request for one (with additional payment offered) was answered by this advice.
The beds at this hotel were one of the hardest experienced throughout my travels in Vietnam at numerous hotels. House Keeping was exceptional and trustworthy. Wifi was complimentary though this is often the case in hotels throughout Vietnam. The breakfast buffet was average and caters for both Western and Asian taste buds.
The one thing I cannot fault about this hotel is the staff who were extremely helpful and genuine with their advice and recommendations.
The hotel also offers tour services which we did not utilize after witnessing an enquiry from another guest who was subjected to a rather pushy experience.
The location of this hotel is spot on. Located within the "shoe" street area of the Old Quarter, the Lake is located within a 1 minute walk with access to restaurants and other retail businesses plentiful. It was a pleasure just to sit in front of the hotel and watch the hustle and bustle of Hanoi in front of your eyes.
I would stay at this hotel again purely based on the location and high level of service displayed.