Where to swim in Hanoi?
I work and live in a factory 30 minutes drive from Hanoi. We work mostly six days a week. By the 7th day, I'm off to the pool to relax and do a few laps to clear my mind.
Having surveyed the swimming pools around Hanoi, here are my suggestions:
(1) Hanoi Horison Hotel (40 Cat Linh Street), 2nd fl. (pic 1) - Beautiful outdoors pool for lounging and swimming. Open to the public. Entrance fee, USD 12. Use of sauna, whirlpool and gym included. Swim here from March until October when it is warm outside. Note: pool is oval shaped and not that deep, so not perfect, but usually sufficient for those who want to swim a few laps.
(2) Sofitel Plaza Hanoi (1 Thanh Nien Road, Ba Dinh District), 4th fl. (pic 2) - Beautiful rectangular indoor pool where swimmers can go all year round. Use of sauna, whirlpool and gym included as well. Come here only when it is too cold to swim outside as the entrance fee of USD 23.10 is a bit steep (USD 231 for monthly pass).
As for the other pools around Hanoi: outside pool at Sofitel Metropole is not open to the public; large outside pool at the Daewoo Hotel is priced similarly with Horison, but too curvy and shallow to swim in, but fine if you just lounge; and, the Army Hotel pool, while very cheap, is not suited for those who would like to do some real swimming.
Having surveyed the swimming pools around Hanoi, here are my suggestions:
(1) Hanoi Horison Hotel (40 Cat Linh Street), 2nd fl. (pic 1) - Beautiful outdoors pool for lounging and swimming. Open to the public. Entrance fee, USD 12. Use of sauna, whirlpool and gym included. Swim here from March until October when it is warm outside. Note: pool is oval shaped and not that deep, so not perfect, but usually sufficient for those who want to swim a few laps.
(2) Sofitel Plaza Hanoi (1 Thanh Nien Road, Ba Dinh District), 4th fl. (pic 2) - Beautiful rectangular indoor pool where swimmers can go all year round. Use of sauna, whirlpool and gym included as well. Come here only when it is too cold to swim outside as the entrance fee of USD 23.10 is a bit steep (USD 231 for monthly pass).
As for the other pools around Hanoi: outside pool at Sofitel Metropole is not open to the public; large outside pool at the Daewoo Hotel is priced similarly with Horison, but too curvy and shallow to swim in, but fine if you just lounge; and, the Army Hotel pool, while very cheap, is not suited for those who would like to do some real swimming.
