JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi

The building itself reads like a dare, a swooping futuristic shell designed by Carlos Zapata Studios that overlooks the National Convention Center rather than the Old Quarter. This is a large, polished international hotel with 450 rooms, an expansive eighth-floor spa, indoor pool, and Japanese and Cantonese restaurants on site. The vibe is less colonial Hanoi and more contemporary Singapore, which is either a selling point or the whole point, depending on who you're asking.