The staff here are excellent. The hotel itself has seen better days.
Every staff member here was very helpful and friendly, top notch. On check-in, they helped us book two excursions, one to Ninh Binh and one to Halong Bay. Both were very high quality and competitively priced.
Our room was one of the rear rooms, essentially with no exterior view, only a window that opens to a tiny enclosed space between the buildings. Several bathroom towels were threadbare. The drain to the shower was outside of the shower enclosure, creating a wet mess in the bathroom when you showered. The room smelled musty and old.
There are many lodging choices in the Old Qyarter similar to this hotel, but they cost much much less. The location here is amazing. But just know that this is NOT a $175/night off-season Hanoi hotel. It’s clean, safe, has great staff and great location. But just be aware that if you want to pay higher price points, you will find much more up-to-date hotels than the Royal Palace Hotel 2.