Honestly, on first impressions, I did not love Hanoi. Everything just felt too much.

I think that was more about me than the city, though.

The heat and humidity when we visited were extreme; I found being in and around the traffic totally nerve-shredding, and I could feel my resources starting to run low.

The vibe felt so different from Saigon’s energy, which I immediately connected with. Hanoi took more work.

This is the city where you’ll find the legendary Train Street, one of Vietnam’s most viral attractions. It's a completely wild experience. Excitement builds as tourists trickle into the narrow street to experience what they've seen all over social media, phones at the ready.

You take a seat at one of the tiny trackside cafes, order a Hanoi beer for the moment, and wait. A whistle blows, fold-down tables are snapped shut and pulled away by cafe staff, while the low rumble gets louder until an actual passenger train comes rolling through, carriage after carriage passing just inches from where you're sitting.

And then it's gone. Tables come back out, chatter resumes, people disperse slowly, and life carries on as if a train didn’t thunder past a matter of inches away from your nose.

I found the heat, the volume of people and the traffic overwhelming in Hanoi. Just when I think I can’t be any more unnerved, a man speeds past on a motorbike with a giant plasma TV strapped to his back, weaving his way in and out of the cars.

Then I arrive at Capella Hanoi, and instantly everything starts to feel better. Another of Bill Bensley’s creations, inspired by the artists, composers, designers and performers who shaped Hanoi's cultural scene in the 1920s, the hotel blends Art Deco elegance with a rich sense of storytelling in every detail of its interiors.

The premise is wonderfully theatrical. Bensley imagined Capella as an “Une Petite Auberge” from opera's 1920s heyday, a place where singers, composers, stage and costume designers might have gathered after the final curtain at the nearby Hanoi Opera House.

Leaving the chaotic world outside and moving through the revolving door felt like taking a trip back in time. It was decadent, enthralling and totally escapist - everything I needed.

Every aspect has been imaginatively curated, from opera-inspired artefacts and show-stopping interiors to the tiny details that stop you in your tracks and make you take it all in.

Artist Kate Spencer created the paintings throughout the hotel, helping to bring Bensley's imaginary opera society to life through bespoke portraiture and more than a thousand pieces of operatic memorabilia. There is something to look at absolutely everywhere.

With just 47 individually curated rooms and suites, the opera-inspired storytelling continues throughout the hotel. At the top you'll find the Grand Central Terminal-inspired Hudson Rooms cocktail bar and restaurant, while downstairs is Hibana by Koki, Vietnam's only Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant.

There is plenty more theatre beyond the bedrooms and restaurants. The marble-clad Auriga Spa sits alongside La Grotta, the hotel's extraordinary indoor pool, while little daily rituals range from traditional Vietnamese drip coffee in the morning to an evening Jazz Soirée with drinks, canapés and an Opera Punch.

We dined at Michelin Selected, Backstage, where the menu is rooted in the traditional flavours of Hanoi, from pho and bun cha to spring rolls and grilled meats, with an open kitchen taking centre stage against vibrant murals and costumes from some of opera’s greatest performances, while traditional Northern Vietnamese dishes are given a contemporary edge, a fitting finale and curtain drop to our two-week tour of Vietnam with all the warmth and character you’d want for a fun-filled, exquisitely prepared meal.