Sky Lotte Observation Deck Review

I’ve always loved the rooftop experience. Especially in a warm climate, one of the most famous rooftops in Hanoi is located in the Lotte Center and is called the Sky Lotte Observation Deck.

I was expecting it to be an open space restaurant bar like in the Valentine’s Day song of the famous Vietnamese singer Đức Phúc but it seems like this one was located in the hotel section of Lotte Center. But this is the top of Hanoi Restaurant.

In the mall area was the SkyLotte Observation Deck, which was on the last floor of the building with the shopping center. We’ll see in this review if it’s worth the value and your time.

The location

Lotte Center Building located in Ba Dinh

Like previously stated, the Sky Lotte Observation Deck is located in The Lotte Center, which is a 272m glass building built by Koreans in the district of Ba Dinh.

There are actually many buildings in this center, one of which is a luxury mall very reminiscent of Galerie Lafayette in France.

There are actually two roof tops: one is an outside restaurant and bar, and the other is the last floor where tourists come to take pictures with a bar lounge.

Since that specific day it was raining, we opted for the last floor. The access of this location is a bit tricky you’ll have to go to the underground floor where the super market is and find the ticket desk. From there after paying 180,000 VND for locals and 250,000 VND for foreigners,

The activities

We chose to go to the Lotte Center because we were expecting a store about VR gaming to be open. Unfortunately, they moved without updating their Google Maps page.

In the Lotte Center, the activities are really limited outside of shopping and eating compared to, say, an Aeon mall. So if you go to the Sky Lotta Observation Deck, it will most likely be the only activity outside the ones mentioned above.

On the last floor of this building, there are:

A 360° view of the city with some binoculars
In a bar lounge where one can sit and have a drink, there seems to be a DJ boot for partying.
A small museum
Some spots to take nice pictures (observation deck)
A future VR concept (not available at the time of the visit)

The experience

Entrance in the underground level of the Lotte Center

The first thing you’ll experience is the entrance, which looks very dim and classy, almost like the entrance of a nightclub.

Once you buy the tickets, you’ll cross some turnstiles, which will lead to an elevator. This elevator has its own experience with lights and screens showing a countdown with the number of floors and some background of the cityscape like the train track in Hanoi, if I remember correctly.

The elevators to go to the Observation deck

Riding this elevator will make you feel cabin pressure and lock your ear just like in planes. Once you arrive at the 65th floor, you’ll be greeted with a beautiful view of the city.

You can walk around and have a 360° view of the city, and even use binoculars to see far away. Those binoculars are free, not like at many other monuments in Europe. You also have tons of places to sit down and enjoy the view.

One highlight of the activity is to take a picture in the observation deck, which is basically a cage made of glass where you can walk by removing your shoes and enjoy the height below.

One of the two observation decks in Lotte Center

There are also some other activities linked to the city, like a museum where they are using screens to show paintings. There are also some spots to take pictures reminiscent of places like train tracks, and soon there will be a VR experience within this floor.

Train Track photo stand inside the Lotte Center

Finally, there is a bar and lounge where you can enjoy a drink and probably enjoy some partying at night. Perhaps the Sky Lounge becomes a nightclub at certain hours. I have to say the location is quite perfect for a party.

As the sun goes down, the lights from the floor are turning on, giving the place a beautiful ambiance. The atmosphere changes from a touristic spot to a more clubbing experience. As an old man who used to club a lot in his youth, I have to say I miss this kind of atmosphere.

The drinks were honestly good and affordable for the place. I don’t think it’s more expensive than the regular bar or lounge. Around 250,000 VND for a hard drink and slightly more for a cocktail

Verdict

7.8 out of 10

All in all, this spot is quite interesting for enjoying a view and having a drink. Especially in a city like Hanoi, where there are not tons of skyscrapers.

The regular rooftop in Hanoi is just slightly taller than a regular building, so finding an inside lounge with this kind of view is quite rare in this city.

The price of admission is decent, even cheap compared to, say, the top of the Rockefeller building in New York (40 dollars) or the top of the Eiffel Tower (26 euros).

Also, the drinks are not more expensive than any other traditional nightclub or bar, so it’s definitely a good value for the price.