Lotte Center Hanoi

Lotte Center Hanoi is the mall and department store occupying the base of the 272-metre Lotte Center tower at 54 Lieu Giai in Cong Vi Ward, Ba Dinh District, about 4 km west of Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam. The complex holds Korean and Japanese cosmetics, fashion floors and a large Lotte Mart supermarket in the basement, which is the best single source in the city for packaged food gifts such as coffee, tea, dried fruit and snacks. A glass-floored Sky Walk observation deck on the 65th floor and the Top of Hanoi rooftop bar sit above the retail levels. The mall is a modern branded shopping centre, so goods are authentic and replicas are not a concern, and its focus on Korean and Japanese beauty and fashion distinguishes it from the Vietnamese craft and market shopping elsewhere in the city. Prices are fixed and range from about 100,000 VND for small items to millions for department store goods, with the Sky Walk ticket at about 230,000 VND. Bargaining is not customary. Payment is by cash or card, and card acceptance is widespread. Visitors seeking a VAT refund should ask for a tax-refund invoice at purchase, and eligibility depends on the retailer and the traveller's status. The atmosphere is modern, air-conditioned and busy at weekends, with families, office workers and tourists. Food options are broad, with a supermarket food hall, restaurants and cafes in the mall and drinks and dining higher in the tower. The most useful corners are the Lotte Mart basement for gifts and groceries and the cosmetics floor for Korean skincare. Visitors combining shopping with the observation deck can time a visit near sunset to see the city change from day to night from height.