Anantara Hoi An Resort — Hotel in Hội An

We returned to the Anantara having had a wonderful stay 2 years ago, however the first 24 hrs was a disappointment.

The location is great (within an easy 5 mins walk to the markets, and another 5 mins to the old town area), the grounds beautiful (see photos), and the standard rooms are generously sized (there is a seperate sitting area on a lower tier to the beds); the property is clearly aging...taps in the bathroom have cracks in the chrome, hairline crack in the bathroom sink, the flush handles on some toilets in the communal area are very loose, etc ....This reflects the need for capital reinvestment and maintenance work.

The breakfast is good rather than fantastic - the Vietnamese offerings were limited and so-so quality, which I assume reflects the nationality of the majority of the guests (compared to the other hotels we stayed in Ha Noi and Da Nang). In addition, the egg station cooking quality was variable depending on the chef. However the juice and fruit selection remained excellent

But the soul of any 5 star hotel is the staff and how they interact with the guests, and this is the biggest difference that we experienced. During our last stay, whenever you walked past someone on the grounds, there would be a smile and a "Xin Chao" - this was noticeably absent. When we returned to our room after dinner, we found that the room door was not properly locked (after the evening turndown service). At our first breakfast, the staff generally had "unhappy" faces and seemed more interested in clearing the tables (whilst one is still eating and without asking) than serving the guests.

Due to the noticeable changes we noticed in the first 24 hrs of our stay, we mentioned our observations to the front desk, and to the great credit of the management, the duty manager spoke to us shortly afterwards, and there was a marked improvement thereafter with all staff. Whether the improvements were focused at us or for all the other guests is not clear.

So, would we return to the Anantara again? It depends on how we find the rest of our stay. We would also be interested how other return guests feel about the Anantara Hoi An.

PS. In case anyone reading this thinks we are over-critical fuss pots, our return experience to the La Siesta hotel Ha Noi (94 Ma May St) exceeded our prior (already good) experience. Check out our review of that hotel for further details.

addit: breakfast on the second day was a far better experience, as have been our subsequent interactions with the staff, which is a real credit to the managers who have listened and acted on our comments. Accordingly we have revised our rating back to 5 star.

Addit 2: we completed our stay and enjoyed the rest of it. We commend the managers who were really made a difference, so if you have any issues during your stay - talk to them during your stay, rather than complain afterwards. 5 star rating is retained...

Anantara Hoi An Resort: A Dreamy 3 Day Getaway!

Just when I thought Hoi An couldn’t get any more spectacular, we checked into the Anantara Hoi An Resort. After a short flight from Saigon to Da Nang, and a comfortable 45 minute transfer via the resort, we checked-in to the wonderful vistas, lush gardens and waterfront views that is Anantara Hoi An! We couldn’t help but feel the excitement seep in as the wonderful staff showed us to our room!

Our room was absolutely stunning! From the crisp clean linens, to the luxurious bathtub, followed by touches of colourful elegance in the lounge area and the beautiful photography by local artist Réhahn, everything was perfect. Our room was a delightful treat! With a ‘welcome’ written in petals on our beds and a small cheese board left for us to enjoy, we soaked in the riverfront views and relaxed from our balcony.

Each morning our cup of coffee came with a splash of the scenic Hoi An river below! Talk about breakfast with a view. Their buffet of freshly baked French pastries, tropical fruits, live cooking stations, traditional Vietnamese dishes and endless cups of coffee always set us up for the day ahead! In the evenings we’d dine at Anantara Hoi An’s enchanting Hoi An Riverside Restaurant or catch a couple of drinks at Art Space. Luckily for us Hoi An Riverside Restaurant was hosting their monthly ‘Full Moon Buffet’ while we were there. This lavish buffet experience, with their live food stalls, seafood barbeque stations and selection of local delicacies transported our taste buds to a culinary cosmos of Vietnamese cuisine. Their ‘Full Moon Buffet’ is definitely something not to miss!

The pool seemed to call our names in the late afternoons when the sun was blazing and a refreshing drink was the only thing on our mind. It was so nice to have such a stunning pool at the resort, especially after a long day exploring in Hoi An!

During our stay, we also jumped aboard Anantara’s sunset cruise. As we headed down the river in their traditional long tail boat, we were offered a tasty platter of varying appetizers, tropical fruits and a choice of wine, beer and other beverages! As we sipped our glasses of sav blanc, we sat back, relaxed and soaked in the sights of a different side of Hoi An! It was magical!

Our three days in Hoi An came and went so fast, but we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect way to enjoy this ancient town than in the company of Anantara Hoi An and their incredible staff. With the warmest welcome from Kate and Ms. Hai, to the incredible Mr. Tai and Mr. Ngoc who made our sunset cruise so magical, everyone at Anantara Hoi An was just so incredibly friendly and accommodating. Our time here was truly unforgettable and we are so appreciative of everyone at Anantara Hoi An. I will definitely be returning as soon as I...

Really nice hotel on the river in Hoi An. If you're used to "western comfort," this place will suit you just fine. Very pricey compared to other places to stay in town, and labeling it as a "resort" is perhaps a bit ambitious, but I would definitely stay again. We stayed in one of the river view rooms out front. Reception greeted us with an umbrella on our rainy arrival via Da Nang (50min ride from the airport. Arrange your own ride through Viator or TripAdvisor for under $50US. The resort charges $110US to arrange it for you.) Rooms are clean and spacious and include a sitting area as well as a front porch/patio area. There is a path that runs in front of the rooms on the ground floor and a lanai on the second floor, so there is no true "privacy" out front on either floor. The bathroom was well appointed with a concrete inset tub and shower. Cable television included news stations from most areas (CNN, BBC, etc) and a few movie networks. Ample coffee/tea (free) and a pay minibar. The pool area is nice and quiet and the fitness center, though small, has what most would need to work off all that phô. Buffet breakfast was outstanding. Eggs cooked to order, typical English breakfast meats, breads, and pastries, a bunch of local options (fish, soups,) and cereals. The 2 restaurants on property had good food, but are WAY overpriced for the area. We stopped in one evening for appetizers and drinks. We literally ate at local restaurants the rest of our 3 days and the total was less than what we spent on that one "meal" at the hotel. Getting to the old town is easy. There is a path (also used by scooters and cycles, but lightly enough to make walking safe) right in front of the hotel that runs right into the old town after about 7 minutes. There are also a few restaurants along the path which were pleasant with good food and drinks. We would definitely stay again. I just wish that places like this would realize that travelers coming to this area aren't generally going to spend top dollar on a menu that they can get after a 3 minute walk for 1/4th the price. More reasonable prices would have gotten a 5 Star...