HOIAN ROYAL VILLA — Hotel in Hội An

I recommend anyone coming to Hoi An to stay here unless you are mobility challenged, you really want to have a hotel pool, or you think it's worth paying 4x-8x more to upgrade to a 4 to 5 star hotel.

Pros:

Prices. The value for the room itself is great, but the value proposition goes well beyond that. Hoi An is a tourist town for both Vietnamese and foreigners, so everything is a little more expensive than what you might be accustomed to in other Vietnamese cities you've visited. But for example, the beer and laundry service the hotel will sell you is the exact same price at the convenience stores around town. So you get the convenience of not worrying about paying inflated prices.

Location. You are less than a ten minute walk to the markets (which is where all of you tourists will eventually end up) and if ten minutes is too much for you, just borrow one of the many free bicycles the hotel offers up for you to use. You can also use the bicycles to get to the beach, or if that's a little much rent a scooter from the hotel.

Service. The family that owns and operates this hotel will do whatever they can to make your stay pleasant - they really aim to please. The wife, Suong, speaks good English, the husband a little less so, but enough to communicate everything needed. Google Translate will more than deal with any more complicated issues.

Clean and quiet. The street isn't very busy, so you won't get much external noise, unless you visit during monsoon season in which case you'll be impressed at how loud the rain can be when you get a high intensity down pour. Although it's quiet, there are multiple eateries and street vendors within a block or two from the hotel. If you're hungry, try everything at Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm _PơTao which is a block away.

Modern room design. The room looks like the pictures - rare! The finishing in the room is well done and is on par with the finishing in my modern condo in Canada. You get two sets of lights (high and low) above the bed so you can tone down the light level when it's near bed time. My room had four power sockets above the bed which made using/charging devices convenient.

The bathroom has a waterfall shower head, a hand held nozzle and a faucet. When you come back to your room soaked in sweat thanks to Vietnam's epic humidity, you'll be able to get yourself clean in whichever way tickles your fancy. Those of you that have showers with both a waterfall shower head and hand held nozzle will know how great that really is - if you don't know what I'm talking about you are missing out.

The bed, by Vietnam 3-star or less hotel standards, is nice and soft. The bath towels are full size and the hotel provides daily room cleaning. None of these things is necessarily standard in 3-star hotels here! This is basically a 3-star hotel masquerading as a 4-star hotel without a pool, in a really awesome location - at 3-star hotel prices.

My room had a very large wardrobe for the too many clothes you probably packed. There is a near full size desk for you digital nomads and a vanity for the ladies or metro men.

If you're coming here on two wheels, you can securely park your motorcycle behind the gate at night. Just note that if you're coming with a posse of four+ motorbikes you should probably ask the hotel first as there isn't a ton of space for extra motorbikes behind the hotel gate.

Cons:

Rooms are not large but they are very efficient. If you are travelling with someone you hate and you need separation, then you might want to go elsewhere.

There is no elevator, only stairs. If you are mobility challenged and 2-3 flights of stairs is too much for you,...

I booked noting the good comments, pictures and location. When I arrived, they put me on a scooter and took me to Silver Moon Villa, which they claim they also manage. The room smelt of damp, the quit was stained, and even after changing it, it was another stained quit. The furniture was old. It took more than 3-4 mins for hot water to arrive, and the bathroom wasn’t exactly clean. The room was ok, I won’t call it dirty, but far from what I expected. I will not recommend it at all, as I stayed in another villa called Grand Holiday Villa for 2 nights and that was 200x better, especially given the price difference was USD 2. There is no kettle.

REPLY TO HOIAN ROYAL VILLA

1. Can you please explain how I was upgraded? I was not even given an option
2. The shortest distance on Google map from HoiAn Royal Villa to Silver Moon Villa is a 270m, and is not accessible by car. It was pouring rain, and I had to walk through puddles to get out onto the main road. I had booked HoiAn Royal Villa which is accessible by car.
3. Can you please explain OR point out which part of my review is non factual?
4. I am not the first to comment about your hygiene situation at Silver Moon
5. Yes, the weather caused the damp, but other hotels were able to keep the place dryer, at least without the damp smell. You could not as your windows and doors were not sealed, the frame was attached to the wall, with gaps, so that insects, moist and noise came through even if they were shut.

I hope you can appreciate that I was actually being factual, I gave you positive comments in terms of room size and location, and I had no intention of putting you out of business, but given your response, I am very disappointed, and you have indirectly confirmed your poor approach to service by questioning whether I am lying and that you have upgraded me, when there was practically no option given the situation and weather. Finally, I don't think you would want to walk 270m (whcih you claim to be 100m) in heavy rain through alley ways...

I just want to say a huge thank you to the team at Royal Villa Hotel in Hoi An for their amazing hospitality. I’m truly happy and grateful for the experience we had during our stay.

I was traveling with my mum, and she absolutely loved this hotel just as much as I did. From the moment we arrived, we felt so welcomed and well looked after.

The hotel itself was wonderful — clean, comfortable rooms that stayed nice and cool, and a perfect location close to amenities and the main market area. But what really made it special was the incredible family who run it. They were so friendly, warm, always smiling, and their English communication was excellent, which made everything easy and stress-free.

We felt very safe and cared for the entire time. The owner even personally came to check on deliveries just to make sure they were for me and that everything was safe — such a thoughtful gesture that meant a lot to both of us.

Nothing was ever too much trouble. Every request we made was met with kindness and a genuine willingness to help. It honestly felt like a home away from home, and it’s thanks to them that we loved our trip so much.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Royal Villa Hotel to anyone visiting Hoi An. If I ever return — and I hope I do — I’ll book this hotel again without a second thought.

Once again, thank you so much for making our trip so enjoyable and memorable. You made everything even more special for both...