Emerald Hồ Tràm Resort — Hotel in Phuoc Thuan Commune

If you’re looking for a relaxing beach escape away from the crowds, Emerald Ho Tram is a solid choice. It’s tucked between a bunch of big-name five-star resorts, but instead of trying to be some over-the-top luxury palace, this place keeps it authentic and laid-back, giving you more of a small coastal town vibe.||Ho Tram itself is about 2.5 hours from Saigon and is a nice alternative to Vung Tau, which is always packed. There’s a casino, a golf course, a hot spring, and a local fish market if you’re into exploring, but honestly? I’d recommend just staying in, chilling, and enjoying the resort.||We stayed two nights midweek, which was perfect because it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.||The Resort & Our Room||The entire resort is tastefully designed, blending modern Vietnamese aesthetics without trying to mimic some over-the-top Western luxury. It feels authentic, elegant, and welcoming.||We originally booked a Standard Ocean View King Room but were pleasantly surprised with a complimentary upgrade to a Bungalow Ocean View, which was spacious and well-appointed. After touring the resort, we realized that even our original booking would have been great. Comfortable beds, quality pillows, and well-thought-out amenities made for a pleasant stay.||One minor issue: The mini fridge wasn’t plugged in upon arrival, so we had to do it ourselves. It also didn’t cool well enough. It would be better if the staff plugged it in before check-in and unplugged it after check-out to save energy.||A major highlight: The resort is wheelchair accessible (up-to-standard ramp, not those just to be there but difficult to use ones), which is rare in Vietnam. Having spent years searching for a beach resort that accommodates my mom’s wheelchair, I’m thrilled to have found this place. Their 3- and 5-bedroom villas look perfect for a family trip, and I can’t wait to bring her here next time.||Spa & Wellness||The spa offers good, reasonably priced services. While Binh Chau Hot Springs is just a short drive away, we preferred staying in to avoid the crowds.||They have steam and dry saunas, which provided plenty of heat, but one small letdown was the jacuzzi not being heated—hopefully, they fix this soon. We also took full advantage of their happy hour free body scrub, which left our skin soft as a baby’s.||Food & Drinks||Since we stayed midweek with only a few other guests, the breakfast buffet was small but solid. The Vietnamese food options were excellent—everything tasted like a home-cooked meal, rich in authentic flavors.|• Coffee? Perfect. Strong robusta beans roasted just how a Vietnamese grandpa would like it.|• Trà đá (iced tea)? Legit.|• Western food? Questionable. But honestly, why would you order Western food in a small Vietnamese coastal town? Stick with the local cuisine, and you won’t be disappointed.||Overall Vibe||The whole experience felt like staying at a friend’s beach house—super chill, no unnecessary fuss, just good food, a nice atmosphere, and a relaxing time. If you’re looking for a low-key, authentic Vietnamese beach getaway, Emerald Ho Tram is a great spot.||Shoutouts||Special thanks to Thảo from FB—she was so attentive, she deserves a raise! Also, props to Mỹ at the spa, Bảo from FB, and Tình from guest services for taking great care of us.||Would I come back? 100% yes. And next time, I’m...

We didn’t have a great experience here. Not really the hotel’s fault, just not the right place or time for us. We are visiting from Australia and looking to combine our love of Vietnam with relaxation but at this place we were bored. There was hardly anyone else staying and surrounded by a ghost town. I think staff had limited English and no one ever suggested to us places we could visit or eat. We ate in the hotel restaurant one night and we were the only people there. We didn’t come all the way to Vietnam to sit in empty restaurants or by a pool on our own for 4 days. We felt very lonely so we booked out early and are heading back to the city. The hotel itself was very clean and ticked all the boxes of good breakfast etc but possibly not great for Australians. No atmosphere. I know the beach is a big attraction for many but compared to Australia it was dirty and not appealing. We tried to go for a bike ride one day to entertain ourselves but we were not allowed to take the bikes out of the resort. The whole Ho Tram area was a disappointment but possibly we came at the wrong...

The only thing that I liked about this whole place is probably the pool inside of the villa. The entire villa arrangement was idiotic, whoever designed the layout had no basic knowledge of a resort villa. The guest bathroom? Oh you have to walk outside of the villa to get to the bathroom. All the rooms required their own keys to enter, it is so inconvenient especially when you are staying as a family with small children. You would’ve thought that a place like this would do the least by turning on the air conditioning prior check in. Upon entering, it was blazing hot inside the villa. The beddings were one of the most uncomfortable bed I’ve ever slept on. The pillows were obnoxiously big that there was no way I can lay on it so I decided to just throw all of it on the floor. Speaking of the floor, the entire place was super dusty. I had to wear one of their recycled slippers other guests must have previously used because it is so worn out and dirty. All I can conclude is that this place only cares about their aesthetic, comfort was non-existent. Definitely...