I stayed at the Executive Suite for 2 nights. Coming in by bus early in the morning, I was able to arrange for an early check-in at extra charge. The staff here are warm and hospitable. What strikes you first as you enter the property are the plants in their garden. You've got all sorts of vegetables and flowers that are used in their food.
The room itself is spacious and I love how I'm able to see the mountains from the bed. The bed also has a heater to keep you warm and toasty even on the colder nights. In the bathroom, I loved how wide and deep the wooden tub is, which is quite different from other hotels where sometimes it can be difficult to stretch out fully.
The breakfast here is pretty good and healthy. You have a choice of 3 food options and 2 drinks. For food options, I highly recommend the baked egg with bacon. What you get is a hard boiled egg where the yolk is mixed in with bacon bits. And all this sits atop a salad. I also liked the highland vegetable dim sum which had four dumplings in warm comforting soup, perfect for the chilly mornings. I loved the fresh juice of the day, where I got to sample the local orange juice.
As I had booked directly with them for 2 nights, I was given the option of a family dinner. This was a chance to interact with the staff over dinner. This dinner was also very impressive, where we had a platter of ingredients which we would wrap up in rice paper. I also loved the sweet and sour soup.
As this hotel is a little far from Sapa town, I had my meals in the hotel's restaurant as well. I highly recommend the House-Smoked Salmon with grilled vegetables. It isn't your typical smoked salmon one might see at a buffet. It was a whole salmon fillet that's been smoked to perfection, complemented by a very tasty sauce. If you're vegetarian, I would recommend the special rice with seaweed and eggs. The egg was seemingly baked in a thin layer of dough pastry. The rice, with the seaweed and mushrooms, had a good amount of umami.
Facilities-wise, they have a small fitness room equipped with a bench press and two dumbbells where you can swap out the weights. You can work out to a nice scenery. There's also a small pool that overlooks the valley but I found this a little cold. Nonetheless, it makes for very impressive photos. Above the fitness room, there's a small open space where you can gaze upon the valley and be alone with your thoughts.
The hotel is also able to arrange treks and classes. I had a trek through 3 villages, priced at USD 45. This was a trek that lasted around 4 hours, with lunch included. Do be warned that the treks in the area have a somewhat steep incline. I also had a cooking class, priced at USD 40, where we were brought to the market with the chef. There, the chef pointed out some of the local ingredients and it was quite insightful, especially seeing salmon in tanks. The cooking class consisted of making fresh spring rolls, salmon sweet and sour soup, and a caramelized pork belly with purple rice. There was more hands-on in preparing the spring rolls, while the other two dishes were predominantly watching the preparation. Nonetheless, a very wholesome experience as you get to savour the 3 dishes at the end.
Overall there's plenty to do here at Sapa Clay House. Alternatively, it's the perfect place to be still and...
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