This Valentine’s (or should I say Galentine’s), I got to spend it with my gal pal in Vietnam’s most romantic city – Hoi An. While we didn’t stay in its historic Ancient Town, we did get to spend a night in paradise at one of the most breathtaking beachfront resorts. Without further ado, here is a complete, unbiased review of my experience at Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort and Spa.

Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort and Spa

Address: Âu Cơ, Cửa Đại, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Phone Number: +84 235 3927 040
Website: https://www.victoriahotels.asia/en/hotels-resorts/hoian.html

Check-In Time: 2:00PM
Check-Out Time: 12:00PM

Reservation was made for 1 night in Junior Suite Twin Bed Ocean View.

About Victoria Hoi An

Located along Cua Dai Beach, Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa is a short 15-minute drive from Hoi An’s heritage Ancient Town, where it draws inspiration for its French, Japanese, and Vietnamese architectural charms.

As part of the Victoria Hotels and Resorts collection, Victoria Hoi An is one of seven boutique properties in Vietnam. With rich Indochina roots dating back to the 1990’s, Victoria aims to not only provide comfort and luxury for guests, but to also introduce them to the local culture and landscapes.

Getting Here

As mentioned above, Victoria is an easy 15-minute drive from the UNESCO World Heritage Ancient Town where there are free shuttles going both to and from. However, I would highly recommend confirming with the resort first in regards to riding the shuttle with heavy luggage as the shuttle is more or less a minibus meant for transporting guests only.

From Da Nang International Airport, shuttle services are available as well for advanced booking. Below is their pricing:

• 320,000 VND (~$15 USD/$20 CAD) for shared minibus, one way
• 1,275,000 VND (~$55 USD/$75 CAD) for private bus, one way
• 1,590,000 VND (~$70 USD/$90 CAD) for Mercedes E250, one way

Coming in from Hue City or Phu Bai Airport? These are the shuttle fares:

• 2,545,000 VND (~$110 USD/$150 CAD) for private bus, one way
• 3,605,000 VND (~$155 USD/$210 CAD) for Mercedes E250, one way

For more information, head on to their website here.

Check-In

Again, check-in starts at 2:00PM. Early check-in is available upon request, but it does depend on the status of your room. I.e. how early the previous guests check-out and how fast the room gets cleaned.

Junior Suite Twin Bed Ocean View

There are a total of 109 rooms and our Junior Suite alone occupies 53sqm of space. Although we requested for twin beds, Victoria offers single queen beds as well.

One thing I particularly loved about our suite was its outdoor shower, which is perfect for rinsing off after a day at the pool. The bath robes are also not your typical hotel bath robes, but rather, they are Vietnamese silk kimonos.

Complimentary Breakfast

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. At L’Annam Restaurant, buffet-style breakfast starts as early as 6:00AM. Not only do they cater to Western diets, they serve authentic Vietnamese dishes too. I especially enjoyed their made-to-order pho. Definitely give that a taste!

Pool & Private Beach Access

Upon check-in, we were told that Victoria had a private beach. Naturally, we wanted to check it out and spend a relaxing morning watching sunrise there. Despite the views being some of the most spectacular I’d witnessed in Vietnam, I unfortunately did not enjoy the experience.

Even though the beach is “private”, locals are able to access it from off the road too. That said, there was a group of middle-aged men exercising on the beach that day – which of course was no biggie. The problem we encountered was that we felt very uncomfortable as we were two girls in bikinis – which is obviously quite normal in North America, but maybe not so much in Vietnam as these men would not stop staring and eyeing us up and down.

Now I understand Asian cultures tend to be more conservative, but usually at vacation resorts, the guests are mainly international guests. From past experiences, I’ve never came across anything like this hence it of course did not cross my mind that this would occur. I’m not saying this totally ruined my stay with Victoria and again, we were there at sunrise. Perhaps later on in the day the beach becomes a little more crowded and is a better time to visit. However, if you are a solo female traveler or you and your best friend are planning a girls getaway here, refrain from wearing anything too revealing. (You can maybe even just put on a t-shirt with a light jacket and pants and go for a morning walk here because it truly is mesmerizing.)

Victoria Spa

The spa operates from 9:00AM to 10:00PM every day. We sadly didn’t get to try it, but Victoria offers hand, foot, and full body massages in addition to scrubs, wraps, and facials. Will definitely be back to try it next time!

Recreational Activities

The fantastic thing about Victoria is its incredible list of recreational activities to choose from. Everything from land (badminton, petanque, kite flying, beach volleyball, Tai Chi, tennis, and table tennis) to water (sailing, surfing, windsurfing, boating, kayaking, and fishing), there’s something for everyone. You literally don’t have time to be bored!

Sidecar Trips

In addition to the above mentioned activities, guests can enjoy being chauffeured around town in a vintage sidecar. OR, better yet, take a scenic ride with any of the below tours:

• 60-minute adventure to rice fields, fish and shrimp farms, and Tra Que Vegetable Village
• 2-hr early morning visit to Hoi An’s fish market
• Half day tour to Ba Na (with stop at Marble Mountain for cable car ride over the lush tropical forest)
• Full day excursion to Son Tra Mountain + explore local fishing boats and pristine white sand beaches (lunch included)
• Full day excursion to Thuan Phuoc Bridge (with stops at Hai Van Pass and Marble Mountain for photos)
• 5 days, 4 nights trip to Imperial City of Hue and A Ko (located on Laos border)

Complimentary Shuttle & Free Bike Rentals

As stated earlier, Victoria offers free shuttle services. There is a set schedule. However, if you wish to arrange for a specific time to best compliment your itinerary, you could do so at an additional fee. Apart from that, they offer complimentary bike rentals for exploring the nearby Cua Dai Beach.

Additional Images

Final Verdict

Amenities: ★★★★☆ (1 restaurant, 3 bars, pool, beach, spa, jacuzzi, sauna, steam bath, gym, 2 tennis courts, billiards)
Cleanliness: ★★★★★
Comfort: ★★★★★
Proximity: ★★★★☆
Quietness: ★★★★★
Safety: ★★★★☆ (despite the beach incident, main resort grounds and rooms are 100% very safe)
Space: ★★★★★
Value of Price: ★★★★☆
Internet Access: Complimentary Wi-Fi

Pros

• Boutique hotel. I love that Victoria coins themselves as “non city-clickers” and that they are “people from small towns in who welcome guests as they would in their own homes.” This really illustrates the true beauty of Vietnamese hospitality and I strongly believe in supporting local businesses.
• Lots of recreational choices
• Currency exchange services available
• Complimentary bike rental + free shuttle service

Cons

• Only has one restaurant but 2 of the 3 bars serve snacks so you do somewhat have a bit of a variety
• Private beach incident mentioned above

Like what you see? Check here for availabilities and book today!

And that concludes today’s review. Be sure not to miss these things to do in Hoi An and I’ll see you in the next post!