Another guest blog by Theodore
GTHQ Jaunt Journal – Hotel: Son Tra Resort & Spa, Da Nang, Vietnam
Location: Bai Nam – Bai Con, Tho Quang Ward, Son Tra District; 15 min drive from Da Nang City
This review covers one of the 2 hotels on Son Tra Peninsula. The other is the Intercontinental Da Nang Resort (review coming soon from XES).
Front View
The Room
At this property, I booked a 1 Bedroom Ocean View Villa. All the Villas are two bedrooms with one bedroom locked. We received an upgrade to a two bedroom (unlocking the second room) because of a miscommunication during the time of my reservation. The unit has an enjoyable light airy feel.
The units are all two story and there are two bedrooms upstairs. One room has a private bathroom with toilet and sink only. There is a full bathroom with shower in the common area. Each bedroom has a well maintained air-condition unit and one security safe is provided.
Down stairs is a full kitchen with microwave, stove, water boiler for coffee, refrigerator and full complement of kitchen utensils and dishes. On the first day complementary fruit was provided. Each day you receive two complementary 400 ml bottles of water. For additional water they charge .50 USD. The dining table seats 6 persons.
The living room sports a 32” flat screen TV, air conditioner and sofa space for four persons with room to spare. Large double French doors open to a small porch – nice to leave these open but it limits your privacy. However, the private 15 foot by 10 foot pool has an attached gazebo perfect for relaxing in privacy.
Living Area
The Property
The overall atmosphere of this property is relaxed. Dining at their restaurant was tasty and reasonably priced ranging from $5 – $20 per person for a meal. There is no fitness facility. The beaches are small but private. Larger beaches are just a 200 meters to the left and right of the property. Accessing them requires walling down the road or climbing over a series of rocks that separate the property from these other beaches.
Breakfast Spread
There is also a private pool provided when this room is booked.
Private Pool
As with the Intercontinental you are a 30 minute taxi ride from the airport (200k dong – US$10). Unlike the Intercontinental there is no shuttle to Hoi An which is a 500k dong (US $23.50) 70 minute taxi ride one way. There is a free daily shuttle bus to downtown Da Nang where you can take a taxi to Hoi An (45 minute 350k dong).
The Experience
The staff was genuinely friendly but we came to expect that from Vietnamese people. The furniture and property is a little weathered but clean. If you want exquisite décor, exclusiveness and price isn’t a concern (unless you’re traveling on points) then the Intercontinental is the obvious choice. Otherwise this is an excellent value and I would definitely return here again.
The Good: Good Location; Very quiet and cozy – equivalent to having a private home; Private pool; Normal Nightly Cost: $130
The Bad: Limited free shuttle service to local attractions. During Typhoon season book rooms with free cancelation as this property is close and exposed to the ocean.
The Ugly: We arrived 1 week after typhoon Nari hit and some doors and windows were broken and trees were knocked over. However given the disaster, we definitely give the property a pass and wish them all the best in their recovery!
Theodore
