In August 2022, I checked into the Deluxe Ocean View Suite at Hoiana Hotels & Suites, one of the luxury hotel concepts housed within the sprawling Hoiana Resort & Golf set along a private beach south of Hoi An. Part of the US$4 billion HOIANA development in Vietnam which comprises entertainment facilities, a championship golf course and multiple accommodation concepts (most of them managed by Rosewood Hotel Group), the 141-suite beachfront property is 40 minutes away from Da Nang International Airport and close to various UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary.
The integrated resort is only in its first phase of opening, with Hoiana Hotels & Suites and New World Hoiana Hotel being operational. Upcoming developments include Khos Hoiana, Hoiana Residences and Rosewood Hoi An.
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Beachfront food and entertainment extravaganza in Central Vietnam.
The must-dos (if any): Enjoy ocean views from The Edge, take a dip in the 16th floor infinity pool, frolic at the water slides, have Korean BBQ at Obaltan.
HOIANA HOTELS & SUITES
The suites-only property is one of the many luxury hotel concepts clustered within the Hoiana Resort & Golf integrated resort. The hotel operates three dining concepts – ground floor international cuisine space The Terrace where guests enjoy breakfast; 16th floor restaurant and bar The Edge which has outdoor seating for your enjoyment of the ocean views and breeze; and laidback beachfront bar Cove.
The hotel’s key wellness facilities are located on the 16th level. The Tranquility Lounge offers reflexology therapies, while the 24-hr Fitness Centre is equipped with cardio and strength-training machines as well as free weights. However, the most notable would be their glorious infinity pool which extends outward towards the beach in a manner that makes you feel intimately close to the ocean. Unlike other infinity pools which may have safety layers of glass walls beyond the pool perimeters, this pool goes without, and when I stood on the edge of the pool to pose for a photograph, I did feel my knees tremble slightly despite there being a sizeable ledge between me and 16 floors below.
Aside from the 16th floor infinity pool, the resort also offers a beachside swimming pool with sun loungers; a water slide feature with thrilling open and enclosed water body slides which run into a plunge pool; and a private beach with installations of oversized casino chips, sunglasses, high chairs as well as a beach ball for your chic/zany Instagram moments.
The Hoiana Hotels & Suites tower offers direct connection to the adjacent Hoiana Casino, with access being complimentary for foreign visitors if you register for a Hoiana Premium Rewards card. The entertainment facility offers more than 350 slot machines and electronic table games as well as live table stadium games on a giant LED screen with real-time dealers. Those looking for more outdoorsy forms of entertainment can visit the 18-hole links golf course Hoiana Shores Golf Club a short drive away which caters to golfers of all levels. Offering views of the Eastern Sea and Cham Islands from the sprawling natural seaside dunes, the golf club feels ripped from Gossip Girl, Dynasty or similar with its 6000sqm clubhouse which plays it all chesterfield sofas, grand spiralling staircases, luxurious locker room facilities and general old money charms.
Aside from the hotel’s own facilities, guests should take the opportunity to visit the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site Hoi An Ancient Town and take in the sights and sounds of the town’s distinctive architectural features which reflect a fusion of both indigenous and foreign cultures. During my daytime visit, I had with me a tour guide, Mr Khanh, who was knowledgeable, eloquent and passionate about sharing about the history of the former trading port, and we visited various living museums such as the 200-year-old Phung Hung Ancient House which reflects Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese architectural styles. Even without a tour guide, helpful information boards located around the ancient town offer fascinating history and geography lessons along the way. (For instance, I learnt that houses had to be built to anticipate fairly vicious bouts of flooding from time to time, with water levels sometimes going as high as the rafters, and I saw a heartwarming photograph of a man who was completely submerged in water from the chin down but risked his life holding up a pail above his head with his pet dog on board.) Unfortunately, I missed experiencing Hoi An Ancient Town at night, which is when the town comes alive with illumination from colourful lanterns and bustling night market activities.
Guests can also partake in key tourist attractions such going on a Coconut Boat Ride, a delightful and memorable experience with various (literal) twists and turns that is best experienced unspoiled.
DELUXE OCEAN VIEW SUITE
Offering calming ocean views from its spacious balcony with daybed, the 80sqm Deluxe Ocean View Suite sports a contemporary aesthetic with muted shades, gold finishings and marble textures. The living area is decidedly spacious with generous sizeable sofa seating, while elsewhere the bathroom features MALIN+GOETZ bathroom amenities, a walk-in wardrobe, a free-standing bathtub as well as double vanities which directly face the rainfall shower space beyond the glass wall. (There are no blinds in the shower stall.) While on the topic of privacy, another interesting feature would be the cushioned ledge in the living area next to the plantation dividers which separate the living room and the bathroom.
The minibar is well-stocked with an abundance of alcohol – think Glenmorangie whisky, Hennessy VSOP cognac, Flor De Cana Rum, Hendricks Gin, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet and Charles Heidsieck champagne – while the pantry offers Nespresso coffee and Art of Tra Vietnamese tea-making facilities.
The spacious outdoor terrace is one of the suite’s key features, offering a wonderful morning breeze (that distinct smell of seaside resort) as well as beautiful sunset views.
DINING
Breakfast is served at airy ground floor space The Terrace, with breakfast being a self-serve buffet affair – think American breakfast staples, freshly baked pastries and local fruits – along with pho and egg stations. Pro tip: start your day with a glass of their Vietnamese coffee (iced or otherwise).
Rooftop lounge and bar The Edge on the 16th floor offers an assortment of seating options, from conventional dining tables and outdoor terrace seats to bar counter seats, swing sets and even daybeds and deck chairs by the pool, most of them designed to offer stunning ocean views. The menu is mostly sharing-style – think Seafood Platter for Two, Kagoshima Wagyu Flank MB9 Bites, Gambas Al Ajillo and the smoky and sweet Hoi An Pork Skewer. I was pleasantly surprised by the cocktails I had from both The Terrace and The Edge, which were spirit-forward and exactly what I would expect from a proper cocktail bar, with the White Negroni, Cold Brew Negroni and surely James Bond-approved Hoiana Martini being highlights.
Rounding up the hotel’s dining concepts is beachfront restaurant and bar Cove, which offers coastal and Western comfort fare (e.g. 200GR Angus Beef Burger, ½ Grilled Farmed Chicken, Pan Seared Sapa Salmon, Linguine Alle Vongole and Grilled Seafood Platter) and refreshing takes on negronis, spritzers and bellinis.
Aside from the hotel’s own dining concepts, the resort premises offers various restaurants and bars around the sprawling premises: Korean BBQ concept Obaltan, where I enjoyed luxurious cuts of wagyu and sliced pork belly prepared and cut table-side for my clean consumption pleasure; Chinese restaurant Lucky Court, fortuitously situated next to Hoiana Casino and offering glimpses into the exciting entertainment activities within, in addition to being a place where I had a most tantalising Sichuan Hot and Sour Soup and hilarious Osmanthus Jelly with Sweet Wolfberries in the shape of mahjong tiles; Vietnamese restaurant Hao Viet; coffee deli space Cham; and multi-cuisine food court The Garden.
CONCLUSION
My stay was an intriguing blend of quintessential beach resort feels, entertainment and play facilities, commendable dining moments as well as surprising cultural experiences. It would be interesting to return and experience the entire HOIANA complex when it is 100% in full swing, especially when the even more luxurious properties Khos Hoiana and Rosewood Hoi An open in later phases.
Hoiana Hotel & Suites
Tay Sin Tay Hamlet
Duy Hai Commune, Duy Xuyen District
Quang Nam Province, Vietnam
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