Novotel Hotel

While I've been living in Hanoi, a hotel rennaissance has been occuring in Nha Trang, Vietnam's south central coast beach resort and, also, my hometown. The long and natural bay lends itself to this kind of development, with many of the big players in international hotels moving in to claim their plot of beach front. Tran Phu Street, the boulevard running parallel to the beach, is turning into Vietnam's Gold Coast.

I wanted to check out what all the fuss is about. Of course, normally when I'm home I stay with family and when I'm on holiday I stay at family run mini-hotels, so the four-star Hotel Novotel Nha Trang is a big deal for me. A recommendation had come from a friend in the trade and when I was offered a room upgrade as I checked in, I must say that this little experience of luxury was quite nice for a change.

The hotel boasts that every room has a seaview; in some hotels that could mean out of the bathroom window. Not so here. A blue panorama of sea and islands can be seen through full length windows from air-conditioned comfort or from each room's balcony, where Nha Trang's famous afternoon seabreeze takes the edge off the heat of the day. Sunrise in the morning is truly a spectacular sight which one need not get out of bed for. That's a bonus!

The room decor is purple on white and there is no hint of Vietnam in the design or the finish. They have avoided the cliched images of girls in ao dai and there is not a lacquer vessel in sight. Maybe there is a Novotel template of room design. The shiny chrome reading lamps are a classy touch by the bedside, which is a couple of steps up on a mezzanine of sorts. This creates a sense of spaciousness, with desk space for laptops, glasses for the main drinking occasions, sofa and the balcony and outdoor setting down below.

And don't forget the sea, which really is the star feature of the room!

Outside of the room, there is lots to enjoy, including a pool, fitness centre and massage service; all quite typical I guess for regular guests at the Novotel and other high-end hotels. My outside of the room experience was spent mostly with friends and family at the local eateries but I did enjoy a beer at the hotel's main restaurant, The Square, which almost feels as if it is located on the beach.

Indeed, the sea seems to be the recurring theme at the Novotel Nha Trang.
Novotel Nha Trang Hotel
50 Tran Phu Street
Telephone:(+84)58/6256900

Mangosteen Restaurant

The mangosteen is an exotic tropical fruit with luscious segments of white flesh inside. The Movenpick Hotel has taken inspiration from this fruit in the naming of its restaurant, which is located on the second floor with views across some of Hanoi’s fine French Colonial buildings. The space is artfully decked out with walls the colour of mangosteens, splashes of purple in the furniture upholstery and the modern paintings on the walls. The table setting includes a glass cube vase containing a single white gerbera and a green fern frond. The décor promises much.

And the menu offers a range of choices that would satisfy most diner’s palates.

For our starters, we opted for the seared scallops served atop a delicate fresh garden salad of lettuce, herbs and avocado and a swiss chicken salad, rich and sweet with cheese, apple and a mayonnaise dressing. The portions, on teardrop shaped white plates, were perfectly sized which we appreciated later when our main courses arrived. A generous selection of breads, including some great salty pretzels, was served on the side. We probably ate too many of those.

From the grill we selected our main courses, which were served with potatoes and vegetables done to the customer’s liking. Accompanying the salmon was a neat stack of crumbed roasted vegetables and crispy potato rosti along with a ramekin of creamy lemon sauce. The stack of lamb cutlets got delivered on a flat raft of spring beans and came circled with halved new potatoes served face down. A herby mint sauce with a hint of chili finished the dish nicely. The kitchen staff should be commended for the timing, temperature and presentation of these meals, all of which were spot on.

Suitably impressed by this stage, there was little need nor room in the stomach for dessert. So we rested for a while to make room.

Room for big desserts with a distinctively European feel. A king size serve of apple strudel came with homemade vanilla ice-cream and cream while the vanilla soufflé contrasted with the raspberry coulis alongside it. Every single mouthful was savoured even though we were both full to bursting.

The Swiss do hospitality well, with the local staff representing them professionally with service that was warm, efficient and hardly noticeable. Movenpick’s venture in Hanoi appears on the way to success if our meal at their classy Mangosteen restaurant is any indication.

Brasserie Westlake Restaurant

Recently, I was invited to the Sofitel Plaza Hanoi for a birthday dinner at the Brasserie Westlake Restaurant. Luckily for me it was a Friday evening, when the restaurant hosts lobster at the most popular seafood buffet in town. Originally from the south central coast of Vietnam, where seafood is a daily part of the diet, I have to say that I have rarely looked forward to a meal this much. I see buffets as a great chance to really have large serves of the foods that I love or don’t get to eat that often. I really feel like a child in a candy shop.

Brasserie Westlake is located right next to the lobby of the hotel with sweeping views of the chaotic traffic on the streets below. A table by the window offers a more intimate dining experience but the space can also cater for large parties. Actually getting to the table can be problematic though, as diners have to walk through the actual buffet area to be seated. I defy anyone who can negotiate their way through such a feast without stopping to consider what they will start with!

And the options are immense, not just limited to seafood. Japanese features in the form of sushi and sashimi. Smoked salmon and fresh oysters are located alongside. Salads comprise a large section of the buffet, both those designed by the chefs and ingredients to custom make one’s own, including a nice range of dressings. Hot dishes under shining silver chafing lids vary from night to night and might include Asian inspired curries and stir-fries or dishes from the Mediterranean and other regions of Europe. Carbohydrates in the form of rice, bread and potatoes are available, too. I ignore them as I want to fill up on the fare from the grill.

Here, my seafood cravings are satisfied. Arranged across a big refrigerated display case are a range of creatures from the seas, including red snapper, sardines, flower snails, prawns, squid, mussels…the list goes on. Of course, the star of the show on Fridays is lobster. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven, as I went back again and again to select and watch my seafood being cooked. For those who are allergic to seafood – and I feel sorry for them – there is a good range of lamb, pork, beef and chicken to be grilled up too.

My only problem was that I could not do justice to the dessert buffet. The centerpiece is a fountain, under which pieces of fruit can be drenched in liquid chocolate. Dozens of bite size cakes and little flans in shot glasses lined the dessert trays. A chocolate bread pudding looked delectable and rich. Next time I’m going to leave room.

Executive chef Mike Drew and his very capable team at the Brasserie Westlake can be assured by the crowds present on my visit and on most nights that they know how to put on a good buffet spread.

I’ll be back.

Van Hai Resort

Just by chance rather than good planning, my friends and I got the last available booking at Van Hai Resort which is located on a wild hidden beach on Quan Lan Island. The recent public holidays joined to the weekend created the perfect opportunity for a break from life in the chaotic capital. And the atmosphere on Quan Lan Island is about as relaxing as you’ll get. The simple accommodation offered by the Van Hai Resort was fitting too.

With rooms in stilt houses looking through the conifer trees and down the sand dunes onto the sea, we settled down for a five day stay. The cold shower bathrooms and fan rooms may not be everyone’s cup of tea but the sheets and towels were replaced daily and the beer was delivered cold in a polystyrene box full of ice. We sat on our long balcony with our feet on the rails, beers in hand, forgetting the pressures of city life.

The complex is owned by Viglacera, a government owned company which makes porcelain basins and toilet bowls. Ironically, this company is also responsible for the sand mining one beach around from their resort! Mr. Ngoc, the deputy manager, says the resort has recently been renovated but has been operating for three years. The surrounding foreshore is largely untouched and uninhabited – no more resorts on the drawing boards as yet, which is a good thing.

The only criticism is the difficulty getting fed. There are several little stalls run by local women within the resort grounds but there’s not much on offer apart from steamed squid, grilled dried squid and instant noodles with egg. There is a restaurant, too – though it has no menus and, anything that can be eaten there needs to be ordered in advance in the morning at highly inflated prices. One night, we had a set menu meal there, the dessert for which was one orange on a plate to be split between six people! Go to town for meals is the lesson here!

But we were not there for the food. As an escape, to see a bit of my country where development is happening slowly, to be the only one walking along the entire beach – these are the reasons to visit Quan Lan Island. And, with sunrise views over the sea, Van Hai Resort is the accommodation of choice.

Van Hai Resort
Son Hao - Quan Lan
Van Don - Quang Ninh
Tel : (84).(33).877316

Thanh Kieu Resort In Phu Quoc

Thanh Kieu sounds pretty much like thank you in English. Quite a clever, catchy name for a resort when I think about it. Easy to remember, too. Thanh Kieu Resort in Phu Quoc is located right on the beach, hidden away from the dusty red clay road. Surrounded by a tropical garden of bamboos, palms and tropical plants and flowers, this hotel is a little piece of paradise that I really feel like keeping secret.

A family business where most of the staff is related to the owner, the accommodation consists of mostly thatch-roofed bungalows with terraces overlooking the beach. A couple of newer bungalows with tiled roofs have been built recently but are simply equipped in exactly the same way, with two beds and the necessary mosquito nets, fridges, fans and cold water bathrooms. Well, to call it a resort might be a bit of an exaggeration but considering the beach is right outside, a hammock swings in the sea breeze and the weather is hot, there isn’t much call for a room with much more than the basics. Let’s just say, for me, it’s a resort.

On the hotel’s beachfront, two coconut palms grow almost parallel to the sand. I could’ve sat all day observing the simple things around me, sipping on cold mango juice and taking the occasional dip in the sea. The thing is, though, that the hotel’s chief receptionist, Mr Tuan is rich with knowledge and ideas about how to while away the time on this island. But there is no pressure. I just appreciate it when I’m kept well-informed of the activities and places of interest on offer. When I was feeling energetic, I took his advice to visit the pepper farms and the beautiful deserted star beach. He also directed and accompanied me to the night market for a taste of the local seafood. Good service is hard to find sometimes. Not here.

Established for around three years, no restaurant exists yet. This does not present any problems as the same plot of beachfront is occupied by the very casual Rainbow Bar. In the mornings, I just fell out of bed, wandered a few steps and ordered scrambled eggs on fresh round knots of bread. In the evenings, magnificent fresh seafood and tall cold bottles of beer were the perfect way to finish the day, whether it was an active one or a lazy one.

At night in bed, the fan whirs, the sea ebbs and flows and I think I must be dreaming. When I wake up, I realize it’s just another day in paradise.

Thanh Kieu Resort Coco Beach
100C/14 Tran Hung Dao Street
Duong Dong Town - Phu Quoc District
(84).(773).848394
Mobile: 0919 707 576 - 0917 200 725
Email : thanhkieucocobeach@yahoo.com

Love Hotels

Hanoi has an amazing range of hotels, from five-stars like the Sofitel and the Hilton to cheap mini-hotels and backpacker places. There is another kind of hotel - a guesthouse really - that is also very popular. Known as Nha Nghi in Vietnamese, different people come to these guesthouses for different purposes, many of them for their secret happy moments!

These places are common all over the city and the people who work there don't need many qualifications. The most important things they need is to be clever, fast in dealing, understanding and ignoring. You also have to know how to warn clients when the police show up and hide any documents or booking information.

Nowadays, there are many young teenage couples who, instead of being at school, play truant and go to hotels to 'study' being adults :). The number of older people who have secret second lovers also choose these places for their own privacy. The guesthouse staff don't care who they are, how old they are or what time they arrive. They give the room and collect the money, mostly by the hour! Such an easy job.

On the down side, some of these guesthouse rooms for drug use, prostitution and gambling. Many people have been caught by police, publicly embarrassed in magazines and the hotel staff also get in big trouble because this is illegal. It is clear that these guesthouses are providing for a demand but the meaning of the word guesthouse has a different meaning in Vietnam!

King For A Night in Nha Trang - Bao Dai Villas

Bao Dai's Villas is a dream hotel for a special holiday. Located on top of five hills with great ocean views, the villas are surrounded by green plants and peace and quiet. The price is a bit expensive for the average back packer but it's reasonable for the middle rank, ranging only from $25 for the standard up to $80 for the deluxe. Bao Dai's villas are one of the few remaining examples of French colonial architecture in Viet Nam and were built in the 1920s as a holiday resort for the last Vietnamese King Bao Dai and Queen Nam Phuong.

There are two restaurants in this hotel, one on the beach and the other on the second hill which is right next to the Queen's villa. Super massages and other services are available on the private beach which cost you nothing.

Better book in advance if you want to be a King or Queen for your next memorable holiday by emailing baodai@dng.vnn.vn or calling to (84)(058) 590147 - 590148. Fax (84)(058) 590146

New Sky Hotel in Nha Trang

This is one of my favorite hotels in my hometown, Nha Trang, which I always recommend to my friends. It's a really clean, comfortable hotel with sea views, even though it takes you 3 minutes to walk to the beach. New Sky is quite a busy hotel with reasonable prices with all kinds of services. The staff are friendly, especially Mrs Huyen, the owner.

This is a big hotel which has 70 rooms with air con and international TV channels. It has been open for about 5 years as a 4 storey hotel but has just been expanded early this year to include another 4 floors which have beautiful sea views and city views.

If you have any special requirement, do not hesitate to contact Mrs Huyen via email newskyhotel@dng.vnn.vn or visit their website newskyhotel.com or by telephone (058) 3525455- 3527003, Fax (058)3825445