Best Kept Secret: Villa Hoa Su - Hoi An
After a week of chaos and fun in Saigon, um - Ho Chi Min City, it was a great relief to take some well earned time out and slow the pace down a little in historic Hoi An, which is a 45 minute cab ride from Da Nang Airport. From there it was off to the secluded countryside of Cam Thanh where a wonderful little 5 room retreat that goes by the name of Villa Hoa Su - Frangipani Village Resort is located.
While Villa Hoa Su is just a short trip away from Hoi An as well as Cua Dai Beach, getting there is part of the fun, with the need to navigate a host of dirt tracks and lush farming land that trails the Co Co river. This is where you will be guaranteed to encounter all sorts of wild life including several large water buffalo before you finally make it to the resort.
Once you get there you will be struck by how tranquil and beautiful the grounds are, with the main feature being an over water pagoda that is surrounded by the main pool and a lily pond, full of catfish and giant koi. Of course it is called Frangipani for a reason, they are scattered everywhere throughout the property adding to the sense of peacefulness that this little resort offers over almost anywhere else in Hoi An.
The accommodation itself is really quite nice and slightly elevated in finishes and detail for the 3 star rating that this property is classed. The doors of each Superior, pool facing room open out directly to the pool area which affords you the opportunity to be in the room on the sofa or the bed but at the same time still have that outdoor feeling, which is quite relaxing. This is the perfect place to nestle in and start reading your favorite new book. A special feature of each room is the outside bathroom with rain-shower and marble bathtub set in a small private courtyard, this really elevates the luxe feeling of the stay. The beautiful breakfast pavilion is also another standout feature, however the AM food itself is probably less memorable than the surrounds, not to worry as lunch and dinner are very nice and with so many great food options in the town you can't wrong. Of course there are also any number cooking classes both at the resort and the near by local markets that there is no chance of you leaving unsatisfied when it comes to the culinary delights that Hoi An has to offer.
The staff are exceptionally friendly and really try to be as helpful as they can but it's here that the 3 stars start to become apparent. Essentially, this is not a well oiled machine with slick service staff, fully trained to luxury hotel standards, but more like a quaint and humble family run home-stay. It's best think of it as a deluxe B&B, which is actually fine as long as that is what you're expecting. What this means is that you'll probably find yourself being a little more self directed during your stay and taking care of things as you need as opposed to having everything done for you at you beck and call like you would at a 5 star destination.
The resort offers free bikes to ride into Hoi An for all your sight seeing which is great. You could also hire a scooter from the town and ride it back and keep it at the resort, either way this offers some great little journey's to and fro. There’s a lot to see and do in this magic ancient town but be warned getting back to the resort by bicycle or scooter is best in daylight hours as it gets very dark at night trying to navigate the little lane ways with no outside lighting.
Bottom Line:
There's no doubt that this charming and intimate destination will offer you a memorable stay and you'll make the most of it you're able to look past some of niggling flaws in attention to detail and aren't expecting high end service. What will win you over is the calming and secluded nature of the captivating surrounds that transport you to place of inner peace and harmony when compared to the hustle and bustle of the city and for this reason Villa Hoa Su is must visit when in Hoi An.
