This was published 1 year ago
Serene, affordable luxury in the heart of UNESCO heritage-listed Hoi An
By Kylie McLaughlin
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On the banks of the Thu Bon river, Anantara Hoi An is a peaceful and luxurious respite from which to experience city's busy UNESCO World Heritage-listed old town, a mere five-minute walk away. The resort has an enviable riverfront location and is the only hotel of its calibre in walking vicinity the historic site, with other comparable five-star brands choosing to set up shop along the beach between here and Da Nang, which is a 45-minute drive away.
The Look
Anantara's beautiful palm-fringed pool.Credit: Sven Ellsworth
Nestled in a picturesque setting of verdant lawns, tropical plants, palms and a pond with frogs croaking noisily, Antantara is spread over several modern buildings that reflect the region's French Colonial history. The grand, double-storey buildings are coloured pastel pink with white balustrade-lined verandahs to shelter from the hot Vietnamese sun. There are 93 rooms and suites, two restaurants and a huge, unusually square-shaped pool with a bar and a small gym nearby.
The Room
I'm in a 'Premium River View Suite', which is located on the first floor of the building closest to the river. The room has cushioned seating outside, hidden behind a wall of snakegrass from which to enjoy people-watching along the Thu Bon. Inside, the split-level room has unique balustrading separating the living area from the bedroom. It's spacious with neutral tones, with pops of colour from greens and blues on the wall with matching pillows on the L-shaped couch and queen-sized bed. Above the bedhead, a large, iconic print of the woman in white Ao Dai is set against the yellow buildings typical of the UNESCO-heritage-listed town. The well-stocked minibar contains snacks, wine, beer and soft drinks, along with coffee-and-tea-making facilities. A spacious bathroom is hidden behind sliding wooden doors, styled to resemble palm fronds, where you'll find a mosaic-tiled shower with sunken tub.
Credit: Supplied Anantara Hoi An
Food + Drink
A two-storey building hosts both restaurants - Lanterns at the upper level for breakfast, and downstairs, Hoi An Riverside Restaurant for lunch and dinner, with huge verandah from which to observe life on the river. Dine from the verandah over fresh tropical fruit flavoured cocktails or a small but succinct wine list, while sampling dishes from the region and more broadly around the country. The menu includes artistically presented dishes such as fried king crab spring rolls with a Noac Cham dipping sauce; grilled local scallops with garlic butter; and a banana flower salad with king prawns. Breakfast is tiny pastries and fresh bread, a cereal station, tropical fruits, jars of yoghurt, or for something more local, pho, savoury-filled rice cakes with soy dipping sauces, as well as more Western-influenced iced teas and kombuchas, and decent coffee.
Out + About
Getting to and from the old town is easy; it's a five-minute walk from the lobby and there are also bikes you can use to travel further afield (the beach, for example). Vietnamese Uber-like app Grab is also handy for travelling further (it can get a little hot for cycling in this region). The hotel also offers experiences such as an hour-long boat trip along the river (which will save you bargaining with vendors on the riverside) - the trip includes finger food and drinks. You can also do one of the country's best street food tours with Hoi An Street Food (eathoian@gmail.com). Their local guide not only had an impressive knowledge of the cuisine, but he knew each individual vendor so well he was able to assemble some of the dishes himself while the they were busy. It would be extremely difficult to replicate this experience independently and I was super impressed with each of the dishes - especially since they were tailored to suit my fussy (pescetarian) palate.
The Verdict
For serene luxury in the heart of Hoi An, Anantara is hard to beat.
The Essentials
1 Đường Phạm Hồng Thái, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam; Rooms from $269 per night; anantara.com/en/hoi-an
Our rating out of five
4.5
Highlight
Its elegant rooms are divine, but there's nothing like being able to walk back from searing-hot Hoi An to your accommodation and head straight for the pool.
Lowlight
I found the sunken bath/shower combination in the bathroom to be awkward getting in and out of.
The writer was a guest of Anantara
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