Focusing on old-world charm and encircled by tropical gardens, Anantara is hands down the loveliest and the best spot in Hoi An. You’ll find it set on the banks of the pictorial Thu Bon River, just a fleeting saunter from the antiquated streets and vibrant style of one of Vietnam’s most charismatic towns.
Hotel
Home to first-rate tailors, an exquisite cyclic lantern festival and Vietnam’s best bánh mi, Hoi An is absolutely worth a visit, it’s a beautiful haven in this sprightly gastronome city, near enough to all the buzz but just remote away enough to relax.
A 45-minute drive from Danang Airport or under a three-hour drive over the picturesque Hai Van pass from the regal city of Hue will bring you to this gorgeous riverside location. It’s a mere five-minute walk from the alluring shops, markets, eateries and historic buildings of Hoi An’s UNESCO sheltered old quarter. By day Anantara is the picture-perfect place to get away from the city hullabaloo, sit back and view the receding tide and drift of river life. Come evening and trees full with gleaming lanterns give it a dreamy tone.
Room
With open walkways and terracotta-tiled bright pink flowers lined rooftops, designed in French colonial panache with a hint of Asian influences and an alfresco bend, rooms and suites are two and three level, soft painted edifices dotted about the plush gardens. Suites are open plan and all have patios with sprawling spaces, watching the garden or river.
The sizeable bathrooms with sliding double doors have mosaic-tiled showers – suites have deep-set tubs – and Elemis rubs and scrubs. Book a premium river view suite for a luxurious stay, but before stepping in don’t forget to soak in views of the water from the porch’s shaded day bed. A few steps and a guardrail detach the living area from the bedroom, where the inviting bed comes dressed in crisp linen, with silk pads and lamp shades enhancing bursts of colour.
The expansive suite is contemporary and homelike. A swanky lounge area is a serene dwelling to warm up with a good book or loosen in calm succeeding a day by the pool. While mainly white in colour, the area is given a squish of liveliness with a teal wall and turquoise urns on the shelves. Leaf niceties engraved into the doors and laced on pretty pillows elaborate the room while camerawork of Hoi An gives the space a local touch.
Food and drink
There’s certainly no lack of dining options here. An expansive buffet breakfast is served at first-floor Lanterns, where you can dawdle at a river view table over first-class bakery items and delicate French pastries, fresh fruits and juices, eggs-to-order, cereal or a steaming bowl of Vietnamese Pho.
Go for a drink and a light bite at the poolside Reflections bar or enjoy high tea at the Signature Hoi An Riverside Restaurant, which is a Hoi An dining destination in its own right. Here, the dinner menu focuses on local dishes, such as the legendary Cao Lau noodles, alongside Pho and White rose dumplings.
Head to the wind-swept open-air terrace for yummy pizzas straight from the wood-fired oven. Sip freshly-brewed coffee, wine and original cocktails as you appreciate local and cyclic pop-up art displays. Art space is an artistic association between the resort, the March Gallery and the Precious Heritage by Réhahn Museum. A pioneering menu of contemporary tapas-style East and West cuisine pools inspired bends on masterpieces and 3D-printed desserts with the opening and only 3D food printer in Vietnam.
To do
There’s lots do from riding complimentary bicycles to the beach and the ancient town and sunset cruises to lantern making and yoga classes. The concierge can organise an outing to the ancient My Son Sanctuary, or advise a tailor where you can get a stylish outfit made up for a fraction of the price. After a long day of exploring, the four-sided, palm-fringed pool is the impeccable place to unwind. Or you can learn to swoosh up traditional Vietnamese dishes on a Spice Spoons tailor-made cooking class. The spa also makes the most of native ingredients in treatments such as the Salt Body Scrub and the Vietnamese Green Tea.
In a nutshell
Take a laid-back cycle jaunt over sumptuous rice paddies to An Bang Beach. Uncover the remarkable homegrown culture in this boutique sanctuary. Anantara Hoi An Resort summons you to vacation in stylishness in this extraordinary milieu. Welcome the amalgam of French, Chinese, Dutch and Japanese inspiration in the accommodation, echoing the artistic miscellany of the city.
Factbox
A premium river view suite with breakfast per night is approx. £275 and The Anantara Suite with breakfast per night would be approx. £375 to £450 depending on the view.
Address: 1 Pham Hong Thai Street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province 560000 Vietnam
Phone: +84 235 3914 555/ +84 235 3914 515
Website: anantara.com
Photography courtesy of Anantara Hoi An Resort
