White Sand Cam Ranh Hotel

I ended up staying here by accident. For the price, the quality and service weren’t worth it. My room had no light and no blankets. After only two hours I wanted to check out and get my money back, but they refused and insisted on charging the full price. I wasn’t satisfied at all. Please don’t stay here. During the economic slowdown caused by COVID, it felt like they were trying to get as much money out of you as possible. The service was poor, the facilities weren’t up to standard, and the room was missing so many things that a motel would be better than this so-called hotel.

The room itself was nice, and everything else was fine, but the staff couldn’t speak English. That was a disaster for us, and we had to rely on Google Translate to communicate. Breakfast was the same every day. It might suit Vietnamese guests, but as a European I could really only see eggs and toast that worked for me. Renting a motorbike also cost a fortune. Elsewhere in Vietnam, 120K VND gets you one for 24 hours. Here, they charged 150K VND for just 12 hours. The bikes themselves felt dangerous too: one had brake problems, and another kept stalling at low speeds and had no rearview mirror. All that for 150K?

The room was clean, the pool was good, the balcony was nice, and the food was tasty and hot. It’s a decent choice for a business trip, though it’s far from the ocean. I’d initially had a good impression of the staff, but during a longer business stay their behavior wasn’t so nice. They ask you to pay once a week if you stay long term. The restaurant is expensive, though the food is still good.

We were staying here in February, during the early days of the shutdown, when hardly anyone was around. Even the beach condos seemed to be below 10% occupancy. I felt bad for the businesses losing so much, and Cam Ranh White Sand Hotel, just 1 km from the main beach, is one I’d want to visit again once the virus is beaten. The hotel made a great impression from the start. The entrance had deep cherry wood and a lovely wooden bench, with marble-look tile through the entrance, walkways, and driveway. Driving in felt a bit like arriving at a palace, and the pyramid design gave it a royal feel. Reception was only about 50 feet in, with two computers just to the left that guests could use for free, which was a big plus. There’s also an open-air restaurant and coffee shop, plenty of good photo spots, and two large bird cages guarding the restaurant entrance. Above it, there’s an enclosed karaoke bar. The pool has an outdoor room beside it for private parties or karaoke, so there’s plenty to do in one place. I had the small room with a queen bed and loved it. It had a little balcony overlooking the pool on my right, a nice place to get some fresh air. The hallway kept noise down well, and I barely heard anything. The rooms come in different sizes and are beautiful, and there was a friendly smile around every corner whenever I needed help. Laundry is available in-house for a modest price, and it was quick. I’ve found decent massages hard to come by. I did find one, but the service could’ve been better. The hotels don’t offer massages on site, which would be a great extra. The beach resorts do, but good luck with those prices. Cam Ranh really got to me. I’d love to semi-retire and work there in a hotel as an in-house massage therapist, training others. If I could stay at White Sand and work as an on-site therapist, who knows! One morning, without us asking, the hotel prepared a small lunch because our early flight meant we’d miss breakfast. Wow, I was blown away. Give this hotel a try. It’s well worth the price. Best, Jimmy Dale