Citrus Village Villa

The balcony felt dangerously unstable, like it might give way if you leaned on it. A fall from that height could have been fatal, and it’s shocking that guests are allowed to rent a place like this. The property is run-down and dilapidated, and the photos look nothing like the actual rooms. The owner made excuses and showed no hospitality or customer service. We were also overcharged for a motorbike rental. The air was the worst we experienced. For two full days, the hotel smelled of burning rubbish, and it was extremely unpleasant and unhealthy to stay there. There was a strong mould smell in our room, with visible black mould in both the bedroom and bathroom. Soundproofing was nonexistent, and we could clearly hear the neighbours’ booming TV late into the night. The shower only ran boiling hot or freezing cold. The bathroom extractor fan didn’t work and had a strange bag over it. The TV had no channels. There was visible dust all over the inside of the door, and the air conditioning unit was so clogged with dirt that I cleaned it myself just to make it usable. When we did see a staff member, all she could shriek was “You! You!” It was unhelpful and irritating. From the moment we arrived, things were chaotic: nobody at reception, no WiFi details, and the owner couldn’t initially find our booking. By far the worst hotel we stayed at in Vietnam. Unsafe, unhygienic, misrepresented, and poorly managed. Avoid at all costs.

I strongly don’t recommend this place. It isn’t a five-star hotel, and I wasn’t expecting anything fancy, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad. The rooms are very worn out, everything is dirty, and the pool is dirty too. There were huge flying cockroaches. Staff chased them away and suggested I stay in the same room. Only after I insisted did they move me, and the new room had cockroaches too, just smaller ones. There are no shops or cafés nearby, but that’s not even the main problem compared with what’s going on in the room. For $20 a night, you can find a much better place in Hoi An.

At the time I booked through Booking dot com, it was only $10 p/night, though I’m sure rates change by season. Amazing value. The room was modern, updated, and clean, and the grounds were nicely kept. It’s a large compound with a huge swimming pool and a covered outdoor bar area, and it feels peaceful and quiet. It’s between the beach area and town center, so neither is far. They offer free bicycles and scooters to rent. I don’t think anyone could be disappointed.

The pool area is lovely, though it wasn’t as private or quiet as I’d hoped. Kids’ swimming lessons happened every afternoon, and after a week there, it didn’t feel like the peaceful oasis I wanted for relaxing. It would be great for a night or two, though. It’s a lovely place halfway between Hoi An old town and the beach. Breakfast is free, made to order when you arrive, and changes each day.