Grandvrio Ocean Resort Danang

The rooms are spacious, the hotel is beautiful, and the beach is nice. Staff were friendly and helpful, but their very subservient manner made me uncomfortable. Food and drinks cost two to three times as much as at other five-star hotels around Hoi An, and there's not much to do beyond the property. If you're after a more relaxed resort, I'd suggest somewhere like Palm Garden Beach resort, closer to Hoi An.

The beach is lovely and there's plenty to do at the resort. It's more than a 30-minute drive from Danang, which suited me for a peaceful break away from the city's bustle. Breakfast had a great buffet selection, and the service was very good. Concierge Amy was especially polite and helpful. A great choice if you want a relaxing holiday.

The two things I'd change are the bar and the Japanese restaurant's dinner menu. There's a beach restaurant where you can sit, but no classic, nicely presented bar, which I think many Europeans would enjoy. Dinner at the Japanese restaurant felt unnecessarily expensive: sashimi portions had only three pieces per order, there weren't many sushi rolls, and the menu didn't give us enough choice for a full dinner. Lunch there was delicious and the quality is fine, but dinner needs a full rethink. We arrived after a domestic flight, and Tina made check-in feel great. She invited us to sit down, brought a lovely cold welcome drink, and explained the amenities, three restaurants, three pools, and activity schedule with a big smile. First impressions matter a lot to me at luxury resorts, and Tina was 10/10. The staff throughout were genuinely friendly and greeted guests warmly. You can feel the Japanese influence in the greetings, cleanliness, Japanese Onsen and Spa, and Japanese restaurant, all with Vietnamese warmth and smiles. We had a villa with a private pool, and the beachside setting was exquisite. L’occitane toiletries were a lovely touch. We planned three nights but immediately wanted longer. Helen, one of the managers, extended us for another three nights and kept the original rate. She was fabulous. Breakfast runs from 6 to 11am, with excellent variety and quality for the price, matching luxury brands. If you go down for the 5am sunrise, you'll see Vietnamese people at the beach from 5 to 6:30am, and breakfast gets busy from 6. The resort is very busy, even when it seems quiet. Many Asian guests head to breakfast early and then take shuttle buses out by 7:30am. I once went to the gym at 6am and saw at least 50 people streaming in for breakfast. Guests aren't all sitting by the pool all day, so don't assume the place is empty. The pool and beach area were exceptional, with music adding a nice atmosphere. The beach was sublime and the sunsets amazing. The adults' pool is large and deep, separate from the kids' pool, which helps create an oasis feel. The spa pool was awesome too. We used the gym, played basketball, and there's badminton as well. Lunch and dinner at ASEAN restaurant were tasty. We took four yoga classes, and Ms My Le was the best yoga teacher we've had in Asia. She led the class properly, helped us push our limits, and deepened our practice and stretches. The resort is lucky to have her. Classes are at 7am, 9am, and 2pm daily, with an extra 5pm sunset beach class on Tuesdays and Saturdays. We're nine weeks into our Asian honeymoon, traveling on a tight budget as well as staying in rooms for £10 a night and villas costing over £1k a night. This was hands down the strongest "I'm on holiday" feeling we've had in a long time. It delivered on value, welcome, setting, amenities, and facilities. We had the best time, and I appreciate all the staff and management. Some Western reviews are foolish: my £600-a-night Sofitel Luang Prabang stays didn't compare, at a fraction of the price here. Follow the local Vietnamese daily rhythm to get the most out of it. There's a fantastic Pho Bo stall run by a woman on the Main Street just outside the resort to the left. We went three times. This is our third Vietnam trip, and we love it. Each bowl was 40k Dong. 11/10. Thanks!

The beachfront was great, and the service staff were polite and helped us throughout. It rained while we were there, so we barely used the swimming pool. Luckily there was an onsen, which was great on a cool day.