Green Grapefruit Villa

We ended up leaving after the second night and moving somewhere else, even though we’d originally planned to stay two weeks. The shared kitchen was another problem: we were allowed to cook on the first day while the owner was away, but the next day she said she had to cook for several people and told us to wait two hours before using it. That was the last straw, so we contacted Airbnb and changed places. The room smelled horribly damp, almost swampy. It was built like a single-storey house without a foundation, and the mattress felt wet too. There were holes in the shower floor, and later I noticed fungus growing all over the wall. I can’t believe the landlady thought it was okay to put guests in a room like that. It felt really bad for our health. When we arrived, the landlady started pitching her tailor sister, her driver, herself, and other things. She charged us 44k dong per kilo for laundry without even weighing the bag. The next day we noticed a sign on her counter saying “40k dong per laundry.” The conditions were horrible.

The pool was genuinely nice, especially in the evening when the sun wasn’t beating down. The room was spacious and had a fridge, plus a little kitchen area. There’s even a window between the bedroom and bathroom, with blinds, so you can choose how much privacy you want. But the bathroom ceiling and blinds had fungus growing on them. Not a look I’d brag about. The owner was constantly selling things before check-in, including shows, tours, a tailor, and her nephew as an airport driver. We declined because we already had Tien, our driver. Just after 9 the next morning she knocked, with the nephew ready to take us to the airport, nine hours before our flight. The idea that we’d ditch our plans and wait at the terminal that early was baffling. Three stars from me. There’s a nice pool and plenty of room, but the upselling never let up, and the damp ceiling could probably grow shiitake mushrooms.

The owner looked after us like a mum during the big oct 25 floods, when we were stuck in our rooms for three days. The room was spacious, spotless and had big windows. It’s close to the old town but still calm, with good cafes and restaurants nearby. Great hotel.

The hotel has a lovely communal feel, without being too much. It sits in a quiet neighborhood, a short walk from the river and Old Town, and we liked the peaceful mornings and all the nearby restaurants. The ladies who run the place are so friendly and helpful. We looked forward to talking with them each day. It felt like a secret garden, with beautiful plants that the owner’s dad took great care of. I grew really fond of him. We spent 10 relaxing days at the Green Grapefruit, and it was a beautiful place to begin our visit to Hoi An.