Sea'lavie Boutique Resort & Spa

The website photos are completely out of date, as the hotel admits once you arrive, and then they try to get more money from you. When you raise the situation with the manager, you're told the manager isn't available and hasn't told anyone else about your complaint. My daughters stayed here, and the staff don't answer your calls. This place feels like a safety issue. There are plenty of lively places to stay in Hoi An, so choose one of those.

My family had a really enjoyable stay. The garden and restaurant are lovely, and the hotel is peaceful now, with no construction noise nearby. We'll definitely come back.

The staff were lovely and welcoming. One woman on the day shift spoke fantastic English, though all the staff were friendly. Our room was the top option on booking.com and was a good size for the two of us and our seven-year-old. What brought the room rating down was its upkeep and the neighboring hotel's layout. The bath was in the bathroom as expected, but the plumbing was all over the place and the tap was loose. The shower was outside on an uncovered balcony, with a roller blind meant to provide privacy from the neighboring building and its builders. The listing on booking.com and Google Maps makes it look as if you can reach the beach directly through the hotel gardens. You can't, because the beach has washed away. You have to walk down the street in either direction to find a path. It's not a huge problem, but you won't be stepping straight onto the beach. The pool is a good size, though there's no outdoor toilet. You have to go through reception to the cafe or back to your room. Breakfast was basic but gave us something to work with. The freshly cooked eggs were probably the best part. If breakfast hadn't been included in the room price, I'd have gone elsewhere. This is a tricky review for me: we'd planned our longest stay here, it was the most expensive place we stayed, and I wanted it to be the best, so I may be overcritical. Take that with a pinch of salt and decide for yourself. It was generally OK, but if we return to Hoi An, I'd choose a homestay or hotel in the Old Quarter and take a grab to the beach.

There are a few better places on the street, but they probably cost around US $90. This was good value at about US $65 a night. It's a boutique hotel on the main road along a small seaside strip, with pretty gardens and ocean views. The room was small but comfortable and clean, the staff were friendly, and the included breakfast was good. During our three-day stay it seemed popular with guests. The street has three good coffee shops, laundry, massage, and three or four good restaurants, enough for two or three nights. My only real complaints were the poor fridge in the room and lack of direct beach access. The beach has washed away and sandbags are in front, so it's about a four-minute walk to get there.