Sun River Hotel & Apartment

For Vietnam, this was a solid stay overall, and I’d come back despite the problems. The price felt fairly high for the quality, even though I cancelled my booking and paid directly at the front desk. Maybe partly because of the price, the hotel seemed relatively empty. If they fixed the issues below, the stay would be much better and worth the price. The service problems seem easy to address with better staff training. I asked for boiled eggs at breakfast, which guests have to request at the front desk. I appreciate that the eggs are fresh, but the cook didn’t peel them. When I interrupted breakfast to ask, the receptionist refused to ask the cook and said they couldn’t be peeled. I should have asked the cook myself, but that meant walking outside the building. It all felt ridiculous for this price. People come to Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, for good service. The cook probably would have peeled them in five minutes, and the receptionist only needed to ask. Saying no to a small, unexpected request shouldn’t be the default. They should have a service mindset and keep improving. At checkout, it was unsettling when staff said, “We need to check the room!” I initially thought they might hold my luggage as collateral during the inspection. The hotel already has your passport and credit card information, and could file a claim for major damage. Making a guest feel held, or making it seem like their bags could be kept while staff look for any flaw, is poor service. In my opinion, they should quietly inspect after the guest leaves and only raise anything if there’s damage. Luggage should never be held as collateral, or even give that impression at a hotel in this price range. The room itself was close to perfect, though the shower had a few issues. It worked well at first, but ran out of hot water just before ten minutes. Hot water eventually came back, but the temperature and pressure were different, which was annoying at this price. I believe the hotel was built many years ago, but surely this could still be fixed. The curtains aren’t blackout curtains, which is more a personal preference. On sunny days, the morning light fills the room nicely, but at this price most hotels would have blackout curtains. The central air conditioning was very good and individually controlled, rather than a wall-mounted unit. It made the room cold, but the air blew a bit far from the bed, so it couldn’t get super cold, which is often healthiest for deep sleep. There was also an issue with passport details. They wouldn’t simply write down my information, which is all Vietnamese law requires. They insisted on taking a photo, which could be a security risk for the customer. Under Vietnamese data protection law, I understand guests are also supposed to have the right to refuse an ID photo. The front desk needs better training on this.

We’ve returned to Sun River Apartments three times, and each visit has made us like it more. It’s an easy walk to the beach, street markets, and downtown Danang, yet the room stayed wonderfully quiet at night, with no traffic, karaoke, or nightclub sound. Our studio had lots of space, a big kitchen, and a balcony overlooking the city skyline and sea, with a table and two chairs. The beds were roomy and comfortable, the bathroom had plenty of hot water, and daily cleaning was available. The staff were fantastic, always ready to help. We’d happily recommend staying here.

The breakfast choices were pretty limited, though I didn’t mind since I ate out most days. The location near the beach was a big plus, and the rooms were roomy, clean, and had good amenities. I’d definitely come back.

We’re coming back in a few weeks, which says a lot. We’ve spent the past two winters staying in different places around Vietnam and Da Nang, and this is one of our favorites. Our 10-day stay was comfortable, with lots of natural light, plenty of storage, and spots to sit. The beds were soft and very comfortable by Vietnamese standards. Breakfast had a decent range: usually two or three kinds of fruit, coffee and tea, eggs cooked to order, rice, vegetables, and typically two protein options. There was enough for everyone, especially if you eat meat. The breakfast team, reception staff, and housekeepers were all kind and friendly, and we had no problems.