Temple Da Nang

I sent this message to my agency after arriving: Hi, how are you? I wanted to let you know what I found at the “hotel” in case it helps you avoid booking it for other travelers. The towels have rust marks, there's dust on the floor, and so much mold on the walls that breathing feels a bit difficult. There's no window, either. The pool looks completely unclean, the mattresses are old spring ones, and the air conditioner is really noisy. I've attached a few videos to show what I mean. Since I've already paid for the room, I'll probably spend most of my time out at spas, markets, and on tours. I just don't think this is somewhere to recommend to other tourists in the future. Thanks for understanding.

The next morning we asked for two coffee sachets we hadn't used the day before, but they refused because we were “checking out soon.” I was told to leave the pouches for them. That came after a frustrating arrival at Temple Da Nang Resort: we got there at 11 a.m. and were denied early check-in, even when we offered to pay for another room. They kept saying check-in was after 2 p.m. After several arguments, they finally gave us a room at 1:15 p.m. only because I begged, as our bus to Hoi An had been moved earlier. The behavior was rude, with little basic hospitality. Our room was in the basement, felt claustrophobic and more like storage than a guest room, and had no phone to call reception. Breakfast was the worst part. It was inedible, served in a very unhygienic way, and the overall hygiene was unacceptable. There was a language barrier, too. I wouldn't recommend this place.

The photos online gave us a completely different idea of Temple Beach Resort in Da Nang. What we found felt like a bait and switch, and when we asked for a refund, they refused to take responsibility despite the gap between the listing and the room. See attached photos. The room was dirty and run down in just about every way. The couch was filthy, the windows were streaked with grime, and the bathroom mirror was smeared and clearly hadn't been cleaned. There were chips and damage on the walls, furniture, and fittings, and the bed looked messy and unwelcoming. The bathroom door wouldn't close properly, the front door seemed close to coming off its hinges, and a large unfinished plaster patch marred the ceiling. The smoke detector also didn't seem to work properly, which is concerning. Outside the room, the view was of a neglected, weedy garden that spoiled any sense of escape. The place feels poorly maintained and misrepresented online, and doesn't meet basic hospitality standards. I rarely write reviews like this, but this one earned it. One star is generous. Avoid it; there are better places in Da Nang.

The one thing this stay taught me was not to judge a book by its cover. The photos looked good and the price seemed reasonable, so I booked in a rush without reading reviews. When I later checked Agoda and Google Maps, I was shocked by what people had written. I tried to cancel, but it was nonrefundable, so I hoped it wouldn't be too bad. It was. The attached pictures show problems that were obvious as soon as we entered. Mold covered the bathroom ceiling, bedroom wall, and curtains, and there were very visible stains of unknown origin on the couch. I couldn't believe a place in this condition called itself a resort and charged those rates. It felt like they didn't care whether guests saw the problems. Breakfast was included, but the room was poorly kept and the workers seemed uninterested. The food was under partly opened cling film, cold fried eggs were stacked on plates, and dirty plates and cutlery piled up in big baskets because there was no sink access. We lasted about ten minutes. The pool was busy much of the time, apparently with swimming lessons. Broken and unused equipment was lying around the property. Gardeners were watering the grass, yet nobody seemed to be maintaining the rest of the place, which felt odd. The only upside was direct access to the beach. The room felt so unhygienic that I couldn't relax there at all. I hated this stay; don't waste your time.