Amelia Hotel

The restaurant staff were lovely and the service was always good, though vegetarian dishes weren't reliably vegetarian because the broth sometimes contained fish or beef. The repairs and upgrades here seem poorly prioritized. We reported a shower leaking into the bedroom three times, but staff denied it until I showed them my video and notes, including who I'd spoken to. They finally fixed it the night before checkout. Check the water pressure and shower temperature before accepting a room, and keep daily notes of its condition, including the towels. Cleaners damaged one of our towels and claimed it had been dyed pink, then tried to charge us. Other guests at the bar said this happened fairly often. The pool didn't feel safe for toddlers. Broken tiles, sharp edges, and faulty stairs would, in my view, get it shut down in the UK or Canada. Drilling for security cameras and banging around at 6:30 am wasn't ideal either. Getting to the resort meant walking along a grotty side street with rotten rubbish and fish boxes from the many Russian hotels nearby. The resort could be good, but for the price there are unfortunately better options. We usually support independent places, but this was the wrong choice for us.

The staff were unbelievably helpful, and the location was perfect. I never got the older man's name at the pool, but he was the best and saved us a bed every day. Our garden bungalow could use a fresh coat of paint, though that wasn't a big deal. The beds felt rock hard compared with the places we'd stayed while traveling around Veitnam.

After just two nights, we left and moved elsewhere for the remaining five of our planned seven-night stay. Reception was polite when we told them, but wouldn't discuss a partial refund even though we gave up most of the booking. We hadn't expected one, but felt it would have been courteous. We booked for our family of four after seeing good reviews and getting personal recommendations, and the experience was a long way below what we'd had elsewhere in Southeast Asia. I don't usually post negative reviews, but this felt worth sharing. The beach was almost unusable, with rubbish making walks unpleasant, so we never swam there. Outlet and waste pipes from this hotel and others along the beach flow straight onto it. The property itself seemed neglected and run down. Its layout felt odd, with newer buildings in front of older, shabby ones, and several staircases looked unsafe. At one, a “foot wash” at the bottom looked like a step. Our bathroom had mold on the tiles and a shower screen missing doors. A strong sewerage smell spread from it into the room. The mattresses were painfully hard, the wardrobe was broken, and the room safe wasn't secured inside it. The online photos made the resort look much newer than it was. We rarely saw staff smile and often felt they were indifferent to guests. Breakfast added to that impression. Nobody greeted us, and staff seemed hard to approach, busy scraping dishes beside diners instead of helping. Much of the food was cold, chewy, or dry, without much sign of rotation or freshness. The teapot was stained and empty, there were no bowls or cups available, and there was no milk. The only cereal was a stale mix of cornflakes and Coco Pops. The restaurant looked shabby too. The downstairs dining area had a nice view and somewhat friendlier staff, but the general impression was still rough. This might do for travelers on a tight budget with few expectations, but it fell far short of the advertised three-star standard for us. We didn't find it relaxing or comfortable. It was a long way to travel for such a disappointing stay.

The atmosphere is lovely, especially sitting by the beach in the evening or late at night when you want some quiet time. The property sits right beside the sea and has a decent pool. There are different room types, including sea-view rooms right on the shore. Breakfast wasn't much for Indian food, and the spread was exactly the same every day. 😅