River Ray Estates

I got a free upgrade to a beachfront room, which made me very happy. The beach was quiet enough that it felt like we had it to ourselves, and the location worked well. The rooms are dated, though, and the bathroom needed some TLC. The staff are what make this place. The pool was very good, and I liked the cafe and restaurant. It's a quiet place with a clean, comfortable stay for a reasonable price. It's not a new resort with a matching price tag, but I would go back.

The beach is right in front, with a small yard and some shade trees between it and the units. We stayed in Medina 2, facing the ocean, about 100 yards from the beach. The bed was comfortable, a double I think, and both air conditioners worked well. There’s a living, dining, and kitchen area with a fridge, but the stove isn’t connected to gas. There were no cooking utensils, plates, pots, or pans, though you can ask for basics like plates, cups, and silverware, so don’t plan on cooking. Since we stayed four days, they gave us a large water container for drinking, which cuts down on plastic. It was Tet, so fewer staff were working, but there were also fewer guests and things worked out. The grounds were generally quiet, apart from kids and some adults having fun in the evening. Around lunchtime, there was fairly loud local music from some kind of gathering on the vacant property next door, but it wasn’t too bad. Most of the time, all we heard was the ocean. The resorts on either side were basically empty, so it felt very secluded. The weather at this time of year was lovely, sunny, with comfortable humidity and around 30 in the daytime and 24 at night. Warm enough for the pool or ocean. The European owner said the sea keeps summer temperatures down too, so it doesn’t reach 40 like in ho chi min. The staff were excellent, especially Phong, a young man who knows some English, though he only worked during the Tet new year holiday. The other staff were okay but knew very little English. The owner is European and available if needed. Breakfast was included in our rate and was decent, noodle soup with chicken or an egg “omlet” with wonderful French bread and butter, plus VN coffee. Ask for fruit. The restaurant food was pretty good, though some dishes may not be what you expect, like a salad made of assorted vegetables in sauce rather than lettuce. They arranged a car to take us back into the city. There was a motorcycle for rent, but it was a beat-up old Honda that just gets you from point A to point B. The brakes didn’t work well, and neither did the horn or lights. Internet in the rooms was poor or nonexistent, and sometimes unbearably slow even for email. The lobby was a little better. The beach had lots of garbage, which isn’t the hotel’s fault, but could use a good grooming. It’s so secluded you’re basically stuck without a car or motorcycle, and I’m not sure taxis or Grab will come here.

The location is great, and being able to bring our dog was a bonus. Still, the one-bed villas are really rundown, and prices have gone up. The restaurant didn’t have much going on, so we went down the road for some great food. Poorly maintained and too expensive, this was really poor business.

We came as a group of friends for one night. It was a quiet, peaceful resort with a nice swimming pool near the riverside, and the beach was okay for Vietnam. Check-in could have been better organized.