A luxurious hotel in Hoi An, just steps from the Ancient Town and within walking distance to the main historical sites, restaurants and bars. Perfect for couples looking for a romantic break as well as anyone who wants fabulous views from their hotel balcony.
We stayed here for 3 nights during our stay in Hoi An and it was the perfect base for exploring, and escaping the crowds when we wanted to retreat from the streets.
Location: Where is the Hotel Royal Hoi An Gallery?
Hoi An sits in central Vietnam and is known for its timeless streets, the iconic river boat lanterns that illuminate the place at night, and the miles of green rice paddies that stretch across the surrounding countryside. This former port town is rustic and colourful, and wears its ancient heritage with obvious pride. There are temples to admire, coffee shops to people watch from, and the Thu Bon River to stroll beside. With the Hoi An tourist ticket you can visit the Ancient Town attractions, and there are day trips to the My Son Sanctuary, the Marble Mountains and Da Nang to enjoy. Hoi An is a delightful place to spend a few days, sighting, and just being. It was easily our favourite spot during our trip to Vietnam.
One of the reasons we chose to stay at the Hotel Royal Hoi An Gallery was its superb location, right on the edge of the Ancient Town. The hotel was within walking distance of all the main historical sites, yet away from all the noisy bars and restaurants that come alive in the evening.
The nearest airport is in Da Nang, which is just a 45-minute drive away. The hotel can arrange private airport transfers – we were charged VND 720,000 (about £20) plus tax for ours.
The Hotel
The Hotel Royal Hoi An is in a splendid old building on the banks of the river in the heart of the old town. With a mix of rooms and suites there’s something for everyone, and with a couple of pools and a roof terrace bar it’s the perfect place to while away a sizzling afternoon. There are a couple of restaurants on site too if you don’t fancy wandering into down for dinner, as well as several public areas and even a pool table to keep you occupied. There’s also a spa and a fitness centre if you’re so inclined.
The friendly staff at the front desk can arrange tours and transfers and we found these to be very reasonably priced so booked everything directly with the hotel to keep things simple. We were also able to change money at the desk too – although be warned they only accept pristine notes. Several of ours were rejected for seemingly very minor flaws, so make sure you ask for new notes when getting out cash to bring before leaving home. I think this is probably the same policy no matter where you exchange your money in Vietnam, so it’s good practice to only ever carry new notes, whether that’s US$ or Pounds Stirling. We took dollars as these are more universally accepted.
Rooms and Suites
There are 187 rooms and suites at the Hotel Royal, so there’s plenty of choice when it comes to where you want to sleep.
There are several room categories, and we opted for a Deluxe Suite for the balcony and the views as we knew we’d be spending a fair amount of time just relaxing in the afternoons. Our suite was super spacious with a separate lounge area, large bathroom and even an additional toilet by the door, useful perhaps if we were receiving guests.
The suite boasted fantastic views overlooking the Thu Bon River, and we loved sitting out on the balcony watching the world go by. Our room was right on the corner of the hotel, so we had dual-aspect views which was pretty cool.
The bed was really comfy and a pleasure to sink into after a day of sightseeing and there was heaps of storage space so we felt like we could properly move in for a few days rather than live out of suitcases. Quite a novel feeling for us!
Our Deluxe Suite was no. 2509 (Au Co) if you want to request it! We loved the welcome platter in our room, which was full of delicious sweet treats and local fruits – the candied coconut shards were divine.
The Food
We had dinner in the hotel restaurant ‘Faifo Cafe’ a couple of times and found staff to be attentive, friendly and very helpful when advising on allergens. There weren’t many other diners each evening, so the atmosphere was a bit quiet, but I imagine most people choose to head into the Old Town to eat at night instead. We were exhausted so liked the idea of not having to leave the hotel just to get a meal if we were feeling lazy. The food was really tasty, well presented and reasonably priced with both Vietnamese and international options.
There’s also a Japanese restaurant but we prefer noodles to sushi so didn’t try this one.
Breakfast was buffet style in Faifo Cafe, with heaps of choice. There were local Vietnamese dishes as well as international favourites to keep everyone happy as well as serving stations dishing up freshly cooked treats on request. It was much busier at breakfast time than in the evenings.
We also indulged in a bit of room service during a lazy afternoon at the hotel, which we ate on our balcony whilst enjoying those views. Bliss!
There are three bars at the Hotel Royal Hoi An as well as an executive lounge up on level 8 which is perhaps more suited to business travellers. Head to the Deck Bar on the rooftop for great night-time views over the old town, or opt for the Attic Bar for a sophisticated evening inside.
The Verdict
We were a bit concerned that the size of the hotel, which was far bigger than what we’re used to, would mean that it would be busy and perhaps full of tour groups. But that wasn’t the case at all and in fact, it was pretty quiet, especially in the restaurants and pools. We did visit in the shoulder season (March) so I imagine it’ll be a bit more buzzing in the height of the holiday period, but for us, it worked well.
We found the location to be spot on, near enough to the action but far enough away for a bit of peace. Staff were all very helpful, and many spoke good English, which isn’t always a given in Vietnam (and of course, why should it be!).
If you’re just looking for a room for the night, then the Hotel Royal Hoi An Gallery probably isn’t the place for you, given that you’ll find cheaper options elsewhere in the city. Yet if you want somewhere comfortable and elegant to return to after your explorations, and plan on spending a bit of time at the hotel enjoying the facilities, then we highly recommend coming here.
And finally, those views. You just can’t beat them!
