Hotele z: breakfast w Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

MELIA VINPEARL in downtown Thanh Hoa is a six-star hotel, masquerading as a five-star home away from home, to re-quote a line from my previous review of my favourite KL hotel. But Melia is even more of a home away from home for a neighbouring guest like me from Asean because Thanh Hoa isn't exactly a bustling capital city as Kuala Lumpur (KL)...or a country where English or Malay (my native tongues) predominates. It's got more of a rural city countryside vibe, steeped in the soul of national history, like Jogjakarta in Indonesia, for instance.  It claims Vietnam's earliest legendary hero Le Loi as its hometown hero although he's accurately from a small hamlet nearer to its airport in Tho Xuan, called Lam Son; which apparently is being scaled upfor high-end tourism.  Back to Melia Vinpearl in Thanh Hoa. Why do I love i, rate it and recommend it without reserve?  Two reasons which are from the top, literally: 1. Its hotel manager, Robert Ngo, a hometown boy from Kon Tum (a 20-hour bus ride away in Vn's Central Highlands), now calls Da Nang home, but whose full dynamic homework is all about ensuring the energetic vibes of this gem of a hotel. You can feel the sense of being cocooned and spoiled by its A-star service and staff - from frint-desk to backend (housekeeping, room service et.al) and this energy originates from Robert (see pic of Bob and me at the breakfast buffet on the 6/f which has a fantastic spread.  The USP of Robert's theme is, well, pretty basic at its roots: pricing. The rates are horribly impossible to reject for such all-round six-star excellence.  2. Its 34th-storey penthouse-feel restaurant whose menu was curated by Robert personally when he took charge a couple of years back. He leveraged on the strongest suit of the hotel's class master chef, focusing on honing the latter's favourite culinary skillls.  A pared-down menu where each dish starts with delicious and elevates to 😋 yum 😋 excellence. My particular favourite: the boneless chicken served  with a side of mashed potatoes. Irresistible! And that's coming from a culinary curmudgeon who likes chicken least of all ”meats” despite originating from the homes of Chinese chicken rice - Malaysia and Singapore. If you wanna get the calming comfort of a long cool evening indoors dining for a couple of hours, this sky-high restaurant is the place...and sharing it with the hotel's watering hole - the Skybar - helps. The frozen margaritas ate consistently excellent and the whiskey sour, superb. As for the rest of the hotel, well, it's worth every ringgit, sgd, USD, Euro and yeah, penny you have for a trip's accommodation - go find out. It's utterly value-added worth it!  YAP, Koon Hong Malaysian-born Singaporean, who may well decide to call Vietnam home soon. 🇸🇬 🇲🇾🇻🇳

I had one of the most memorable stays at “Halora Puluong Retreat”, and the experience exceeded my expectations in so many ways. The bungalows are beautifully designed, exceptionally clean, and perfectly situated among the breathtaking rice terraces. The panoramic views are simply unforgettable, and waking up each morning surrounded by such peaceful and beautiful scenery was truly special. What made our stay even more enjoyable was the wonderful team. Everyone was friendly, welcoming, attentive, and always greeted us with genuine smiles. I would especially like to express my sincere appreciation to “Chiên”, who truly went above and beyond throughout our stay. She was incredibly kind, cheerful, professional, and dedicated to helping us with everything we needed. Her warm personality and outstanding hospitality made a real difference and left us with beautiful memories of our time here. I would also like to give a very special thank you to “Jenny”, whose energy, enthusiasm, and beautiful smile brought so much warmth to the retreat. She was always active, helpful, and full of positive energy. Her presence was truly memorable, and she seemed to be the spirit of the retreat. We sincerely appreciate everything she did for us during our stay. Her kindness and dedication made our experience even more special. A special thank you as well to the restaurant team for their excellent service. They were attentive, polite, and consistently made us feel welcome, creating a lovely dining experience throughout our stay. I only have one small suggestion that could make this already wonderful experience even better. We noticed that some male staff members occasionally smoked in the seating area near the reception. Perhaps creating a designated smoking area outside, away from the main guest areas, would be a more professional solution and would help maintain the fresh, peaceful atmosphere that makes this retreat so special. This is only a small suggestion, as overall we were extremely happy with our stay. Thank you to the entire team for everything and for creating such a beautiful and memorable experience. If you are looking for a peaceful, elegant retreat surrounded by nature and away from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi, “Halora Puluong Retreat” is an excellent choice. We spent two unforgettable days here and would genuinely be happy to return again. Highly recommended! ❤️

Beautiful property surrounded by greenery with bungalows directly overlooking the terraced rice fields. Spacious and clean rooms. The staff were extremely friendly; despite a mix-up with our taxi reservation, they were very helpful and kind in helping us find a solution. The dinner at the restaurant was excellent. The village, surrounded by nature, is also beautiful.

It was my first time visiting this hotel with friends, and I was satisfied in every aspect (except for the soundproofing). It was also great for playing a round of golf. On the day we visited, Korean golf pros were there for training. I would love to visit again if I get the chance.

This was one of the most bizarre and dystopian stays of my entire trip. Checkin and checkout were unnecessarily lengthy and frustrating experiences. Two of the restaurants were closed, spa was closed, bar was closed, and the one restaurant that was open didn't do cocktails just watermelon juice or beer. We had the private villa and pool. Room was great, spacious and comfy bed. Although much of bedroom was taken up by desk for TV which could've been wallmounted. Lovely balcony, a shame there was no seats to sit out on it. Pool was really gross and dirty when we arrived. Pool cleaner came and made it much better but still the corners of Pool floor were grimey. No furniture on pool deck either. Much of rooftop taken up by flowerbed full of dead plants. Outdoor shower was cool and beautiful lake view. Ordered ice and it took an hour and a half to get to our room even though I never saw any other guests. All the staff were pleasant and happy. Some good things, but for the price we payed it was not worth it when we compare it to other stays we've had in Vietnam.

The hotel was okay for a short stay and had most of the basic amenities. They do not provide drinking water which would’ve been much appreciated. The one thing that must be improved is the bed, it was very hard and extremely uncomfortable. Otherwise the place is decent, there’s not much to complain about, you get your money’s worth.

I stayed at this homestay for 10 days and had a wonderful time. I loved the peace and quiet, the sounds of nature, the view, and the incredibly kind, fun, and helpful family. The homestay is located away from the tourist hub, which was a huge plus for me. I found the surroundings beautiful, with the absolute highlight being the waterfall just 100 meters away—I went into the water there every afternoon. Magical. I rented a good scooter from the family and used it to explore the area. I encountered so much friendliness along the way, including in the nearest village, Doan (4 km away). It is definitely a place I would return to. Thank you, family, for all the lovely moments.

The accommodation is beautiful but the location is not close to the nice views, attractions or restaurants. So you rely on transportation which the hotel could make more clear. They also didn’t advertise any activities and since their English wasn’t great, you’re kind of left with organizing yourself. It was also difficult to contact them bc they’re not fast in replying to emails, there’s no WhatsApp number on their website, and I couldn’t call with my phone data package. So while the accommodation is great, and Pu Luong is incredibly beautiful, the hotel staff could be more forthcoming with customer service.

Facilities: Complete Hygiene: clean Environment: beautiful Service: Passion

I had no particular problems staying there. There are supermarkets, restaurants, and a park nearby, so it's convenient. It's an old building, so it's understandable, but the elevator floor is cracked, which is uncomfortable. The breakfast was delicious. The front desk service was neither good nor bad. I'll use it again next time I'm on a business trip.