Entree Kibbles: Haian Riverfront Hotel Da Nang - Riverfront Deluxe Room @ Vietnam

After four days in Hoi An, we were finally back in Danang and it's exciting to see our next choice of accommodation as our driver (private transfer via La Charm Hoi An Hotel & Spa) drove along Dragon Bridge; Haian Riverfront Hotel Da Nang!

Despite its name, I would say the building had a nice, modern twist, featuring tall glass panels with each of them spanning across two floors, and pots of plants in front of the glass panels.

We alighted in front of this entrance which was more for the in-house cafe than the hotel. Turned out the official entrance had only steps and given that we had luggage, entering from the cafe would be nearer for us to reach the lift.

Ground Floor - reception floor. However, I am scratching my head here as the cafe was level one whereas the second level was labelled as ground level. That's like the opposite of Malaysia floor classification.

Anyway, photographs of the ground level reception area, including a view of the cafe right below, where there was an outdoor, streetside section with comfortable seating for those interested to do as the locals do.

Welcome drink!

Secured our key cards, including information on Wi-Fi password, and location of the gymnasium, the swimming pool, the spa, where you could have our free breakfast etc.

Do note that the lights for the corridor would be turned on automatically with motion sensor! Which means the corridor might appear dark until you step forward. For me, that's quite scary even though I eventually got used to it.

Room

Number 1006 - stepping in soon!

Tadah! The Riverfront Deluxe Room that we booked for the next four nights! An overkill to be staying so many nights as we got quite bored with Da Nang on our last day.

Did you notice something interesting from the above photographs? Some of the items were not square or rectangular-shaped; like the hexagonal table, mirror and even the TV console table! Even the bedside tables were an odd-pentagon shaped.

Loving the provision of 2-pin and USB plugs at the bedsides!

Given that Haian Riverfront Hotel Da Nang faced the main road bordering Han River, the hotel even provided free ear plugs for their guests! I am quite surprised as the noise was acceptable; or maybe my hearing had worsened with age.

Other parts of the room; ironing board, iron, weighing machine, bathrobes, slippers, in-room safe, electric kettle, bottled water, mini fridge (hidden in the cupboard underneath the electric kettle) etc.

Now the window view; as not all rooms faced the Han River, a premium would be required when you book a room with the river view. If not, there's always the more economical city view option.

Many photographs of the river view from our room; so worth the premium, especially with the spectacular Dragon Bridge on the right! You can even catch the weekend "performances", when the dragon head came to life!

Should the sky be clear on a morning; maybe a great sunrise too!

Notice this statue in the photograph? It's called Ca Chep Hoa Rong Statue and would be the equivalence of the merlion in Singapore, albeit half fish, half dragon.

The washroom with the toilet amenities. I found it weird to have such a nice box to house the amenities, which were packed like they were from the 80 - 90s.

View of the room from the bathtub!

p.s. I requested for extra pillows.

Swimming Pool

Both swimming pool and the gymnasium were on the 20th floor and one thing for sure after I stepped out of the lift; it's not wheelchair accessible. And to get up to the Sky Lounge, you would have to climb up another long flight of stairs as the highest lift floor was 20.

My first thought of the swimming pool when I first saw the pictures online; it's more like a humongous fish tank / bathtub and in some places, you might see schools of fish from the see-through glass!

One key attraction, however, would be the direct view of Dragon Bridge!

Gymnasium

Same level as the swimming pool was a direct reference since it was literally right beside, with no physical wall whatsoever separating the area. Equipment was basic (quite surprised to see a multi-station one though) but would be sufficient if you are the only one using them .

Well, not related to the gym but from the staircase going up to the sky lounge, there was a window which had a city view that featured the famous pink cathedral of Da Nang!

Spa

As part of our stay, both Alex and I were given a complimentary 30-minute foot massage at the Aroma Spa within Haian Riverfront Hotel Da Nang. An appointment would be required and we redeemed only on the 3rd day of our stay as we would be out to Bana Hills on the 2nd day.

Promotion of one plus one for body massage during the lull period of 9am till 3pm. Sharing the price lists for your reference too. As it's at a hotel, pricing would be slightly higher compared to standalone massage parlours outside.

Setting at the spa; very bright although I am guessing there would be more rooms within. p.s. the orange sofa chairs would be used for our foot massages and I did think they looked uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, let's start with a foot soak.

That took up 10 out of our 30 minutes free massage.

Strength was okay and massage was fine but the masseur didn't appear too happy, without a smile throughout the session. Or maybe she wasn't conversant in English? Or was it because this was a free foot massage?

Breakfast Buffet

It's easier to let the pictures do the talking! I believed I have covered all the bases and you can see the variety; do note that there would be changes on a daily basis but to be fair, I am not a person who would indulge in breakfast buffet as I prefer to explore the food outside when I am oversea, unless there's nothing for me within close proximity.

My standard would usually be a platter of fruits, and also the yogurt (in a glass) if it wasn't out of stock. I might take a nibble of items that looked appetizing but nothing quite caught my taste buds.

Cafe

Firgun Corner Cafe - with both indoor and outdoor seating, Alex did purchase latte from the cafe before. I almost ordered something but they had yet to start operations. Nonetheless, business appeared to be good on most days.

=====

In summary, the stay was enjoyable and I must commend the IT staff for finally resolving the WiFi connection I had with my laptop! Service at the reception counter could have been better though. They weren't rude but I thought they could have been friendlier; a smile is crucial in service line.

Address