scubaccr

IC Danang (IC Da Nang)

USEFUL NOTE:-
Vietnam now has 15day visa on arrival, with onward plane tickets, no return within 30days (transit is just 6hours visa free) .
VOA depends on passport, mine is UK, I had to show my onward e-ticket at passport control/immigration.

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Very for first stay. First class RA treatment

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
o Booked 3night Sun-Wed entry level room on corporate rate (15% off) day before arrival
KING RESORT CLASSIC OCEAN VIEW
o Upgraded day before arrival to Peninsular Room (6-levels-up as 7th room rate) Had IC HCMC ring up for me to arrange xfers etc as booked midday before.
upgrade = 1BEDROOM CLUB PENINSULA SUITE OCEAN VIEW
(This may be abnormally good upgrade here, but nothing to base that on)

How are the rooms?
NOTE:- Peninsula Villas are 4x Units, ie Lower+Upper floors. Left/Right units, more like a semi-detached house . I had lower right hand unit on furthest unit from La Maison restaurant and the cable car upto the top levels/down to beach+pool

BEDROOM
o Comfy bed, pillows
o 2 armchair's, round table
o patio doors view to ocean (no balcony). If open patio doors aircon is disabled.
o 40" TV hanging from ceiling
o tea+coffee unit

BATHROOM
o Large bathroom is room behind bed
o Hann toletries, 100ml mini-pump containers. Just the one same scent version available though.
Large (long/deep/wide) 2-ton 1-piece-marble bath, fills quickly
+ window behind to let light into bathroom. Window is shielded from otyer passing guests
Long sink unit with his/hers sinks
+ Sliding Screens open up full width+height right above the bed
o Separate walkin shower
o Wardrobe type cupboard for clothes, with safe
o Toilet (very (too) small room ) curtained not door

ROOM's VERANDA
o Bigger area than bedroom views to front and right, downwards to the rocks, beach and sea. Adjacent Unit to my left is 20m away
o Work desk , big overhead fan
o First Double (King) Lounging bed angled looking out to beach with cushions
o Second King Lounging bed alongside front railing
o central minibar/cupboard unit. Usual free RA minibar, soda and beer(canned). drawer to side had 1/4 bottle spirits which are not included for RA
AND second (wine) minbar the other side, contained 16 bottles of wine and the glasses

How is the exec. lounge?
o Reasonable size, kind of circular round central column with outside balcony with view
o Breakfast available or can have in restaurant insead (I used only restaurant)
o afternoon nibbles. cakes, little sandwiches
o evening 2-hour canapes/drinks. Cocktails , Beers, sparkling wine (was pleaseant)

Did you receive a welcome gift?
Yes

How was the minibar?
Water, Juices, Sodas, 4 cans beer. Due to distance (30mins to+fro) to Lounge for sodas, the hotel kindly topped up with extra sodas and beers

What was good and what was bad?

+Good
+ Super 6-level upgrade plus club-lounge access on booking the basic room
+ Sunday Brunch, 3 versions 1.5Mvnd pp Sunday Brunch, 2.0M White Champagne, 2.5M Pink Champagne, 20% discount applied. I chose white champane version.
+ Lounge access gives restaurant b/f. Plenty of choice, b/f up there with the better IC's
+ Hotel Lounge at airport if leaving on International flight
+ Taxi on arrival-Danang circa 30mins and 350,000 vnd fare
+ Hotel car Danang-Airport is reasonable at 840,000vnd (us$40) 2.5x taxi fare. For us$70 you get the BMW 7-series.
+ Hotel Lounge staff meet you airside at airport kerb on departure, and show you the way for checkin/passport/lounge.
+ Choice of golf buggies to take you door-2-door up/down to lounge/villas or use cable car and walk

-Neutral
- 10min walk from furthest Peninsular Unit through La Maison to get cable car to top level and restaurant+lounge. On departure asked and was told put there not as full but the beach restaurant below La Maison was having noisy maintenance work so I was put in furthest away

-Bad
- Hotel decided to run just 1-cable-car of pair on weekdays, as said hotel was low occupancy. NOT something a 5* resort should do.
Caused my breakfast time to drop from 35mins to 25mins on second morning as delayed me.
- Bit isolated, the free shuttles into danang center 2x/day are not really timed for guests convenience. Better take shuttle there and taxi back. Shuttles not just to Danang town center though.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points?
Jury's out for me regards value in cool season. But then warmer times rates double and more. For those wanting SPA relax time daily then stay is of much more value, the ladies will no doubt love the resort more than us guys.

Was cooler than I expected late Jan, time to go is warmer May, (not July when too hot at 40degrees). HCMS further South is wamer than Central Vietnam. Northern Hanoi is cooler still

nb:- Expect hotel rates to carry on increasing as looks like owner has an agenda on pricing higher for exclusivity.

Would you return?[/QUOTE]
I expect so, will look for warmer weather (May 2017 maybe?), but not the peak 40degree time (July).