PabloM

Just find this on TripAdvisor - a comment from the hotel to a guest question:

FGunawan

It's sad to learn that the La Residence Hue has left Accor I should have stayed there before...

Da Nang city center indeed is unattractive. It'd seem you'd need a car to get around, unlike Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. I.e. skip the Mercure, Novotel or Grand Mercure.

The beauty of Da Nang lies in its beaches. They're very beautiful. Outside the city center is a long stretch of beach dotted with resorts. Accor's Pullman Da Nang and Premier Village Da Nang Resort are side by side, and they seem to be ones of the closest to the city center (not that city center is within short walking distance from these).

On this long stretch there are also the Intercontinental, Hyatt Regency and other resorts, further down the road from the Pullman. Hyatt is very far from Pullman actually.

Look at Da Nang as a beach resort destination, skip the city center and you'll have a wonderful time. I sure had a blast there. On the other hand, as I said before my impression of Nha Trang is that it is a city (more a town really?) that happens to be on the coast. I understand that there are sunbeds on the beaches but it really is not a proper resort place.

FGunawan

How do I insert images again?
Never mind. Figured it out

FGunawan

View from my cottage at Pullman Da Nang. Afternoon (above) and morning (below)

FGunawan

Bedroom
Living room - or space I should say
Outdoor shower and bathroom
Welcome gifts (including a Vietnamese chocolate bar)

cwl

Shame La Residence is now longer an Accor property, it was a real asset to the MGallery brand.

Goldorak

I fully agree with your assessment.

remymartin

Hi all,
I've decided to try out Le Club in Vietnam and have the Pullman in Danang and Hotel Royal in Hoi An booked. I've dropped to Gold this year so it will be interesting to see how it works out. Additionally, I'm contemplating staying in des Arts, Sofitel or Pullman Saigon. I'd appreciate any recent input and thoughts whether des Arts is worth the premium - about double compared to the to others for my dates. I'll be spending one night at Le Méridien to compare.

FGunawan

I might be wrong, and if I am someone please correct me. However, I always think that differences in treatments for Gold vs Platinum might not be too noticeable in hotels without executive lounge. In either case you would still receive room upgrade, late check-out, welcome drinks and welcome gifts. Hotels might prioritize upgrades for Platinums before considering Golds, and be more generous with their welcome amenities towards Platinum vs Gold, but these could be quite difficult to substantiate as a guest.

Neither Pullman Danang nor Hotel Royal Hoi An has any club lounge, so I guess your experience as Gold member won't differ substantially (if at all) vs if you are Platinum. The only difference that you will really notice is the amount of points you receive. I enjoyed both hotels very much when I stayed summer 2015, although I have to say that I was given a fantastical treatment at Pullman Danang - the best ever at any hotel, Accor or non-Accor.

FGunawan

I stayed at Sofitel Saigon as Gold early 2015, and I really enjoyed my stay. Location is nice and very central. Welcome drinks and welcome gifts were all very nice. What I don't understand - it is still a mystery to me (although I have a couple guesses), the hotel left me with another set of gifts my last evening there - a plate of cheeses and a 375 cl bottle of red wine. It could have been because at their gift shop I purchased quite a high value souvenir (in dongs - nominally it didn't amount to a very high amount).



Gifts on last evening

I heard Pullman Saigon is also a very good place to stay, although it seems to me the location is a bit less central for tourists. From what I read on this forum Hotel des Arts had its problem when it was just open, although that was almost a couple years ago I think.

Goldorak

I like Sofitel Saigon too. Great hotel and Elite recognition. I never stayed at the Pullman, but I remember having read very good reviews on this forum.

RJ77

You think too much I had the same cheese and wine the night before checking out. I thought it's a very nice gesture and I enjoyed it.

RJ77

Hotel des Arts is a small boutique-ish hotel marred by many service missteps during their opening month. I hope they have improved since then. It has very couply rooms (think clawfoot bathtub and draw curtains), Deluxe rooms are quite tight as almost half the room is occupied by the aforementioned bath area. Location is more central than Sofitel ~walking distance to a few tourist sites. I'm not sure if it's worth the premium over Sofitel though. I prefer the decor at des Arts though.

pb9997

I have been at both, though a while ago, you can read my review. Des Arts is central and has a sense of pure luxury, both in the entrance and in the nice pool in the roof. But their hard product stops there as rooms are very small and remind us the ones in NYC. Unsure whether their services have improved as, then, they were really poor and stingy, such as welcome drink offered being either a national beer or refreshments, for example. Cheap.

Pullman is a whole different concept. It is a mature proven hotel where staff are trained to excellence. Their service is outstanding and they are proud to engage customers in a superb experience. Laundry I believe is two pieces/day, welcome drink is any cocktail at any bar, including the roof top disco and spacious, well lit, nicely designed rooms with gorgeous views all over Saigon. There is a hotel van that takes guests to downtown, or one can simply walk for 20 minutes. The plus side of Pullman's location is that, in the evenings, the neighbourhood where parties at different venues happen start in the street next to the hotel. So one can have beers, do people watching in different bars/cafes, stroll the streets, and when tired from partying, simply safely walk back to the hotel.

It really depends on your age, expectations, and time to enjoy the city...

FGunawan

I did really enjoy the last evening gift, but perhaps you're right, I'm thinking too much