Golden Sand Resort*****
Our brief comments: 
At the time of our inspection, the Golden Sand Resort had been operating for several months. It was evident that the resort would be a valuable addition to Vietnam’s five-star hotels!
Managed by the Swiss-Belhotel Company, the resort has 212 rooms adjacent to a 400m private stretch of Cui Dai beach. The exterior design is institutional - large rectangular blocks, but the interior is much better. The reception hall is impressive - a wide beamed roof supported by large wooden pillars rather like a well-designed airport arrival lounge. 
Rooms are comfortable, but fairly standard in design. Only the front facing blocks have good sea views. The rest have garden views or a view of the next door block.
Superior rooms mostly look out upon the next block. They are comfortable, but rather bland in appearance. Beds are very good quality, but the veneered composite 'wood' flooring looks as if it may not stand the test of time.
 The hotel designates a large number of rooms as 'non-smoking'. Unlike most hotels in Vietnam, a permanent notice on the door attests that smoking is not allowed within.
The main restaurant is airy and spacious with good views. The menu is comprehensive and the buffet breakfast is well above average.
The hotel has plenty of facilities and boasts the largest swimming pool in Vietnam - the claim might be arguable, but it's certainly big!
The beach was still being arranged when we were there, but looked promising. "Golden" is an over-the-top description, but the sand is soft and the sea is gentle. When its palm tree fringe matures, the beach will be one of the best in the area. A wide range of water sports are already in place or underway.
The Golden Sand Resort is about 7km from the ancient town, but the hotel provides a shuttle bus making three return journeys each day.
The ‘soft opening’ period will finish in the summer. We'll be keeping a close eye on developments to see if Hoi An's first five-star hotel lives up to its early promise!
(Inspected June 2005)
Room facilities:
Room Categories |
Superior |
Deluxe |
Ocean View |
| Number of rooms |
120 |
76 |
16 |
Air-conditioner |
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Satellite television |
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Shower or bath |
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Bath with shower |
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| Bath + separate shower |
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Personal safety box |
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Coffee and tea facilities |
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|
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| Laptop connection |
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|
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| Free broadband access |
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Extra bed |
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Child's cot |
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Room size (m2) |
32 |
40/45 |
90 |
View |
garden/sea |
sea |
sea |
Additional room facilities: daily fruit basket
Hotel facilities:
Outdoor pool |
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Non-smoking floor(s) |
n/a |
Pool bar |
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Non-smoking rooms only |
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Fitness/health centre |
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Vietnamese/Asian restaurant |
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Sauna |
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International restaurant |
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Massage |
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Patisserie/coffee shop/cafe |
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Jacuzzi |
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Business centre |
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Additional hotel facilities: traditional music performances, tennis courts, water sport facilities
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