Our Stay at New World Hoiana Hotel in Hoi An

5 and 6 March 2026

A visit to Da Nang must include a few nights stay at Hoi An, located approximately 25 to 30 kilometers southeast of Da Nang city center. Hoi An is an old trading port in Southern Vietnam, with well-preserved buildings that reflects both indigenous and foreign cultures, especially Chinese, Japanese and later European. The famed UNESCO World Heritage ancient town features exceptionally preserved 15th-century buildings, lantern-lit streets at night, unique local cuisine, interesting cafes and riverside shops.

In my previous visit to Hoi An, I stayed 4 nights in a boutique guesthouse within walking distance to the ancient town. In this trip with my friends, we stayed two nights in the more luxurious Hoiana Integrated Resort set on a secluded stretch of Vietnam’s central coast just south of the Hoi An's Cua Dai estuary.

Hoiana opened in 2020 as a world-class integrated resort featuring championship golf, luxury accommodations, and state-of-the-art entertainment facilities.

The integrated resort consists of several hotels:

• Hoiana Hotel & Suites

• New World Hoiana Beach Resort

• New World Hoiana Hotel

• Hoiana Residences

We stayed at New World Hoiana Hotel but could use the facilities within the integrated resort. There is free buggy service so travelling within the integrated resort was pretty convenient. Most times, we chose to walk between the hotels and the beach.

Layout of Hoiana Integrated Resort in Hoi An.

        

Getting there from Da Nang

It took us about an hour’s drive to get to Hoiana from Da Nang city center. Although the distance is less than 30 km, the speed limit on the single lane coastal road is low and the driver of our chartered van was careful.  

Once there, checking in was fast. Our luggage was handled by the hotel staff and brought to our rooms.

Spacious lobby in New World Hoiana Hotel.

View of the swimming pool and restaurant where we had our breakfast as viewed from the lobby.

Nicely lit at night.

Decent sized and well appointed rooms in this luxury hotel. 

View from my room. The hotel is quite isolated. Guests had to dine within the hotel’s many restaurants or take a short trip to the ancient town.

Casino

One of the highlights of staying in Hoiana is their casino. Actually not for me but my travelling companions loves visiting casinos at Genting Highlands in Malaysia. So the first thing we did was to take a short walk to the casino, located in Hoiana Hotel & Suites. 

The casino is located at the Hoiana Hotel & Suites. 

To enter the casino, we had to sign up as a member. There was a promotion for new sign ups during the month of March.

We are to choose one of the following freebies for new members.

We were each issued a personal membership card that is used to pass through the gantry at the entrance of the casino. This card is also used as a cash card at the slot machines. Each card was also loaded with free USD20 credit that we had chosen.

In my previous visit to Macao (another place with plenty of casinos), we stayed clear of the casinos due to cigarette smoke. On this visit, there was only slight smell of cigarette smoke as the casino was not very crowded when we visited. The interior of this casino was quite nice with crystal chandeliers, many gaming tables and more than 200 slot machines.

We used the credits to introduce ourselves to playing the slot machines and roulette. Free flow of drinks and beer are provided for the players at the slot machines and tables.

We did not spend too much time in casino as we planned to go to the Hoi An ancient town for dinner in the evening although there are some nice and probably pricey restaurants in the resort.

One of the fancy restaurants in the resort.

Breakfast and morning at the beach.

Our stay at Hoiana included daily buffet breakfast at Aroma Restaurant, an all-day dining restaurant located on the ground floor of the New World Hoiana Hotel. The buffet spread is good, including pho at the noodle station and pastries. The highlight for me was the classic butter croissants in the pastries section. 

It was raining while we had breakfast on the first morning but fortunately the rain stopped by 10.30AM and we could take a walk to the resort’s private beach.

There was no one there at the beach, except us and a lifeguard stationed on the beach. A red flag fluttering on the flagpole warned that sea activity and swimming is not allowed.

The friendly and probably very bored lifeguard offered to help us take photos. He did a great job, recommending the best shots and best pose for us. 

 

The Edge – infinity pool and bar

Another recommended place to visit within the resort is the infinity pool and bar located on the 16th floor of the Hoiana Hotel & Suites. We could enjoy the sea breeze and excellent views of the coast. This is a good place to chill till it was time for our next activity.

Hoiana Hotel & Suites as seen from the beach.

View from the 16th floor of Hoiana Hotel & Suites.

Chilling on the swings and nest chairs until it is time to go for our coconut boat ride and visit to Hoi An ancient town. 

Swinging nest chairs.

Infinity Pool. It started raining again when we left.

Coconut Boat Ride

One of Hoi An’s popular tourist activities is to the coconut boat tour and there are many operators offering this activity in the Bay Mau area, just north of the Cua Dai Estuary and 5 minutes drive away by private van from our hotel.

I will describe more about our adventures on coconut boats and afternoon in Hoi An Ancient Town in a separate post.

Entertainment Hub 

Besides visiting the casino on both nights, some of us went to check out the Entertainment Hub. It is located at Lower Ground Floor of Hoiana Residences and opens from 10:00 AM till 2:00 AM. This place offers bowling, pool, karaoke, arcade games, virtual golf, sports bar and games zones.

  Large TV screens showing live sports at the bar.

Mini putt – 9 Holes.

The staff manning the place is quite friendly. She allowed one of my friends to try the virtual golf machine.

Cyber Golf Lounge

Overall, Hoiana is a nice place to stay while visiting Hoi An. The only downside is that it requires a 20 minutes drive to get to the ancient town. The hotel provides free shuttle services to and from the old town (and also the Da Nang International Airport) but the service runs on a fixed schedule and requires prior reservation. For us, we had booked a private van with driver to ferry us to and from the old town during our stay.

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Lunch at An Thoi Restaurant in Da Nang

5 March 2026

We had our first taste of authentic Vietnamese food in an excellent restaurant in downtown Da Nang right after our arrival by Vietjet Air from Singapore. Our friends, who organised this trip, had dined at this restaurant before and told us this is a must-try restaurant when in Da Nang.

An Thoi is a two-storey restaurant in a shop-house with a blue and yellow façade. The restaurant is situated in the Old Town area, overlooking the Han River. Google Map Location here.

Due to its popularity, this Michelin awarded restaurant is always busy. Be prepared to wait, as they do not accept reservations

Even though we arrived at 2.30 PM, past the peak lunch time hours, there was a queue at the entrance.

8 hungry souls waiting for a table outside An Thoi Restaurant.

The queue is orderly and systematic. The highly trained, customer oriented staff will give a ticket with your queue number and update the queuing status on a flipchart.

Simple but effective queue tracking system.

Plastic chairs and large umbrellas made the wait more comfortable. The staff even offered complimentary bottles of cold water to those in the queue.

Since we came during non-peak dining hours, we only waited for about 20 minutes. It could be up to 1 hour during peak time. However, my friend who recommended this restaurant assured us it was well worth the wait! Let’s see.

We were seated upstairs, on a long table for our group of 8. The interiors were nicely decorated and air-conditioned. Artificial windows on the wall together with artificial plants and bamboo-weaved lanterns hanging from the ceilings gave an al-fresco dining vibes.

The An Thoi menu features a wonderful selection of local Vietnamese cuisine, including seafood. It was good that we were a fairly large group and could order a variety of cuisine to share.

These were what we ordered: 

8 pieces of grilled oysters with scallions and peanuts for 139,000 VND.

8 pieces of grilled scallops with cheese for 175,000 VND. 4 pieces had been taken by the time the plate came to me for the photo!

2 x Banh Xeo or crispy Vietnamese pancakes with rice paper, sliced mangos, herbs and dipping sauces.  The savory pancake was filled with shrimps, pork, and bean sprouts

How to eat the Banh Xeo:

• Place the lettuce on a sheet of dry or slightly damp rice paper.
• Add fresh herbs like the sliced mango, bean sprouts,
• Add a piece of the hot, crispy pancake on top of the lettuce.
• Roll the rice paper into a tight cylinder. Dip the roll into the sauce before eating.

The lazy ones could just take a piece of the pancake, add the herbs and veggies onto the plate with the pancake, mix a little of the dipping sauce and eat it like that.

Goi Cuon or Vietnamese spring rolls with dipping sauce for 115,000 VND.

Cha Gio or Vietnamese fried spring rolls for 135,000 VND.

Banh Hoa Hong Trang or Hoi An White Rose Dumplings for 109,000 VND. These steamed, translucent dumplings shaped to look like rose petals are filled with savory minced shrimp and pork, topped with crispy shallots, and served with a special dipping sauce.

2 x Pineapple seafood fried rice for 129,000 VND. The rice is served in a half pineapple. The friendly and “ever-happy-to-serve” staff even cut the pineapple into cubes for our dessert after our meal. 

We also had a pomelo salad for 165,000 VND which were devoured by the hungry souls before I could I get a photo!

For drinks, the gents in the group had the local Vietnamese beer. They were really cheap but not that good. The ladies had the fresh coconuts which were cheap and good. Fresh coconut imprinted with the restaurant’s logo.

The staff split the coconuts for us and provided spoons to scrap the white fleshy parts inside.

All of the dishes we tried at An Thoi were delicious and we all agreed that we should eat here again. There is so much more in the menu that we had not tried.

Entrance to the Han Market.

The restaurant is conveniently located next to the Han Market, so those who like shopping can couple a visit to this excellent restaurant with a visit to the market that offers a large range of high quality but faked branded goods.

Alternatively, go take a walk along the promenade by the Han River in front of the restaurant.

Sculptures decorate the waterside by the Han River.

We did not have time to do the above or explore Da Nang on this day. After lunch, we made an hour long journey to Hoi An, where we would stay for the next 2 nights.

But we will be back!

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Trip Overview – 8 Days in Central Vietnam covering Lang Co, Hue and Hoi An

We spent 8 days in Central Vietnam in September 2017, just before the rainy season (October to February) which usually causes floods in Hoi An. We flew into and out from Da Nang city. Da Nang is the gateway to Hue and Hoi An, known for their UNESCO World Heritage sites. It is also the gateway to many beach-front luxury resorts, with Banyan Tree Lang Co being one of the best.

We spent 2 days at Banyan Tree Lang Co, 2 days in Hue and 4 days in Hoi An. Most people will prefer to spent more time in beautiful and historic Hoi An and skip Hue. I decided to stay a couple of days in Hue, a UNESCO World Heritage city well-known for its historic imperial city (Citadel) and imperial tombs.

Like Hue, Hoi An has plenty of history still intact. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Hoi An was a small scale trading port in Southern Vietnam. The old town has many well-preserved buildings that reflects both indigenous and foreign cultures, especially Chinese, Japanese and later European. These places include houses of prominent people, assembly halls, communal houses, shrines, temples, bridge, market and wharf. Hoi An was included in UNESCO World Heritage list in 1999.

Most visitors to Hoi An planned at least a 3-days stay. There is plenty to do at Hoi An. For those looking to make cheap and good suits, Hoi An has many tailor shops that can provide custom-made suits within 3 days. A beautiful beach is within reach by bikes or taxi from the town center. The rural countryside around the Hoi An town is also nice to explore using bikes.

Since we had already spent some time at a beach resort and had already seen a bit of rural Vietnam, we skipped these activities in Hoi An. Our activities included an early morning private tour to Mỹ Sơn, a half day cooking class at Thuan Tinh Island, sampling the local Hoi An cuisine, shopping and exploring the ancient town.

The following summarises my itinerary and where we stayed.

Day 1 (23 September 2017)

This day was spent travelling from home to Da Nang International Airport. We were picked up by staff from Banyan Tree Lang Co and transferred to the beach-front luxury resort for our weekend of bliss and pampering.

Banyan Tree Beach Villa

Where we stayed: Banyan Tree Lang Co 

Trip report – Our stay at Banyan Tree Lang Co

Day 2  (24 September 2017)

There are plenty of activities to keep guests occupied within and outside the Banyan Tree resort. These include cooking classes, golf, yoga, excursions to Hue or Hoi An, cycling, water sports or just enjoying the villa facilities.

My wife did “yoga by the beach” at 6 AM, followed by breakfast. As part of the Banyan Tree Community Reward Stay programme, we were treated to an eco-tour of Lang Co. 

Exploring rural Vietnam in an eco-tour.

The itinerary included a visit to a nearby fishing village in Canh Duong where we learnt about the hard life of the local fishermen, navigate through mangroves in a traditional basket boat, see the beautiful Lap An lagoon and also travel along a winding road up the Hai Van Pass, a journey made famous by an episode of a popular TV programme Top Gear.

Where we stayed: Banyan Tree Lang Co 

Day 3  (25 September 2017)

More free and easy activities at the Banyan Tree Resort before checking out. The award-winning Banyan Tree Spa is not to be missed.

We used the private car transfer service provided by the resort to travel to Hue.

Entrance to the Imperial Palace at the Citadel, a UNESCO world Heritage site.

After checking into our hotel in Hue, we did the walking tour of the Citadel, a UNESCO world Heritage site.

Where we stayed in Hue: Saigon Morin Hotel.

The Saigon Morin Hotel is a historic, French colonial-era hotel, located next to the Truong Tien Bridge and Perfume (Huong) River. On Le Loi Road in the city center, it is ideally located for walking to the Citadel, Dong Ba market, shopping, restaurants & bars.

Trip Report - Visit to the Citadel in the city of Hue at Central Vietnam

Day 4  (26 September 2017)

Lake at the tomb of Tu Duc or Khiem Tomb.

We allocated our second day in Hue to visit three of the most impressive tombs of Nguyen emperors. Some of the tombs actually served as palaces and living spaces for their families when they were very much alive.

The best way to visit the tombs was to hire a private taxi with an English-speaking driver for the whole day so we could visit these places at our own pace, while the taxi waited for us outside. In addition to the 3 tombs, we also made a stop at the Thien Mu pagoda.

Where we stayed in Hue: Saigon Morin Hotel.

Trip Report – Our stay the Saigon Morin Hotel

Trip Report - Three Tombs and a Pagoda. Must see sights in Hue, Central Vietnam

Day 5  (27 September 2017)

After Hue, our next destination in central Vietnam is Hoi An. The best way to travel between Hue and Hoi An is to hire a private car with a driver for a day to take us through peaceful rural landscapes, scenic coastal route across the Hai Van Pass and make sightseeing stops along the way. 

Lap An lagoon

The 128 km journey would take about 3 hours of driving, excluding stops. With stops for lunch, sightseeing and taking photographs along the way, we could depart Hue in the morning and arrive at Hoi An in the evening.

Most private taxi operators’ itineraries include suggested stops at My Khe Beach in Da Nang, Marble Mountains, Lang Co beach, Lap An lagoon, top of Hai Van Pass or even an optional stop (with additional fees payable) at a swimming place called the Elephant Springs.

The famous tiled-roofed Thanh Toan Bridge.

I requested for an additional stop at the famous tiled-roofed Thanh Toan Bridge, located 8 km east of Hue city. Tour From Hue – Family Car Transfers & Tours was happy to include that into our itinerary without additional charges.

Spent the evening at Hoi An riverside. Not to miss is the night market with many stalls and colourful lanterns for sale.

Night market with many stalls and colourful lanterns for sale.

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay. This relatively low cost, family operated guesthouse is located close to the Hoi An Ancient Town and is perfect for exploring this historic town on foot.

Trip report - Scenic road trip from Hue to Hoi An, via Hai Van Pass, Da Nang and Marble Mountains

Day 6  (28 September 2017)

We attended a half day cooking class in Hoi An on our first morning. There are many cooking schools providing half day classes in Hoi An. I signed up with Thuan Tinh Island Cooking School, partly because of good reviews and partly because of recommendation from my relatives who visited Hoi An before.

The rest of the day was spent free and easy exploring the sights and cuisine of Hoi An.

Trying the street food in Hoi An

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay.

Trip report - Visit to Hoi An’s morning market and cooking class at Thuan Tinh Island

Trip Report - What and where to eat while in Hoi An

Day 7  (29 September 2017)

Ruins at My Son Sanctuary

A visit to Hoi An would not be complete without a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage cultural site of Mỹ Sơn. My Son Sanctuary was once the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom who ruled Central Vietnam from 4^th to 15^th century.

It is best to go early in the morning when it is much cooler and there would be less people at the site. We signed up for the Sunrise My Son Tour with Tommy Dao Tours with pick up from our hotel at 5 AM! Sacrificing a bit of morning sleep is well worth it.

Exploring Hoi An ancient town

We arrived back to Hoi An at about 10 AM in the morning. The rest of the day was spent exploring the cuisine and shopping in Hoi An at a leisurely pace. The ancient town and Thu Bon river side area is very beautiful at night when the lanterns are lit.

Hoi An riverside in the evening.

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay.

Trip report - Visit to My Son Sanctuary, Champa ruins near Hoi An and Da Nang

Trip Report - Enjoying UNESCO World Heritage Hoi An in the evening

Day 8  (30 September 2017)

This is another free and easy day for us to explore Hoi An ancient town. One of the highlights of visiting Hoi An is to explore the insides of some of these places.

Insides of one of the assembly hall.

We bought a ticket for the ancient town with 5 coupons that allows entry into 5 historical places of our choice.

Where we stayed in Hoi An: Tea Garden Homestay.

Trip Report - 5 places to visit while exploring Hoi An’s UNESCO World Heritage old town

Trip report - 4 free and easy days in Hoi An

Day 9 ( 31 September 2017)

Travel from Hoi An to Da Nang Airport for our morning flight home.

Other trip planning tips and considerations

Buy a Data SIM card in Da Nang International Airport

A 30 day data SIM with unlimited data, LTE, from Viettel cost USD 5.5, a fraction of the price compared to what we had to pay in most countries. The card can be purchased in the luggage collection area of the airport. The staff even helped us to install and activate the card.

Buy a combo ticket when visiting the Citadel and the Imperial tombs in Hue.

Entry to the Citadel and the various Imperial tombs are chargeable. We saved some money by buying a combo ticket instead of paying the entrance fees to each place separately. This combo ticket is sold at the ticket booths outside these places.

Note: Entry to the Thien Mu Pagoda is free.

While there are group tours to the above places that cost less, we prefer to travel at our own pace. Public transport within Hue is almost non-existent and imperial tomb sites are distributed all over the outskirt of Hue city. It made sense to hire a private taxi with an English-speaking driver for the whole day so we could visit these places at our own pace and with less hassles.

Stay near the Hoi An ancient town

While there are many places to stay in Hoi An, the best way to explore and enjoy Hoi An is on foot or bike. Hence, we felt that the ideal place to stay should be within walking distance to the ancient town and riverside area. The September weather in Hoi An is hot, humid and unpredictable. Once the weather gets too hot in the afternoon, we would seek shelter in a cool cafe or head back to the cool air-con comfort of our nearby hotel to rest before venturing out again in the cooler evening.

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