10 best upcountry hotels in Vietnam
The first-ever Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2023 of New York-based travel magazine Travel+Leisure has released a list of 10 best upcountry hotels in Vietnam.
Azerai La Residence in Hue topped the list of ‘Best Upcountry Hotel in Vietnam’ category.
Set on a 2.5 hectare site with 200 meters of frontage on the Huong (Perfume) River, the hotel was built in a French colonial style and has over 120 rooms.
Its distinctive facade, long horizontal lines and nautical flourishes are hallmarks of modern art deco.
Rooms cost from VND4.7 million ($200) a night.
Upcountry hotels usually refer to establishments located in suburban and rural areas, far from major cities or popular tourist destinations.
They are usually built in mountainous areas near natural attractions such as forests, lakes, and national parks.
Located along the bank of Thu Bon River in Hoi An ancient town, Anantara Hoi An Resort came in second.
It has a touch of French colonial architecture with 94 rooms painted in yellow and equipped with environment-friendly equipment.
Plastic bottles are banned in the resort.
Guests can go on a boat tour and release floating lanterns in the river on the 14th day of each lunar month, a traditional travel experience here for years.
Rooms cost from VND6 million.
Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery in the northern highlands town Sa Pa was third.
Located on Hoang Lien Son mountain range, the hotel carries Indochina-style architecture and has 249 rooms and suites that allow a direct view of rice terraces.
From the hotel, guests will be ferried to the Muong Hoa cable car station from where they can make a seven-minute trip to the Fansipan cable car station.
Rooms cost from VND2.7 million.
Located inside Nui Chua National Park, recognized as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO, Amanoi Resort in the south central province of Ninh Thuan came fourth
It has 36 villas overlooking Vinh Hy Bay.
Its most luxurious villa costs $8,000 a night, while the cheapest starts at $1,150.
Each villa is a combination of contemporary and traditional Vietnamese architecture
The villas come with two to five bedrooms, a living room, private swimming pool, and an outdoor dining room.
Located at the foot of Truong Son mountain range, Alba Wellness Resort, around 30 kilometers from downtown Hue, was fifth.
It has over 50 rooms surrounded by green trees, with rooms costing from VND4.6 million.
Located on Au Islet on the Hau River, considered the lung of Can Tho, Azerai Can Tho came in sixth.
The resort has 60 rooms and five villas with private swimming pools, accessible only by boat. The beauty of the Mekong Delta is captured at the resort with dining tables set next to the lotus lagoon or spa hidden under the old banyan canopy.
Visitors staying here can participate in luxury tours by boat, drink cocktails and watch the sunset on the Hau River, visit Ninh Kieu Park and the floating market.
At more than 600 meters above sea level, the Melia Ba Vì Mountain Retreat on the outskirts of Hanoi was seventh.
The resort’s architecture is a combination of French colonial and ancient Vietnamese architecture.
It has eight rooms and three to five bedroom villas with views of the Ba Vi mountains and green gardens.
Guests can hike through the forest in Ba Vi National Park, cycle or go camping on the mountains.
Prices start at VND3.6 million a night.
Located on Cat Ba Island in the northern city of Hai Phong, Perle D'Orient Cat Ba – Mgallery was eighth.
It has over 120 rooms overlooking Cat Ba Island, famous for its long, sandy beaches and cruise tours.
Rooms cost from VND4.1 million.
Nestled deep in the lush forests of Panh Hamlet in Mai Chau Town amidst Hmong, Thai and Dao ethnic communities, Avana Retreat was ninth.
Surrounded by green forests and rice terraces, it has six types of rooms and villas offering views of small valleys and rice terraces on which Hmong families can be seen working.
Rooms cost from VND7.8 million a night.
Nestled deep in the lush forests of Panh Hamlet in Mai Chau Town amidst Hmong, Thai and Dao ethnic communities, Avana Retreat was ninth.
Surrounded by green forests and rice terraces, it has six types of rooms and villas offering views of small valleys and rice terraces on which Hmong families can be seen working.
Rooms cost from VND7.8 million a night.
Lying 18 km from the center of Sa Pa Town, Topas Ecolodge on Hoang Lien Son mountain range came in 10th.
The resort offers 41 bungalows with balconies overlooking the Hoang Lien Son mountain range and a panorama view of rice terraces.
All furniture is made from natural materials such as wood, bamboo and rattan.
A remarkable feature of the resort is an infinity pool lying at 900 meters (3,000 feet) above sea level.
Rooms cost from VND8 million.
Nominees were selected by the Travel+Leisure team of editors and expert contributors across Asia Pacific, and the winners were chosen based on voting results.
