Hotel Review: InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, Vietnam
Picture yourself on a beach sucking back an ice-cold beer as you watch the sun set over a crisp horizon. It feels like any other tropical holiday. That is until you realise you have the entire beach to yourself and you’re surrounded by the magnificent hills of the Son Tra peninsula in central Vietnam.
There are luxury resorts, and then there’s the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula. If sunshine, the ocean and great food with a touch of opulence are your must-haves for a holiday, then the InterContinental Danang is where you need head next.
Officially the World’s Leading Luxury Resort for 2015, the exclusive resort’s spectacular rooms and facilities are built on four levels [Heaven, Sky, Earth and Sea] overlooking panoramic ocean views.
Surrounded by lush manicured forest, the entire resort is an Instagram-worthy photo in the making. The staff are extremely friendly and ready to greet you with a “Xinh Chao” – the Vietnamese phrase for “Hello” – and help you check in at the lobby, which is a stunning attraction in itself.
I stayed in a Son Tra Terrace Suite on the top [Heaven] level, which opens up into a private balcony area, where I took in the magnificent views of the ocean below.
My days began with an a la carte breakfast at Citron, one of the resort’s impressive restaurants located on the top level. A huge selection of cuisines from pastries and pancakes to Vietnamese pho and sushi are served in the opulent dining hall, which is decked out with temple-inspired lamps and wooden chairs modelled off the Nguyen dynasty’s thrones.
Citron is also home to the popular conical dining booths that float out over the hills 100 metres above sea level. Inspired by the shape of the traditional Vietnamese non la, the booths are in high demand as they make for an incredible photo. My tip is to avoid the breakfast crowds and re-visit at lunch time to secure your spot at one of these booths.
During the day, the adults only Long Pool was one of my favourite spots to swim and relax with a cocktail in hand. The Long Bar on the level below is the perfect place for lunch accompanied by one of the cocktails on the extensive list. The luxurious day beds face the beach to make an ideal afternoon hangout.
Speaking of the beach, it was time for me to hit the water and try my hand at stand up paddle boarding for the first time. What better way to learn than on a secluded stretch of beach with clear, calm blue seas and stunning mountainous surroundings? For those who don’t fancy lifting a finger while on holiday, you can sit back and take in the sights in a traditional fisherman’s straw boat steered by one of the resort’s friendly staff.
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No holiday would be complete without a touch of pampering, and the award-winning Harrn Heritage spa takes indulgence to the next level. Upon entering one of the deluxe spa huts, I knew this was going to be unlike any other spa experience I’ve ever had. Featuring dark wooden floors and walls throughout, each individual hut has its own steam room, sauna and Hammam [Turkish bath].
No holiday would be complete without a touch of pampering, and the award-winning Harrn Heritage spa takes indulgence to the next level. Upon entering one of the deluxe spa huts, I knew this was going to be unlike any other spa experience I’ve ever had. Featuring dark wooden floors and walls throughout, each individual hut has its own steam room, sauna and Hammam [Turkish bath].
With over a dozen treatments to choose from, the extensive spa menu will have you spoilt for choice. Treatments don’t come cheap as prices start from around $125 AUD and up to $250 for a 90-minute massage, but this is the Best Luxury Resort Spa we’re talking about. Their other accolades include World’s Best New Hotel Spa and Vietnam’s Best Hotel Spa as awarded by the World Spa Awards in 2015.