Hotel Review: Sheraton Nha Trang, Vietnam

I’ll grant you, our budget hasn’t been the tightest of budgets, but I certainly could not have afforded the pleasures of the Sheraton in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Hello air miles! Oh yes, I walked into that hotel with a backpack each on my front and my back, dressed as nice as could be given the circumstances, but let’s be honest – David and I were not their typical clientele. But hey, I’ve worked hard for those air miles over the years.

Backpacker chic appearance aside, we checked in for three glorious nights. The Sheraton Nha Trang is right along the beachfront, so when we were taken to our room on the 20th floor, I was taken aback by the phenomenal view. The balconies are really just meant for standing (no furniture), but even so, we made the most of our view, attaching a GoPro to the bannister for an evening time lapse.

Yep. That’s the sweet view from our room.

Service at the hotel was pretty spectacular. They’d accidentally booked us into a smoking room (these still exist?), but immediately rectified the situation which had us end up on an SPG Preferred level. One evening when we ordered drinks and a meal in the lounge, our pizza order somehow got missed. Again, this was fixed right away with a hefty discount on our bill. I am a firm believer that excellent service is not about things going swimmingly, but in how hotel staff manage errors. Sheraton, Nha Trang staff were fantastic.

Delectable cocktails.

Ah, the room. I could have lived in this room morning, noon and night. And let’s be honest, it rained most of our time in Nha Trang, so we pretty much did. A superb note on the Sheraton, Nha Trang is that they offer free wifi in the rooms. Now, it’s not the fastest wifi, but at least you’re avoiding the $19 daily charge for high speed. When we stayed at the Sheraton in Hanoi you could only get free wifi in the lobby – a pet peeve of mine. Honestly, whether you’re paying the full hotel amount or traveling on points, for a hotel like the Sheraton wifi should always be included free of charge.

Why yes, yes you can see straight through to the bathroom.

An odd feature of the SPG Preferred level is that you can see through the bathroom into the bedroom. It was a pretty random design, but we had fun drawing pictures on the glass as it fogged up during a shower. Children at heart, I know.

The Sheraton, Nha Trang has its own private section of beach loungers. You just need to show your room key and they’ll equip you with towels and chairs. On a good day I imagine it is stunning (remember, I mentioned we had rain). In case you’re afraid of crossing the busy streets in Vietnam, the Sheraton even has a staff member dedicated to helping you cross safely from the beach to the hotel and back. Five star, indeed!

As for amenities, I have two words for you: infinity pool. I have never gotten to experience an infinity pool before and it was truly spectacular. The pool is quite shallow so any level of swimmer can enjoy. It’s surrounded on all sides by loungers. If you’re feeling more active there is a full-gym with view of the ocean. I also noticed a yoga studio so assume that there are classes and there is a full spa, but the rates are true North American prices.

The best part of our stay? The hotel was decked out for the holidays (we stayed in early December). There was a full Christmas tree as well as a gingerbread house complete with an elf selling … you guessed it, gingerbread! I know that it’s totally set up for the tourists, but we really revelled in the holiday cheer.

Had we not been on points, the hotel would have cost us about $250/night. Considering what you could get in Canada for the same rates, I’d say it’s pretty reasonable. You get Sheraton quality, great amenities, superb proficiency in English and the comforts of home. If you can’t afford that? Save up those Air Miles, baby.