An Lam Retreats Ninh Van Bay

We had a fabulous stay at An Lam staying for four nights in January 2025. We stayed in Treetop Pool Villa 1. Resort: beautiful set within Ninh Van Bay and unspoilt Jungle to the rear. Room: the room was amazing with a spacious deck, room and bathroom. Plunge pool was nice with gorgeous views of the Bay. The long, private staircase up to the room is a unique feature which we enjoyed and the elevated setting created lots of privacy. The best feature was being able to watch Black-Shanked Douc Monkeys (critically endangered) from the room every morning and evening as they would feed in nearby trees - an experience money can't buy! Service: on the whole the service was good with staff being super kind and helpful. Our room would be cleaned while we were at breakfast every day without us needing to notify them we had gone for breakfast. I notified our butler I was pescatarian and all the staff knew thereafter without me needing to explain to each new waiter in the restaurant. Communication with the butler was easy through WhatsApp where requests would be answered straight away i.e. clearing room service plates, getting more water etc. Food: the food was good with asian style dishes better than western style dishes. The food will not be the best food you have while in Vietnam but there were some tasty dishes. This is an area which I think the resort could improve in. Prices are expensive for Vietnam however most 5 star hotels in my experience up the prices compared to prices in local restaurants so this was as expected. Overall, I would highly recommend this hotel and I consider it to offer great value for the quality of stay. It is often the best value of the three hotels on Ninh Van Peninsula and the natural beauty and wildlife was particularly special.

What a precious place for creating beautiful memories and escaping the rush of daily life!||From the moment we got off the plane, everything was taken care of. An Lam’s staff greeted us at the airport and transported us to the boat dock in a comfortable limousine. The dock itself wasn’t just a simple stop, it had a lovely waiting area with couches, light snacks, and a welcome drink. ||The staff were amazing, professional but not overly formal, friendly without being too chatty. The lady at the dock reception was especially sweet and welcoming. Our butler, Thanh Huong, was the kindest (and strongest) lady, she once carried a full tray of food up the stairs to our villa all by herself. She was always responsive when we needed something, and often shared useful information about the weather, safety, and little tips that made our stay even more comfortable. ||The villa itself was beautiful in a very natural way, lots of wood, raw textures, and a design that blends into the landscape. We stayed in a Bay Rock View Villa, with a small natural spring running under the stairs, the sound was like built-in white noise for sleep. Every morning we woke up to views of the mountains, ocean, and jungle all at once.||There’s plenty to do if you want some activities, you can hike along the stream or into the forest, or just sit by the restaurant, look out at the ocean, and do absolutely nothing. Watching a couple of boats floating in the quiet bay surrounded by green mountains is honestly one of the most peaceful things ever.||I’ll definitely come back :)

We stayed at the An Lam for three nights over NY in a treetop suite and unfortunately overall it was a disappointing experience. The positive aspects of our stay were: * the view from the room is lovely (we were in treetop suite 1) * The bed is comfy and the bedding is of good quality * The staff are warm and friendly although the service was patchy a lot of the time * The food generally was good although the prices were exorbitantly expensive and you are captive at the resort with no other choices There were many frustrating and poor elements of our stay: * New Year’s Eve was an absolute disaster. They had live music until 8pm but then after that, had only elevator music which meant almost all guests gave up and went to their room. We, as well as other guests, asked to speak with the manager so this could be addressed however we were told they had gone into Nha Trang. In a panic, the staff tried to improvise with karaoke at 10:30pm and then a DJ followed at 11pm which was a bizarre experience with many guests left perplexed and it seemed was more aimed for the staff to party * The food and drink was unbelievably expensive and the selection of wine was appalling; 5 euro wine at over USD 100 per bottle * The resort has the cheek to charge you for wine that you choose to bring in to drink in your room. The VND 520k per bottle is levied at the dock when you check in pre the boat ride * The stairs for the in-villa pool are dangerous and coming away and the wood underneath is rotten * Sunlight streamed in every morning into the room at 6am as there are only net curtains on the side where the sun rises * The spa experience was strange. The setting is stunning however they lit a device which produces acrid smoke. They also use a roller to apply the massage oil which was odd * We ordered room service for lunch and the plates were left uncollected on the table the following morning when we checked out We gave the resort ample opportunity to hear and discuss our feedback however this wasn’t something they seemed interested to hear. Sadly this place is out to totally gouge their guests throughout the stay. There are many great places to stay in Nha Trang however this most definitely isn’t one of them. Prior to coming here, we stayed at the Anam and this couldn’t have been a more contrasting experience.

Setting: Beautiful. As advertised. Room: We were in tree top villa 3 which had a lovely view. Room itself large and pool very nice. The finishes in the room are however worn and old; some doors don’t shut fully, things are chipped. Wood is falling off, as are tiles, etc. Needs a proper renovation… Butler service: excellent, Bao made our stay very easy! Food: we found the Asian based dishes very good! Really enjoyed them. Wouldn’t really get the overpriced western dishes for risk of them not being to standard. Drinks: NOT GOOD! Wine list is horrible - the only sparkling wine is a €7 bottle of French sparkling at c £40. They only have 3 bottles of Champagne, all 1.5 litre bottles of Gosset. Not one single Rose wine… The wine menu needs real work - there are people who would spend money but the selection is really really bad and the pricing doesn’t work for what is offered. Happy to pay 2* price for a good Bottle, but paying 4/5* price for the worst wines is never going to work for European guests. Cocktails were not great either. Overall: lacked a manager or oversight figure to greet and provide assurance for the trip. Lacked the organisational class you expect with a true 5* resort of this nature. The team on the ground fully made up for this with their hospitality though! On the whole - good value but would’ve spent a lot more of good drinks and wine, which is a shame!

We stayed in this hotel for 2 days, living in the top tree villa which cost us around ¥2400 CNY per night. I think the service, environment and views were worthy!! Recommend to try the top tree villa, the room was large and provided a private swimming pool. Also our hotel steward Quyen was very friendly and helped us to arrange everything we need. Recommend the jungle spa services in this resort, the vibe and views were amazing! But do not recommend the fishing activity, the facility they provided were simple and crude and there were no fish around the beach lol In a nutshell, i will rate my stay at 5 stars and recommend you to have a try

I had a deeply uncomfortable experience at An Lam Retreats as a solo female traveler. I booked a guided excursion to see the monkeys and was paired one-on-one with a male guide. During the excursion, he began making inappropriate personal advances, telling me he was “single and looking for a wife,” asking about my age and marital status, and stating that he had a “gift” for me at his house. These comments were made intentionally using Google Translate to ensure I understood him clearly.||I told him repeatedly that I was uncomfortable and said no multiple times. Recognizing where the situation was heading, I asked to end the excursion early and return to the resort.||Once back at the hotel, I asked to speak with a manager. I explained what had happened and why I felt unsafe. The managers chose to stand while I sat and told me they needed time to deliberate before deciding whether I would receive a refund. It took approximately three hours before they came to my villa to follow up. They apologized but attributed the incident to “cultural differences” and a language barrier, and stated that the guide is engaged to be married.||While I did not pursue the matter further, I left the interaction feeling dismissed and subtly positioned as the problem—an American who supposedly misunderstood Vietnamese culture. That was never the issue. Clear boundaries were communicated, repeatedly ignored, and the situation only ended because I intervened early.||I love Vietnam and deeply respect its people and culture. I understand the need for vigilance in busy cities. However, when paying close to $700 USD per night at a luxury resort, I should not feel compelled to remain in my villa out of discomfort or fear due to the actions of a staff member—nor should those concerns be minimized.||I’m sharing this so other solo female travelers can make informed decisions and so the resort can take stronger steps to ensure guest safety and accountability.

I rarely write long reviews, but my recent stay at this resort was disappointing enough that I feel it’s only fair to share. 1. For the price point (6–10 million VND per night), I had much higher expectations. Unfortunately, what I experienced was far from luxury. 2. Poor guest experience, with a few exceptions. Apart from butler Khánh, the pool/beach attendant on the morning of September 2nd, and a couple of other staff members, the overall guest care was extremely poor and stingy. 3. We were the only guest staying for three nights, switched rooms twice, yet never received the complimentary spa session that was advertised on the website. When I asked the butler who replaced Khánh, I was told this benefit didn’t apply because I didn’t book directly with the resort. This is misleading and unacceptable for a property claiming to be luxury. 4. There were mosquitoes everywhere, both indoors and outdoors, making it uncomfortable to relax. By the time we left, we had been covered in bites. 5. Severely deteriorating facilities. • In the first room (Bay View), the shower flooded as soon as there was water and required maintenance late into the night. At checkin, we were also kept waiting due to a leak in the air con. • In the second room (Ocean View), there was no hot water, or it would cut in and out—this problem lasted until the third day. • The Ocean View room also had a persistent foul toilet odor. Despite repeated cleaning, the smell remained because of a structural leak, and the only solution was burning heavily scented oils to mask it. 6. There was no tea in the first room we stayed in. It was only after moving to the Ocean View room that I discovered there should have been a tea selection all along. 7. The resort is built in an isolated location—not because it’s on an island, but because it was intentionally designed to prevent guests from leaving to go or dine elsewhere. Food in the restaurants is costly, and breakfast was the same every day. Western selections were poor quality—processed ham, bacon, basic bread—and not a single olive for the salads. The only redeeming qualities were that the food was cooked decently in a huge portion, and the coffee was good. 8. Any activity, exploration, or excursion requires pre-booking with a resort guide—always with extra fees. Even the large screen by the restaurant wasn’t available for guests to use unless it was part of a scheduled event. They wouldn’t even play a movie upon request. Truly stingy.Regardless, Butler Khánh deserves special mention—attentive, thoughtful, and even gifted us handpicked mangoes, which may have been the brightest moment of our stay.Our general impression was that the resort relies heavily on its staff’s effort to cover for the shortcomings in facilities and the stinginess of its management. But no amount of polite service can make up for the lack of proper maintenance, misleading advertising, and poor value for money.This resort markets itself as luxury, but the experience is nowhere close. Between the mosquitoes, deteriorating rooms, lack of honesty, and overpriced, limited dining, I cannot recommend it. Unless major improvements are made, I would strongly advise choosing another property that truly offers value for the price.

Relaxing and luxurious accommodations in the midst of a stunning jungle resort. We did not use the amenities but did thoroughly enjoy the restaurant; the staff was incredibly helpful and at-the-ready for any request. Huong (our ‘butler’ - Hen gap lai) was outstanding! Can’t say enough about her in particular. Highly recommend for a most relaxing experience.