Review of Pullman Danang Beach Resort

Danang is the third biggest city in Vietnam and rests on the banks of the Han River midway between Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon, aka the ‘Paris of the Orient’ due to its wealth of historic French colonial architecture) and Hanoi (Vietnam’s capital city since 1976, famed for its Old Quarter and many notable cultural and religious sites).

The Pullman Danang Beach Resort is conveniently located for visits to many ancient sites, including Hue Imperial Capital (2 hours north) and Hoi An Town (40 minutes south). Hue was the feudal capital of the Kings of the Nguyen Dynasty and is packed with palaces and pagodas, ancient monasteries and tombs, grand art déco houses, and colourful food markets, where you can sample delicious street food.

The former port of Hoi An has a similar old-world charm, with abundant local farm produce and fresh seafood courtesy of the local flat-bottomed wooden fishing boats that come and go on the Thu Bon River. The best way to experience Hoi An is to arrive in the early afternoon and stay until dusk, when thousands of lanterns are lit and create a fairy-tale atmosphere along the riverfront. A short drive away is An Bang Beach, a great place to chill out for the day or take a boat out to the Cham Islands to explore quaint fishing villages and ancient Buddhist temples, snorkel or take a memorable ride in one of Vietnam’s coracle-like basket boats.

South of Danang are the Marble Mountains, five marble and limestone hills. These sacred Mountains are laced with caves and tunnels and Buddhist and Hindu grottoes. You can scale the summit of Thuy Son via a stairway of 156 steps to take in the stunning panorama. Close by is My Khe Beach, a 10 kilometre stretch of white sand regarded as one of Asia’s ten most beautiful beaches. 

The Pullman Danang Beach Resort provides a range of excursions to these and other unique Vietnamese sites in the region. Excursions with a private van, driver and guide are reasonably priced in Vietnam, and the tour desk at the resort is happy to customize itineraries based on individual preferences.

But if you are looking for something more modern to divert the kids, then look no further than Upside Down World, a local novelty in which all the rooms are, well, upside down. 

The Pullman Danang Beach Resort has a comprehensive array of stylish accommodation options designed to meet the needs of all guests - whether you’re a solo traveller, couple, or family with children. 

Choices include Superior Rooms (on the lower floor with garden views); Superior Family Connecting Rooms (as above and perfect for families), De Luxe (occupying the higher floors of the main building), De Luxe Bay View Room (as above, but with sea views), Junior Suite (for those seeking extra space) and Family Suite (featuring a large balcony and two bathrooms).

Removed from the main resort building are a selection of 11 private cottages, arranged in a village-like cluster and offering a relaxed, open-plan design and a private landscaped garden. There are 10 One-Bedroom Cottages and a single Two-Bedroom Cottage, which also offers two bathrooms and a spacious outdoor dining area with expansive sea views. A highlight of the cottages are the generously sized bathrooms with a large freestanding natural stone bathtub and an outdoor shower. One-bedroom cottage number 707 and two-bedroom cottage number 706 are strategically placed compared to the rest, as these are the only two offering true ocean views. The cottages are placed directly above the large spa and the fitness centre, and guests staying in the cottages enjoy easy access to the swimming pool and beach.

Top of the heap is the luxurious Penthouse Suite, which occupies the top floor of the main resort building and comes with a roof terrace which affords sublime views of the resort, beach and sea beyond. 

All rooms at the Pullman Danang Beach Resort combine traditional design elements with the highest standards of modern comfort and utility.  They are clean, spacious and comfortable, with crisp white bed linen, wood panelling and artfully crafted furniture. There’s a 32-inch (81 centimetres) flat-screen television with multi-channels (40-inch – 102 centimetres - in the Cottages), complimentary Wi-Fi, individually controlled air conditioning, bathtub and walk-in shower, C.O. Bigelow toiletries, bathrobes and slippers, complimentary tea & coffee making facilities and 24-hour room service. 

Smoking rooms are available if required.

The Pullman Danang Beach Resort has an Olympic-sized infinity swimming pool with a swim-up bar. The pool is close to the sea, and the area is tastefully landscaped and populated with sun loungers and parasols.

The Nắng Spa offers a wide range of beauty and wellbeing treatments, including massages (Harmony of Energy, Aromatic Bliss, Head & Shoulder, Foot, Swedish, Hot Stone, Thai,  Prenatal and Kids); body scrubs (Green Tea & Sea Salt, Herbal Powder, Rice Milk & Orange); body wraps (Chocolate, Aloe Vera, Quaker Oat and Yogurt) and facials (Purifying, Harmonizing, Radiance Renewal). 

There’s a special provision for couples - Romantic Rendez-Vous, no less - which includes a private room with a jacuzzi and includes a massage, facial, flower bath and sparkling wine. 

Resort guests can enjoy the steam room, sauna and plunge pool at no extra cost. 

The Pullman Fit Lounge is a well-equipped gym with personal trainers on hand to offer advice and encouragement as you work out in front of large windows which frame inspiring views of the resort. The Fit Lounge also offers a range of scheduled activities, including aerobics classes and yoga sessions. 

A Kids Club offers a busy daily schedule of activities - including Origami, Balloon Modelling and Hair Braiding. It’s open from 0900 - 1700 daily. While the location of the Kids Club far away from the pool and beach is not ideal, the enthusiastic and professional staff make up for it. There is also a bookable babysitting service.

And, of course, there’s the beach itself, where Song Water Sport provides jet ski, paddleboarding, surfing and kayaking, all supervised by the Resort’s own lifeguards. Danang is famous for it 28 kilometres of coastline made up of soft-sand beaches, which are often ranked as the best in Vietnam. The 4-kilometre Bac My An stretch of the beach is home to several 5-star resorts, yet never appears crowded. The wide beach offers white sand and shallow waters ideal for families and is one of the cleanest in the area.

The Pullman Danang Beach Resort is a contemporary and light property with many tasteful Vietnamese touches – and designed to impress. Guests are welcomed in the spacious reception area with ice cold ginger drinks. The lobby is a high-ceiled, light-filled space with natural wood finishes dressed with large Vietnamese lanterns, vibrant artwork and comfortable seating (including stylish pod seats created from strips of wood).

While the open-air lobby is a beautiful space, dramatic views beyond the large windows quickly demand attention. Water is a key feature of the landscaped gardens, and two long jade-green shallow pools lead the way to the swimming pool, beach and open sea. Nobody leaves the Pullman Danang Beach Resort without at least a few photos of this spectacular design.

Eye-catching dragonfly sculptures by Vietnamese visual artist Himiko Nguyen form a theme throughout the resort. They can be found “flying” over various water features - on the front and back of the lobby, on the long shallow pools of the central garden and in the water lily garden by the cottages.

At night, the unquestionable star attraction is the Resort’s infinity swimming pool, which is framed on three sides by low and medium-rise hotel buildings with traditional pitched terracotta roofs. The pool features a lighting instillation which, at night, glitters with a galaxy of fibre optic stars. 

The Restaurant Epice is the place to explore the finest Vietnamese cuisine. It’s open every day from 0630 - 2230 and ‘showcases revolutionary food concepts that fuse urban style with 5-star finesse’. The restaurant overlooks the gardens with views of the sea beyond and features an open kitchen, so you can watch the chefs in action as they conjure up your dinner. 

An excellent breakfast buffet provides a range of healthy Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and European options, with the buffet menu changing daily. Special mention for the Pullman Signature Omelette - a whole egg omelette with pork, coriander, beansprout, and chilli served with grilled sourdough bread and sautéed morning glory. Make sure to also sample the Special Vietnamese Macchiato – a three-layer Vietnamese iced coffee made with condensed milk.

The dinner menu features Vietnamese and Western classics, including Pho Bo (Vietnam’s national dish of spiced beef broth with mint and basil), Fish Noodles, Vietnamese Chicken Wings, Rice Paper Rolls with Prawn and Pork, Coconut Prawn, Deep-Fried Tilapia With Mango Salsa, Chicken Yakitori, Kare Raisu (a Japanese-style chicken curry), Korean Bibimbap, Foie Grass & Pulled Beef Burger and Seared Sea Bass Fillet together with fillet and rib-eye steaks, assorted pizza and pasta and club sandwiches etc. Desserts include Tropical Fruits, Lemon Meringue Tart, Bread and Butter Pudding and Cheese Platter.

There’s also a Kids Entertainment Room to hand with comfy bean bags, toys, and a television to contain the little ones while you dine.

Epice stages special culinary events throughout the calendar. There’s a Saturday International Buffet every week, which takes diners on a gastronomic tour of a different country each month - from Taste of France to Viet Street Food; Journey to Italia to Japanese Delights. Expect live cooking stations and a bewildering choice of mouth-watering dishes. Other special dining events include Bubbles, Beats and Brunch on the first Sunday of every month, which features food and fizz and laid-back DJ beats, together with candle-lit Valentine’s Day dining and other special occasions designed to surprise and delight. The Resort also offers classes if you fancy trying your hand at Vietnamese cooking.

The Azure Beach Lounge is open from 1100 - 2200 hrs daily. There’s an air-conditioned restaurant and a terrace for al fresco dining. 

Dishes include herb-rubbed chicken breast with polenta chips and salsa; grilled lamb rack with figs and potato gratin; duck breast with roasted shallots and fondant potato, and BBQ pork ribs with fruity coleslaw and spicy tamarind chutney. There’s prime Australian beef, including char-grilled rib-eye steak with miso butter and tenderloin steak with black pepper beef jus, both served with thick-cut potato wedges and steamed vegetables.

There’s also an extensive selection of fresh seafood, including sushi and sashimi, oysters, seafood curries, pan-seared scallops, grilled salmon and sea bass. ‘Hot Rock’ sees your choice of seafood steamed at your table on hot river stones with options including lobster steamed in Japanese saké or sea bass, clams, oysters, squid or prawns steamed in rice wine with delicate Asian herbs. 

Other options include a wide range of salads and sandwiches - including the hotel’s signature double-decker lobster and wagyu beef ‘surf n’ turf’ burger and a Vietnamese pho burger.

The Azure Beach Lounge specialises in Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream - quicker and lighter (and certainly more theatrical!) than normal ice cream, it’s available in flavours including Classic Vanilla Bean, Very Berry, Vietnamese Coffee, Danang Durian and Triple Coconut. 

An extensive range of fine wines, spirits, cold beers and creative cocktails is available (including Cốm, which combines green Vietnamese rice, melon liqueur, kiwi juice and vanilla syrup).

The Infinity Bar is open for drinks and casual bites. Guests can drop in for takeaway breakfast, a pot of tea or choose from an à la carte menu. There’s a “Buy 1, Get 1 Free Happy Hour" every day between 1600 and 1800 hrs.

The Pullman Danang Beach Resort is part of the French Accor group - the biggest hospitality group in Europe and the sixth biggest in the world. Founded in 1967, the company specialises in upscale getaways to more than 5,000 hotels and residences in 110 countries (it also owns luxury brands Orient Express, Fairmont, Banyan Tree, Raffles and Sofitel among others). The tasteful deployment of Art and Design is a signature of Accor’s Pullman brand, and guests can expect to encounter eyeball-pleasing paintings, sculptures, and other art objects as part of their hotel experience.

In 2012, the Accor Group launched a sustainable development program called Planet 21, designed to drive change across its businesses. The program has seven key areas of activity - health, nature, carbon, innovation, local, employment and dialogue. At the Pullman Danang Beach Resort, Planet 21 sustainability measures include the use of locally-sourced food, waste recycling, no single-use plastic cups, bottles, straws or stirrers; water-efficient toilets; energy-efficient LED bulbs and key card or motion-controlled electricity supply. The Resort also invests a percentage of its revenue in community projects under its Accor Solidarity endowment fund, which gives disadvantaged groups access to employment through professional training.