Hotel Review: Naman Retreat (Da Nang)

Bottom Line Up Front

My husband and I have now been to Naman Retreat on two separate occasions, and concluded the same review both times: Naman Retreat is a beautiful, luxurious resort, with delicious food and diverse amenities, but only mediocre customer service and management. Naman considers itself a five-star resort and has a reputation of being one of the best places to stay in the Da Nang/Hoi An area. It is rated extremely high on TripAdvisor, social media, and other travel review websites. With this sort of reputation and with a high price-point, Naman cannot rely on its beauty alone. To ensure long-term success, the resort will need to upgrade its mediocre customer service and management to five-star quality.

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The Grounds and Amenities

The grounds at Naman Retreat are absolutely stunning. The resort takes full advantage of its beach and shoreline, with ample lounging and seating options and a beautiful and large infinity pool. The architecture throughout the resort (by well-known architect, Vo Trong Nghia) is impressive - modern, unique, and artistic, inspiring a true "retreat"-like feeling.

The second large pool, located amidst the pool villas, is a great alternative option to get away from the sun. Other amenities include the spa, classes, and beach equipment. Our experience with Naman spa treatments was exceptional - very professional staff and a clean, relaxing atmosphere, though their availability was a bit limited. Classes include everything from physical activity (yoga, tai chi, dancing) to Vietnamese culture (cooking, etc.) to external excursions. Moreover, guests can further enjoy the beach with volleyball or badminton equipment, among other sporting options.

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The Rooms

My husband and I stayed in a pool villa room on both visits. The room is spacious, modern, and lovely with comfortable bedding, a seating area, and a bathroom with a full tub and large shower. Adjacent to each of these rooms is a private pool and poolside lounging, with high walls surrounding to ensure privacy.

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Dining and Bars

+ The Hay Hay Restaurant +

The buffet breakfast, included in the price of the guest's room, is outstanding, with a diverse array of offerings, all delicious. Options include the egg/omelette station, the pho/noodle station, the Western hot food station, a salad bar, a fruit bar, a juice bar, an antipasti station, freshly baked goods, yogurt, and a variety of bread. Ordering coffee was quite a challenge on our first visit - we always received the opposite of what we ordered; however, this issue was rectified by the time of our second visit. In fact, I was impressed and happy to receive a personal-sized French Press coffee each morning.

+ Cocktails and Snacks at Sitini Bar +

The cocktails are indeed five-star quality - tasty, unique, and Vietnam- and retreat-appropriate, using herbal and Vietnamese flavors to truly stand out. The snack food is underwhelming after such an incredible breakfast experience. First and foremost, almost everything we attempted to order off of the snack bar menu, they did not have. I understand running out of food, but we would typically order early in the day, around noon, with no luck. Disappointing for a five-star resort. The dishes we did try (such as Che, Pumpkin with Custard, Chicken Satay, and Goi Cuon) were good, but not five-star quality.

+ Dinner at B Lounge +

Dinner, service, and ambiance at the B Lounge matched the five-star reputation. Seated right by the water, my husband and I enjoyed a variety of dishes throughout our visits, including meat, seafood, and Vietnamese specialties. Moreover, the wait staff was attentive but not overbearing.

+ Coffee at Coffee Club +

We were never able to experience the "Coffee Club" because every time we attempted to go, there was no staff to be found. That being said, I believe all of our coffee orders at breakfast came from the "Coffee Club," and these coffees were high-quality and delicious.

+ Outside dining area at B Lounge +

B Lounge at night _______________________________________________________________

Customer Service and Management

My husband and I encountered a number of examples of mediocre customer service throughout both of our stays at Naman. The overall theme - the Naman staff is timid and not empowered nor proactive in their jobs. Below are four examples that I think truly highlight the need for improvement in customer service. Hopefully, these instances were merely flukes, but as a five-star resort, unacceptable in my opinion.

Example #1, The Beach Party: When we first arrived to Naman on our first visit, everything at the resort was pristine, and the view of the beach was immaculate. However, the next day (a Friday), contractors and the Naman staff began setting up for a series of "Beach Parties," including two stages, one that completely blocked the main view of the ocean, and another right in the middle of the B Lounge. The construction caused a lot of noise around the pool and beach for two of our three day visit, and the view of the beach was ruined. Then, the first party began Friday night. My husband and I were looking for a quiet place to have a drink by the beach, but unable to do so due to the loud music everywhere. Subsequently, there was another beach party Saturday afternoon. A fun concept perhaps, but when we booked and paid for our stay, we were not notified that our stay at this "retreat" would be disturbed by a beach party, and then an even bigger party on Saturday evening. Drunk people everywhere, marijuana, loud music, pole dancers. This scene did not match Naman advertising for a quiet, zen vacation. Sunday, too, the view was still ruined, as the remnants from all of the parties were still there.

We expressed our concerns to

management during our visit, but no immediate action taken. However, we contacted management after our departure, and the manager was very appreciative for our feedback and even found a way to compensate for our disappointments. He assured us that Naman would do a better job of informing incoming guests of any potential parties or disturbances to the retreat.

Example #2, The Check-In Experience: In my opinion, the check-in experience is the most important aspect of a five-star resort. It is the guest's first impression and first glimpse of the accommodation, and it sets the tone for the guest's entire stay. The check-in experience for our first visit to Naman was fantastic - we were the only ones checking in, and had Naman staff's undivided attention. We were able to check in quickly (accompanied with a delicious iced tea), and our villa was ready and pristine. Impressive considering we visited in July, soonafter the resort's opening.

The check-in experience on our second visit to Naman was disappointing, to say the least. We brought our friends traveling from New York City, hoping to show them an amazing Vietnam resort experience. The check-in area was busy, and it was difficult to gain the attention of any Naman staff. The check-in process was slow, and we had to wait a while for a cart to take us to our rooms. Then, the staff had mixed up my husband and my room with our friends' room, which took even more time to sort out (and still not sure why it mattered which room was which). We did not express any anger or frustration, but the staff accompanying us looked terrified and scared throughout the entire process. As someone with experience in the customer service industry, this tells me that the staff has not been properly trained, and the check-in procedure had not been properly prepared. A five-star resort should know and do better.

Example #3, Ordering by the beach/pool: In addition to the majority of options on the menu being unavailable, the pool/beach-side staff mirrored similar qualities to the check-in staff. Timid, non-proactive, improperly trained. As a visitor to Vietnam, it is my responsibility to know the Vietnamese language and to not expect everyone around me to speak English. But, I should be able to point to an item on the menu, and the waitstaff understand what I would like. If there is confusion, the staff member should have the ability to contact a manager or a colleague who can communicate with me. Every time we attempted to order something, there seemed to be a problem or some type of confusion. Additionally, we rarely had waitstaff attend to us proactively. We had to chase down someone if we wanted to an place an order. Again, these aspects may seem inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but a five-star resort should know and do better.

Example #4, Exercise Classes: The overall confusion and timidity carried over to the spa staff in organization/coordination of exercise classes. My friend went to the early morning Yoga Class, and upon arrival, told it was "cancelled." She went to the gym instead, but then noticed 30 minutes later that the Yoga Class had started (30 minutes late). Clearly a lost-in-translation miscommunication, and not a significant issue, but I would expect more from a resort such as Naman.

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