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Hotel Review: The Shells Resort & Spa (Phu Quoc)

Bottom Line Up Front

The Shells Resort is arguably one of the best luxury resorts in Vietnam for its impressive rooms, attractive pool and grounds, high-quality & fresh food, and first-class customer service. The sea shore had quite a bit of trash, likely due to recent stormy weather, and the resort is surrounded with construction; however, these two setbacks do not distract from the resort's relaxing ambiance. At the time we visited (mid-April), there were not many guests at the resort, so it is unknown how the resort can handle larger crowds. The resort should consider upgrading its amenities, particularly the gym facilities and activity offerings.

The Pool & Grounds

The grounds at the Shells is one of its greatest strengths and most attractive qualities. The main hotel building is beautifully designed in the shape of a shell, giving each room a perfect view of the beach and ocean. The pool area is clean and enticing with several different areas for relaxation: the pool bar, a shallow area with lounge chairs in the water, a "beach-like" area (with angled entry, similar to a beach), and a bigger area for swimming laps. Flowers and greenery permeate the premises, and lounge chairs, both by the pool and on the beach, are plentiful. The pool lounge "pods" and lounge chairs in the water are a nice added touch. The beach is also clean, though the sea line had quite a bit of trash due to recent stormy weather. The Shells kept staff on the beach during our entire visit, cleaning as quickly as possible, but the trash just kept coming. Behind and next to the main building, there was a bit of construction, though not distracting, and should be completed in the near future.

Amenities

Amenities at the Shells include a full-service spa, a gym, meeting spaces, beach activities (kayaks and volleyball), and an included airport transfer. The spa is clean and relaxing in ambiance, and the spa staff are skilled and professional. Spa services are diverse, including massage, body scrubs & wraps, facials, manicures & pedicures, and the facility includes a sauna and steam room. Though the spa treatments did not stand out as particularly incredible, they were good-value (considering my room rate included a daily treatment). Spa reception service was varied - some days we received a pre- and post- treatment herbal tea, some days we did not.

The gym/exercise room (located in Waves Spa) is disappointing. Only two pieces of cardiovascular equipment are in the room, and the treadmill seemed to be broken (it would not maintain a steady speed). The rest of the gym includes a set of free weights and a weight machine. The room is very hot, not well ventilated, and is not staffed.

The beach activities, though not many, are a nice alternative to lounging - kayaking and volleyball. The staff is enthusiastic and eager to assist guests with these activities.

The Rooms

The rooms are another stand-out feature of the Shells Resort. I stayed in a Oceanview Deluxe room, a 70-square-meter multi-tier space with a comfortable king-size bed, private balcony with day bed, full view of the ocean, huge marble bath tub, separated shower room, separated bathroom, vanity area, two sofas, a desk and bar area, and all the usual resort amenities. The TV stored in a rotating treasure chest is a fun feature. The large, modern-in-design room truly makes the guest feel like he or she is in a luxurious resort.

The Shells also contains private garden villas. I did not see the interior of these, but they too looked spacious and modern, though none of them have views of the ocean.

Dining & Bars

+ Liquid Lounge

Liquid Lounge includes an interior lounge, the pool bar, and poolside bar/food service. The interior lounge was trendy in design, continuing the "shells" theme, though it closes very early considering it is the go-to resort bar. The pool bar is dramatic, beautiful, and truly luxurious. The bar staff are friendly and attentive. Drink offerings are diverse and high-quality, and the prices are reasonable. Poolside/bar food quality is exceptionally high, matching the excellent quality of food at Flow Restaurant.

+ Flow Restaurant

Flow Restaurant is a five-star quality restaurant, serving a diverse menu of seafood and land options, in both Vietnamese and Western cooking styles, at reasonable prices. In particular, we recommend the grilled seafood platter, the red snapper hot pot, the grilled mango dessert, and the coconut ice cream. All of the food is fresh and full of flavor, and the restaurant staff (overlapping from Liquid Lounge) are all incredibly attentive and professional. The layout of the restaurant is spacious and open-air, allowing for a nice cross breeze. Most tables are inside; unfortunately, only a few tables are outside, overlooking the ocean. Guests also dine at Flow Restaurant for the buffet breakfast, which includes a substantial variety of typical Vietnam buffet breakfast offerings (omelette station, Vietnamese dishes, Japanese dishes, baked goods bar, crepes & waffles, salad bar, fruit bar, juice bar, coffee bar). Breakfast food is tasty and fresh. The buffet is adequate, nothing above or below expectations.

Customer Service & Management

The resounding best feature of the Shells Resort, consistent throughout the entire resort and all services, is the first-class customer service. Every single staff member is clearly trained on professionalism, friendliness, and proactive service. Moreover, the staff members are all experts on resort services and restaurant offerings and were able to answer all questions with confidence. Whenever an issue or problem arose, a staff member tended to the issue promptly, effectively, and professionally.

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