USD 
A trip to this Vietnamese coastal resort will have you relaxed and reenergised before you know it. With a luxury wellness focus that encourages guests to sleep well, eat well and move well, so they can feel well, The Westin Resort & Spa Cam Ranh certainly delivers.
What’s the neighbourhood like?
A former military area, this up-and-coming stretch of coastal land is now home to dozens of international hotel groups who are designing their resorts around beachfront access and ocean views. This coastal city is 45 kms from Nha Trang and about five minutes from the airport.
The resort can organise cultural excursions to experience a cooking class at Nha Trang Xua. Learn some Vietnamese expressions, and be guided by an experienced chef to create dishes like the famous pho soup with beef, pork and vegetable spring rolls and Vietnamese seafood pancakes, banh xeo. There’s a market nearby and an arts and crafts village where you can see traditional artisans at work.
Where am I sleeping?
There are 207 rooms all together onsite, including the 19 villas. The hotel rooms are modern with stylish Vietnamese-inspired decor and furnishings and all have ocean views. White sheer curtains blow in the ocean breeze, and tiles underfoot are large and smooth. The beds across this resort are the cushiony ‘Heavenly’ beds and guests are given a roll-on lavender oil to help induce sleep.
For my first night here, I’m in a Junior Suite with a kitchenette, dining table, lounge, balcony, palatial master bedroom, walk-in robe and equally enormous bathroom with a ‘Heavenly’ bathtub. It even has a second restroom for guests.
I move to a one-bedroom villa on my second night here. The villa, with its own private pool, is surrounded by tropical foliage. The only noise you can hear, day and night, is the soothing sound of waves crashing onto the shore. This resort was slated to open pre-COVID but actually only opened in 2024, so the gardening team has had years to nurture the landscapes around the grounds.
The design elements of the whole resort are evident in the rooms too – wire baskets as light shades and timber slats mounted on walls are reminiscent of the local structures and reflect Cam Ranh’s main areas of industry and employment; fishing and building bridges. Water is also a strong element of the design.
What’s on the menu?
Eating well is not always about lettuce leaves and forsaking the delicious. At this resort, the focus is on the opposite. Guests are encouraged to indulge in flavourful, locally sourced food – and lots of it.
There are two main restaurants. The Verandah is a relaxed space with one of the most extensive buffet breakfasts I’ve ever seen. Countertops laden with bibimbap, pho, eggs, sushi, pastries, fruits and juices, and coffee and tea are adjacent to stations for eggs, beans, sausages and other Western breakfast favourites.
At lunchtime I try the “Eat Well” menu starting with a Kickstarter Juice; pineapple, chilli, agave syrup, mint and orange. Then a plate of pani puri (Indian pastry shells filled with prawns, mango sauce and veggies) appears. Next is crispy prawn spring rolls with lettuce and fresh herbs. My second entree is a creamy pumpkin coconut milk soup served with a stick of garlic bread. It’s topped with a little swirl of cream and truffle oil, and a sprinkling of pepitas. Salmon comes grilled with a white wine and pepper sauce topped with red peppercorns and tiny spring onions. The chef delivers ice cream after all that; vanilla, chocolate and matcha. It’s an incredible meal.
Hang Ten is the resort’s beachside seafood venue. 90% of food used here is local (the exception is cheeses and wines). I visit a few times during my stay. There’s caviar and fresh salads, seafood (the tiger prawns are huge!) or crowd pleasing burgers, fried chicken and chips. The wine list includes labels from South Africa, Australia, France and Chile.
Staff across the resort are all lovely and sincere – open to conversation and eager to please. That said, the service needs a tiny polish. For example, I wait a little too long for the offer of a wine refill, a little too long to order dessert, and my main meal comes before the entree.
And how about drinks?
The Haven Lounge has a happy hour every afternoon and an extensive drinks list. Both red and white wine is imported from Australia, South Africa and Europe, and there are tropical-inspired cocktails and mocktails. Drinks lists at both restaurants encompass international labels.
What are the facilities like?
Moving well is easy here. The WestinWORKOUT Fitness Studio seems brand new and there’s an instructor on hand to take you through some exercises and teach you to use the machines for maximum benefit. The RunWESTIN Concierge meets keen runners at 6.30am for a jogging session along the beachfront as the sun rises. Tap into Strava and follow the route. The resort also has three outdoor swimming pools and a tennis court.
Yoga classes are held on the grassy lawn near a volleyball court, right in front of the Hang Ten Restaurant, when the weather is fine. If it’s windy, classes are in a light, bright, glass-walled room near the gym. Follow along and stretch, twist and strengthen your body and be prepared to work hard whether you’re a beginner or not.
What sets The Westin Resort & Spa Cam Ranh apart?
The wellness program here is the highlight; heavenly bed, heavenly bathtub, heavenly spa. The ‘eat well, move well, sleep well, feel well’ program runs throughout this new resort. Every menu mentions it and reminds diners to be intentional with their choices.
I also love that every staff member’s name tag articulates their passion. For some, it’s eating, for others it’s movies or reading or exercise. It’s a great conversation starter.
I had the Bamboo Body Therapy treatment, a technique specifically created for the Heavenly Spa. First my muscles were massaged using pressure point techniques, then the therapist rolled over the painful areas with a heated bamboo stick. In Vietnam, bamboo tools represent good luck, long life, friendship and peace. It’s a point of difference and a great one at that. There’s also a full menu of treatments: Lomi Lomi aromatherapy, Thai or Swedish massage, hot stone therapy, body wraps, scrubs, masks and facials for both men and women.
Who will love The Westin Resort & Spa Cam Ranh?
Families with children will love it here. The kids’ club, a huge glass-walled room with cubby slots that look like cat perches, even includes a ‘Spa for Kids’ where they can get dressed up as little spa therapists. There are 20 different activities for children and they can collect stamps as they cross each one off their list. There’s also a kiddie pool alongside the main swimming pool.
This resort is excellent for digital nomads. People who can work from anywhere choose this place because they’re after a relaxing, quiet destination to rest, work and enjoy good food. The suites and villas are spacious enough for two working adults to share.
After three days I actually do feel a lot better than when I arrived. The sleep well, eat well, move well program has worked for me. If you’re looking for a few days of rest and rejuvenation, you’ll find it here at The Westin Resort & Spa Cam Ranh.
Discover Vietnam
The writer was a guest of The Westin Resort & Spa Cam Ranh
