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Written by Madeleine Keck
Vietnam has quietly become one of Asia’s most compelling luxury destinations. The hotels are exceptional, the inclusions are generous, and the price point sits well below comparable stays in Thailand or Bali. Capella Hanoi stands apart – a 47-room boutique hotel in Hanoi’s French Quarter with a Michelin-starred teppanyaki restaurant in its basement. On the coast, Banyan Tree Lăng Cô offers all-pool-villa luxury between three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and is consistently rated among Vietnam’s best beach resorts.
Discover the best five-star properties across the country worth building a trip around.
Best five-star hotels in Phu Quoc
Meliá Vinpearl Phu Quoc
On the long pale sweep of Bai Dai Beach on Phu Quoc’s northwest coast, Meliá Vinpearl Phu Quoc is a villa resort built around private pools, coconut palms and lake-lined pathways that connect the accommodation to the shore. One to four-bedroom villas each come with private outdoor pools, while The Level tier adds access to a dedicated lounge, an exclusive beach area and additional dining and guest privileges. Dining ranges from Mediterranean and Italian fare to Japanese and broader Asian and international menus, with several restaurants and bars spread across the resort. Then there’s the YHI Spa, and complimentary shuttles that connect guests with nearby attractions including VinWonders, Vinpearl Safari and the Vinpearl Golf course within the greater resort precinct.
La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc – MGallery Collection
Where much of Phu Quoc’s resort coastline leans toward the large-scale and contemporary, La Veranda takes a more intimate approach. Inspired by the style of a French colonial seaside mansion, the boutique property has just 74 rooms and villas, with dark timber detailing, mosaic tiles, ceiling fans and private balconies or terraces overlooking the gardens or sea. The Pepper Tree restaurant serves Pacific Rim cuisine with wide ocean views, and its sunset-facing terrace is one of the island’s more atmospheric dinner settings. Le Spa anchors the spa offering, while yoga and other wellness activities are regularly held by the beach. Just a short drive from Phu Quoc International Airport and around 50 minutes by air from Ho Chi Minh City, the resort makes an easy base for exploring the island.
Best five-star hotels in Hoi An & Da Nang
Meliá Danang Beach Resort
On the sands of Non Nuoc Beach, Meliá Danang Beach Resort brings together the warmth of Vietnamese hospitality, polished service and the soft sands of the beach right to your doorstep. Whether you’re swimming in one of the seven dazzling outdoor pools, luxuriating at the YHI Spa (a signature for the Meliá brand) or savouring tapas, rich pasta dishes or freshly caught seafood at the Cape Nao Beach Club, you’ll find your ideal way spend the day.
Pullman Danang Beach Resort
On the white sands of Bac My An Beach, Pullman Danang sits directly on the water with 186 rooms and cottages, all with private balconies facing the sea, pool or tropical gardens. The beachfront infinity pool is the resort’s social hub, with watersports – kayaking, paddleboarding, surfing – running daily from the shore. The Nắng Spa offers massages, bathing rituals and body treatments overlooking the gardens, while Epice restaurant fuses Vietnamese ingredients with an open show kitchen and terrace seating. A shuttle runs daily to Hoi An, 30 minutes south, making this a practical base for the central coast as much as a beach retreat.
Almanity Hoi An Resort & Spa
A short walk from Hoi An’s Ancient Town – close enough for evening strolls through the lantern-lit streets, far enough to feel removed from the crowds – Almanity is built around a saltwater pool and a Japanese garden with a koi pond that serves as the resort’s quiet centrepiece. Its wellness focus runs deep: the spa, among the largest in Hoi An, features 40 treatment rooms alongside a Himalayan salt sauna, herbal steam bath and indoor vitality pool. Rooms lean into traditional timber detailing and many open onto private balconies overlooking the pool or gardens. Dining at Four Plates centres on a series of open kitchens spanning Vietnamese and Asian dishes, grilled fare and fresh salads, with produce sourced in part from local organic farms and gardens. Daily tai chi and fish-feeding sessions round out a property that takes wellness seriously without making it feel overly prescriptive.
Wafaifo Resort Hoi An
Perfectly positioned for exploring the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hoi An Ancient Town, Wafaifo Resort Hoi An encapsulates the old-meets-new vibes of Hoi An. Resort-style facilities include a palm-lined central pool, artisanal coffee shop, a Vietnamese restaurant, an international restaurant, and impressive spa and fitness centre (it even has hyperbaric chambers).
Hotel Royal Hoi An – Gallery
This romantic riverside hotel offers old-world elegance inspired by a 17th-century love story (think four-poster beds, panelling and gilt accents). It’s also just a stone’s throw from the beautiful Ancient Town, with all of its historic architecture and eateries within walking distance. After exploring, make use of the Art Nouveau-inspired outdoor pool, spa treatments at Woosah Spa and the onsite bars and restaurants, serving everything from Japanese cuisine to rooftop cocktails.
Best five-star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City
SILA Urban Living
This well-equipped hotel is in one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most popular neighbourhoods, the historic District 3, with its colonial architecture, leafy boulevards and cafe culture. It’s also home to the War Remnants Museum and Turtle Lake, a buzzing nightlife spot with plentiful street food. Expect spacious studios and suites with kitchen facilities, a 20-metre outdoor pool, a 24-hour gym, and spa facilities including a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and yoga studio.
Caravelle Saigon
Built in 1959 and serving as a gathering spot for politicians, journalists and soldiers during the war to enjoy a rooftop drink, the Caravelle Saigon stands as one of the finest vintage hotels in Ho Chi Minh City’s vibrant District 1. Its French-Vietnamese style is evident in the gracefully curved balconies – hallmarks of the era – attached to rooms that once housed the offices of Air France, as well as the Australian and New Zealand embassies. Come for the history, stay for unparalleled views of the Saigon Opera House and Saigon River – plus suites and rooms that exude old-school luxury.
Best five-star hotels in Hanoi
Capella Hanoi
Tucked along the boulevard of Hoan Kiem Lake, this Art Nouveau marvel is a homage to the nearby Hanoi Opera House, with each room individually adorned with memorabilia honouring legendary artists, composers and performances. Designed by renowned architect Bill Bensley, the hotel boasts an indoor pool with mirrored ceilings and a lobby that exudes the opulence of the 1920s with lavish gold accents and velvet drapery. The Auriga Spa offers indulgent 24-karat gold facials and the onsite Koki is the only Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in the city.
Dusit Le Palais Tu Hoa Hanoi
On the peaceful western shore of West Lake, Dusit Le Palais Tu Hoa takes its name from a 12th-century princess credited with pioneering Vietnam’s silk-weaving tradition – and the homage runs deeper than a name. Nearly 300 original artworks, most of them silk paintings by Vietnamese artists, trace the arc of Tu Hoa’s life across the hotel’s 207 rooms and common spaces, giving each stay an unexpected encounter with living heritage. The rooftop pool draws long views over the lake, the Italian restaurant and Thai kitchen anchor the dining options, and the basement onsen – a genuine rarity in Hanoi – makes a compelling case for staying in rather than venturing out. For travellers after the Old Quarter, it’s a 15-minute taxi ride; for those who’d rather let the city come to them, West Lake’s flower markets and lakeside cafes are on the doorstep.
Best five-star hotels in Lang Co
Angsana Lăng Cô
If a taste of beautiful beaches with bountiful culture on the doorstep is your prerequisite for a Vietnam stay, Angsana Lăng Cô is just the ticket. It sits on a three-kilometre stretch of powdery golden beach, amid the jungle-covered mountains of Bach Ma National Park, between three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Hoi An Ancient Town, Hue Imperial City and My Son Sanctuary. There are four restaurants onsite (spanning Japanese and international) with four more at the resort’s sister property, Banyan Tree Lăng Cô, a few minutes up the road. Inspired by the tropical Angsana tree, the spa looks to nature for its treatments, incorporating native flowers and fruits.
Banyan Tree Lăng Cô
A little further up the beach from Angsana Lăng Cô is Banyan Tree Lăng Cô, an all-pool-villa luxury resort with accommodation dotted among the emerald hills above the ocean. Again, in its position between Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An, it’s perfectly positioned for exploring: between enjoying the 18-hole Laguna Golf Lăng Cô course, boutique selling artisanal gifts and furnishings, yoga pavilion, watersports centre, spa, and dining that ranges from Thai flavours to classic Italian and live seafood.
Best five-star hotels in Ho Tram
Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort
Wellness lies at the heart of this beachfront retreat where guests can embark on carefully curated four- or seven-step well-being packages that feature sunset bath rituals, mindfulness practices and nourishing cuisine. Indulgent treatments at the YHI SPA are complemented by a sauna, steam bath, and nail and hair salon, while villas boast meditation essentials, yoga gear, vitamin C showerheads and aromatic mists. Downtime at the resort can be spent wandering the Wellness Pathway, which winds through coconut palms and serene lakes, with eight thoughtfully designed stops to foster reflection and inner peace.
Best five-star hotels in Cam Ranh
Mövenpick Resort Cam Ranh
After a family stay? Mövenpick Resort Cam Ranh, a sprawling palm tree-lined oasis, will delight with the Little Birds Club for kids and teens, a 10-metre-high rope park and children’s swimming pool. While the kids are busy, big kids can unwind at Swiss Village, featuring a beer house, café and nightclub. Perched on 17 kilometres of sandy beachfront, it’s no surprise that every room, villa, suite and studio boasts uninterrupted views of turquoise waters.
Radisson Blu Resort, Cam Ranh
This 292-room Cam Ranh beachfront haven may be vast, but it offers exceptional personal service and an abundance of understated elegance. Lush, landscaped grounds extend to pristine white sands and the Executive Lounge on the 13th floor – the only one of its kind in the area – presents unrivalled panoramic views of Cam Ranh Bay. Adults will delight in Blu Lobster, a waterfront luxury eatery serving up succulent seafood, while children will be thrilled by the newest attraction: a cascading rainforest water park.
Best five-star hotels in Nha Trang
Mia Resort Nha Trang
On a dreamily lush and leafy stretch of coastline between Nha Trang and Cam Ranh, this boutique resort offers blissfully private villas dotted amid the tropical gardens, some with sweeping ocean views (the three-storey five-bed residences sleep up to 10). When it comes to dining, the fresh local seafood of Kitchen by the Sea is exceeded only by the views, while La Baia serves crowd-pleasing Italian dishes at the foot of a mountain, and Mojito’s Lounge & Bar is where cocktails and Asian-fusion dishes are served overlooking the waves splashing onto the mainland’s rocky outcrop.
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay doesn’t have a road. Reaching it requires a roughly 20-minute speedboat transfer from Nha Trang, part of the appeal for a resort designed to feel deliberately removed from the mainland. Set within a secluded bay framed by granite boulders and forested hills, the property has 62 pool villas spread across the beachfront, hillside and rock formations, built from timber and stone in a contemporary interpretation of Vietnamese architectural traditions. Dining by the Rocks serves seafood and grilled dishes in an open-air setting above the water, while the resort’s wine cave provides a more intimate space for private dinners and tastings. The Six Senses Spa combines Vietnamese-inspired treatments with the brand’s broader wellness programs, and sustainability is woven deeply into the resort’s operations.
Everything you need to know about travelling to Vietnam
When is the best time to visit Vietnam?
Vietnam’s central coast – including Da Nang, Hoi An and Lăng Cô – is generally best visited from March to August, when rainfall is low and beach conditions are at their most reliable. Hanoi is typically most comfortable in October and November, and again in March and April, though spring can be humid at times. Ho Chi Minh City stays hot year-round, with its driest weather usually falling between December and April.
Is Vietnam good for a luxury holiday?
Vietnam has matured into one of Southeast Asia’s most compelling luxury destinations. The value proposition is exceptional — five-star stays regularly come with full-board inclusions, private pools and spa credits at prices well below comparable properties in Thailand or Bali. The country’s diversity, from Hanoi’s French Quarter to the limestone bays of Ha Long, means no two stays need look alike.
Feature image: Pullman Danang Beach Resort
