Unbelievable Vung Tau Luxury: Seventeen Hotel's Hidden Paradise!
Unbelievable Vung Tau Luxury: Seventeen Hotel's Hidden Paradise!
Unbelievable Vung Tau Luxury? Seventeen Hotel’s Hidden Paradise… or Just a Pretty Picture? My Messy Take.
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because I just got back from a stay at the Seventeen Hotel in Vung Tau, and let me tell you, the "Unbelievable Luxury" title? Yeah, we need to unpack that. This review is going to be a wild ride, kind of like my taxi from the airport (more on that later!). Prepare for a glorious mess of opinions, a dash of cynicism, and hopefully, some genuinely helpful insights.
Let's Talk Accessibility… Before I Trip Over Something (Metadata-palooza!)
- Accessibility: Right off the bat, I’m not a wheelchair user, so my perspective is limited. But! I did see an elevator (score!), and the hotel claims to have "Facilities for disabled guests." (another score, but let’s see what that actually means for someone who needs them). I'll need some feedback on this one, the hotel website isn't super forthcoming.
- Wheelchair accessible: See above. More specifics from those who know would be fantastic!
- Exterior corridor: Hmm, I didn't see this, but I didn't really go searching for it either - too busy trying to figure out the best time for a cocktail.
- Check-in/out [express]: Yes, they had something that tried to be this, but it felt a little… slow. Maybe someone’s still learning the system, I don't know.
- Check-in/out [private]: Sure, they had separate areas for this, which felt a bit swanky. Like, "here's your special check-in, now don’t embarrass us."
Alright, accessibility generally is a little vague, but the elevator is a good sign. Let’s get onto some other things for my stay.
Internet, the Modern-Day Lifeline (and My Constant Fear of Being Disconnected)
- Internet access: They technically had it, wired and wireless.
- Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!: And I can confirm this! Praise be! The connection was pretty decent, but sometimes it would mysteriously vanish as if it was trying to tell me something.
- Internet [LAN]: I am not exactly sure which rooms had this.
- Internet services: They offered internet, but nothing super fancy. No dedicated tech support, that I saw.
- Wi-Fi in public areas: Yup, it was there, and generally worked. Useful for that crucial Instagram story about your epic cocktail on the beach (details later!).
Safety First (Unless You Forget Your Mask, Then You’re Screwed)
- Cleanliness and safety: (COVID-19 Edition)
- Anti-viral cleaning products: They said they used them. Whether I saw them… well, I wasn't exactly following the cleaning crew around.
- Breakfast in room: Available. I'm a sucker for this, and it made me feel very fancy.
- Breakfast takeaway service: Didn't see this.
- Cashless payment service: They offered it, which is great for avoiding that awkward "oops, I don't have enough Dong" moment.
- Daily disinfection in common areas: They said it happened. The lobby sparkled, so… maybe?
- Doctor/nurse on call: Listed. Good to know if you overdo the beachside cocktails (yours truly).
- First aid kit: Probably, but I didn't need it. Lucky me.
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere! My hands are probably cleaner than they've ever been.
- Hot water linen and laundry washing: I'm assuming!
- Hygiene certification: I didn't see any hanging certificates. But it has to be there somewhere, right?
- Individually-wrapped food options: Yes, for some things at breakfast.
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter: They tried. The staff were good at it.
- Professional-grade sanitizing services: I'm guessing they had a service.
- Room sanitization opt-out available: I didn’t see this, and wasn't offered it.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Yep, pretty standard now - no, I didn't see this either, but it'd be pretty bad if it wasn't this.
- Safe dining setup: Seemed like they are trying.
- Sanitized kitchen and tableware items: Yes, they did, I didn't see anything that didn't look like it should be sanitised, but no one really knows.
- Shared stationery removed: Good, less chance of pen-sharing.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Absolutely. They seemed on top of it.
- Sterilizing equipment: No, I did not notice it.
And now for the big one… FOOD! My Stomach Squeals With Anticipation (and Sometimes Regret)
- Dining, drinking, and snacking:
- A la carte in restaurant: Yes, they had restaurants with a menu.
- Alternative meal arrangement: I am not sure if they did this, but if you asked they probably would have.
- Asian breakfast: Yep, noodle soup, you know the drill.
- Asian cuisine in restaurant: Also, yes.
- Bar: Oh, yes. The bar was essential.
- Bottle of water: Yep. In the room.
- Breakfast [buffet]: Hallelujah! The buffet was… well, it was a buffet. The pastries were the best part, so much so, that I'm sad that I did not load up more.
- Breakfast service: Decent, although the wait for coffee was a bit… leisurely.
- Buffet in restaurant: See above.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant: Yes, but that coffee wait…
- Coffee shop: In the lobby, I did get some decent stuff here.
- Desserts in restaurant: They have them!
- Happy hour: YES! Essential for a good time!
- International cuisine in restaurant: Pizza, pasta, burgers, the usual suspects.
- Poolside bar: The best place to be, especially during happy hour.
- Restaurants: Several, all with different vibes.
- Room service [24-hour]: Yes. Very useful for those late-night cravings… (or, ahem, early morning regrets).
- Salad in restaurant: Healthy options, if you’re into that sort of thing.
- Snack bar: For those mid-afternoon nibbles.
- Soup in restaurant: Yeah, a good cure for certain things.
- Vegetarian restaurant: I didn't see a fully dedicated veg. restaurant, but choices were available.
- Western breakfast: The bacon was on point.
A Moment of Pure, Unadulterated Bliss: The Poolside Bar and Its Deadly Cocktails
Okay, so picture this: Sun beating down, barely a cloud in the sky, and me, nestled on a comfy lounger by the pool. In my hand? A cocktail from the poolside bar. (Mango something-or-other, with a generous helping of rum). This wasn't just a drink; it was a vibe. The staff were incredibly attentive, always topping up my water (essential for surviving the Vung Tau heat) and keeping those cocktails flowing. The music selection was perfect – chilled, summery beats that somehow managed to be both relaxing and energizing.
Now, about those cocktails… They were lethal. Seriously. I swear, they could knock out a rhino. But hey, that's what vacations are for, right? Pure, unadulterated indulgence.
But… Was It Really Unbelievable? The "Luxury" Question
I’m not going to lie: the hotel looks the part. The lobby is grand, the rooms are well-appointed (more on that later), and the views… well, they're pretty darn spectacular. But is it truly "unbelievable luxury"? Hmmm.
- The Room: Spacious, with a ridiculously comfortable bed. I mean, seriously comfortable. Blackout curtains? Check. (Essential for sleeping off those rhino-knockout cocktails). The bathroom was lovely, with a separate shower and a bathtub deep enough to drown myself in bubbles (in a good way).
- Additional toilet: Yes.
- Air conditioning: Yup, it was a lifesaver.
- Alarm clock: Yes.
- Bathrobes: Cozy!
- Bathroom phone: They have that too.
- Bathtub: Yep.
- Blackout curtains: As mentioned, excellent.
- Carpeting: Yes, clean.
- Closet: Enough room for all my vacation outfits (which, let’s be honest,
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because we're about to dive headfirst into my potentially disastrous adventure at Seventeen Hotel Vung Tau, Vietnam. This isn't your meticulously crafted, Instagram-perfect itinerary. This is the messy, glorious, and utterly unpredictable reality of travel, straight from my frazzled brain.
Trip Title: Seventeen Shades of Vung Tau (and My Sanity)
(Because, let's be honest, "perfect" ain't in my vocabulary.)
Day 1: Arrival and the Great Balcony Debacle
- Morning (7:00 AM - 10:00 AM): Arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City. Now, I knew I should have paid the extra for a direct flight, but noooo, I was being "thrifty." Let's just say the connection in godforsaken Kuala Lumpur felt like an eternity. Immigration? Smooth sailing… until I realized my luggage had decided to take a solo vacation to, well, who knows. Cue the frantic, sweaty search, the language barrier battle, and the sinking feeling that my carefully curated outfits were now lost in the ether.
- Mid-Morning (10:00 AM - 1:00 PM): Private transfer to Seventeen Hotel Vung Tau (finally!). The drive was… interesting. Vietnamese traffic is a chaotic ballet of scooters, buses, and the occasional stray water buffalo. I spent a good chunk of the journey clinging to the seat, muttering prayers, and wondering if my travel insurance covered "death by motorbike." We arrived at the hotel and it's gorgeous. The lobby is all sleek lines and fragrant flowers. I’m feeling optimistic.
- Afternoon (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM): Check-in. Everything's going swimmingly. The staff is lovely, even with my luggage-related trauma. Then… the room. Oh, the room. It looked perfect online. The brochure showed a gorgeous balcony overlooking the ocean. My reality? A balcony that had been, shall we say, neglected by the cleaning crew. A few dead bugs, a faint whiff of something fishy, and a view… partially obscured by a rusty air conditioning unit. I considered staging a dramatic emotional breakdown right there. Eventually gave them a call and requested a different room.
- Afternoon (2:00 PM - 5:00 PM): The Great Room Switch-a-roo. We got a new room, one that almost matched the pictures. The balcony was cleaner, the view was better, but… the air conditioning was louder than a jet engine taking off. Fine, I thought. I can live with that. Settled in and changed.
- Evening (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM): Walk around the hotel and the beach and take a short walk to see what the place is like and take some photos.
- Evening (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM): Tried the hotel's restaurant for dinner. Let's just say the "authentic" Vietnamese cuisine was a bit underwhelming. The seafood was the highlight of the evening .
- Night (8:00 PM - ???): Attempted sleep. The jet engine AC was still roaring. Tossed and turned, swatting mosquitos, and fantasizing about a pristine, bug-free balcony.
Day 2: Beach Dreams and Motorbike Mayhem
- Morning (7:00 AM - 9:00 AM): Wake up. Feel surprisingly good… until the mosquito bites start itching. Breakfast at the hotel. The coffee was strong enough to wake the dead. A glimmer of hope! Then, the breakfast. It was pretty average.
- Morning (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM): Beach time! Grabbed my (now slightly wrinkled) swimsuit and headed out to the beach. The water was surprisingly clean, the sand was soft, and for a few glorious hours, I forgot all about the balcony woes and the air conditioning war. Bliss. Until…
- Afternoon (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM): Lunch at a beachfront cafe. Ordered something I thought was simple… and got a plate of spicy, mysterious ingredients. My taste buds are still recovering.
- Afternoon (2:00 PM - 5:00 PM): Motorbike adventure! (This is where things really unravel.) I foolishly decided to rent a motorbike. I have minimal motorbike experience, meaning I can barely get it moving forward and have no chance of safely operating the thing, but the freedom of the open road (or, in this case, the crazed streets of Vung Tau) was calling to me. I immediately managed to nearly crash into a cyclos. I'm pretty sure I offended the local gods of traffic control. I ended up returning the bike within the hour.
- Evening (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM): Dinner at a local restaurant. The food was better this time, and the sunset was spectacular. Started feeling slightly less grumpy.
- Night (8:00 PM - ???): Back to the jet engine room. Contemplating my life choices.
Day 3: The Diving Debacle and My Emotional Breakdown
- Morning (7:00 AM - 9:00 AM): Woke up itching all over from another night of mosquito warfare. Breakfast. Decided to be brave and try some local delicacies. It’s as if the food knows I'm not Vietnamese.
- Morning (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM): Diving Lesson. Now, I'm not a strong swimmer, but I've always wanted to try scuba diving. The instructor was patient, the equipment was intimidating, and the water was murky. I panicked, hyperventilated, and spent most of the lesson clinging to the side of the boat. Suffice it to say, I am not a diver.
- Afternoon (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM): Lunch after the diving debacle. I'm in a bad mood. Everything feels like an uphill battle, and I'm close to tears.
- Afternoon (2:00 PM - 5:00 PM): More beach. Just me, the sand, and the ocean. I try to find a little bit of peace, and as I do, I start to enjoy the place.
- Evening (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM): Dinner. Finally, the Vietnamese food starts tasting good. It's probably because I was eating from a street vendor and the smells are amazing.
- Night (8:00 PM - ???): Another attempt at sleep. Still haunted by the jet engine, but at least the mosquito bites are starting to fade.
Day 4: Departure (and a Vow to Return… Someday)
- Morning (7:00 AM - 9:00 AM): One last breakfast. Said goodbye to the helpful staff. Checked out and took some photos. Packed up.
- Morning (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM): Another transfer back to Tan Son Nhat Airport. This time, I was determined to keep my luggage in sight.
- Afternoon (12:00 PM - Onward): The long journey home begins… and that’s it. I'm ready to leave.
Reflections (AKA, My Post-Trip Therapy Session)
Seventeen Hotel Vung Tau? Lovely. Vung Tau itself? Stunning. Did I have a perfect vacation? Absolutely not. Did I have a memorable one? You bet your sweet bippy I did. There were moments of pure frustration, moments of beauty, and moments where I just wanted to crawl in a hole and never leave. But that's the essence of travel, isn't it? It's not always pretty, not always comfortable, but it's always an adventure. I’m still glad I came. I would actually recommend it for a visit. And hey, maybe next time, I'll master that motorbike… or at least learn to pack mosquito repellent. Wish me luck.
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Unbelievable Vung Tau Luxury: Seventeen Hotel's Hidden Paradise - A Messy FAQ!
Is the Seventeen Hotel *really* luxurious? Like, *really* really?
Okay, so here's the truth, and it’s a bit… complicated. Luxury? Yeah, kinda. Think less *Blair Waldorf's Parisian penthouse* and more *that really cool, well-designed apartment your friend’s sister lives in*. The rooms themselves? Beautiful. Crisp white linens, a balcony overlooking… well, *sometimes* the ocean (depending on the room, and the slight angle of the building, and whether the weather is giving you any vista or just a gray wall of drizzle - which, side note, happened to me once). The bathrooms were *divine*. Seriously, I nearly moved into one of them. The rain shower was life-changing. But, and this is a big but…
I had this *hilarious* incident… I was in the middle of a decadent bubble bath, right? Like, full-on Cleopatra vibes. And then, the water pressure just… vanished. Poof! Gone! I was left with half a bathtub and some very grumpy bubbles. Turns out, apparently, this is a *thing* in Vung Tau on certain days. It's not the hotel's fault, but it kinda breaks the luxury dream, ya know? So, yeah, luxurious with a side of potential water pressure anarchy. Just keep the emergency bottled water nearby, just in case!
The food! Is the food at Seventeen worth the hype?
OMG, the food! Okay, *mostly* yes. Let's just say I gained a good five pounds during my stay, but I regret *nothing*. The breakfast buffet was… a masterpiece. Fresh fruit you could *practically* taste the sunshine in. The Vietnamese coffee? Strong enough to wake the dead, and absolutely necessary if you’re planning on exploring Vung Tau in the humidity. I'm still dreaming of the pho. Seriously.
The restaurant did get a little… chaotic one night. This family, oh my god, the kids ran amok! They were basically doing laps around the tables while their parents, equally stressed, pretended to not notice. It was… entertainment, I guess? Again, not the hotel's fault (obviously!), but it did take away a *tiny* bit from the supposed sophisticated dining experience. But the food itself? To die for. Just maybe pack some earplugs for the dinner rush, ya know?
What about the location? Is it actually a "hidden paradise"?
"Hidden paradise" is… a stretch. It’s not like it's *secret* or anything. It's pretty easy to find once you're in Vung Tau. It's definitely a quieter part of the city, which is a huge plus. No blaring motorbikes at 3 am (mostly). The beach is *right there*, beautiful sand, the ocean is *almost* always inviting.
But let me tell you about the karaoke bar across the street… on one particular night… It was like being trapped inside a fever dream of off-key renditions of 80s power ballads. I ended up barricading myself in my room with pillows and earplugs, which, honestly, added a certain *adventure* to the experience. So, hidden? No. Peaceful? Often. Karaoke adjacent? Absolutely. Just be prepared, and maybe request a room on the *other* side of the hotel.
Are the staff friendly and helpful?
The staff? Oh, bless their hearts. They are genuinely lovely. Always smiling, always trying to help, and generally very patient with my terrible Vietnamese (or lack thereof). They really do try their best!
I had this whole *comedy of errors* involving a lost phone charger. I searched for it *everywhere*, turned my room upside down, and then, basically, assumed it had been stolen by rogue monkeys (okay, maybe that was a *slight* exaggeration… though the macaque population in Vung Tau IS a thing). Anyway, I went to the front desk, completely flustered. They were so understanding, offered to help me locate a new one, *they even tried calling the previous restaurants I went to in my quest* - I was mortified and so very grateful. They are truly the sweetest. They definitely elevate your stay, no doubt.
What are the best things to do in Vung Tau from the Seventeen Hotel?
Oh, Vung Tau is a *treasure trove* of things to do. The Hotel is a good jumping off point. First, the beach! Duh. Spend at least a day just lounging in the sun, sipping cocktails (they make a *mean* mango daiquiri), and letting your worries melt away. Then, explore:
- The Christ of Vung Tau: Seriously, climb to the top. The views are breathtaking. The climb up? Less so, especially in the humidity. Pace yourself, bring water, and don't say I didn't warn you about the stairs!
- White Palace: A beautiful colonial building, perfect for photos. Take lots.
- Small Beach: A bit crowded, but good for people-watching and enjoying the general buzz.
- And for a *real* adventure... rent a motorbike! (If you're brave!) Explore the local markets, eat street food (the *banh mi* is to die for!), and get deliciously lost. Seriously, that part of Vietnam is absolutely amazing, take a risk and discover new stuff! Do not, however, drive like Vietnamese drivers though.
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