Hue is Vietnam’s most historically significant city located in the central region of the country. Between 1802 and 1945, Hue was the imperial city under the Nguyen dynasty. The city is well known for historical sites such as the imperial city, the royal tombs and numerous temples. The city is still very rural compared to HCMC, Hanoi and nearby DaNang as most of the city was heavily damaged during the Vietnam War. The government continues to make progress to restore the city to its former glory but the process is slow.  Hue does not have world class accommodations that have been springing up all over the major tourist cities in Vietnam.  However, there is one resort in Hue that is worth checking out.

Pilgrimage Village is an oasis on the outskirt of city center that provides a retreat from a hot and humid day of sightseeing. It is one of the few high end hotel catering to luxury jet setters. La Vie Partagee has stayed at this resort over the past few years and we are ready to provide our assessment.  We have stayed at a deluxe room and a bungalow at our two previous visits.

Website: http://www.pilgrimagevillage.com/

Address: 130 Minh mạng, Thủy Xuân, tp. Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế, Vietnam (+84 54 3885 461)

Hotel Class:  Classified as 4.5 stars across multiple booking sites

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Positives:

• The resort is a step back into the bygone era with a fusion of old, colonial architecture with modern convenience.
• Central Hue can be congested, dusty and heavily populated at times. The resort provides a reprieve from the bustle at the heart of the city.
• The rooms are spacious and tastefully decorated with Hue’s style furniture. The rooms have outdoor seating space such as a veranda for your personal enjoyment.
• There is a shuttle bus to/from central Hue at pre-arranged times.
• The resort is well situated in between many tourist destinations around Hue.
• The grounds contain swimming pools, fitness, spa and a yoga center in a lush, green environment.
• Breakfast is over abundant in options to suit all types of palates.
• There is morning yoga for guests.
• The hotel is designed for maximum relaxation and it will be hard for you to venture out.

Negatives:

• The resort is situated in the Hue suburb and will require a taxi to get to your destinations. It is approximately 15-20 minutes outside of central Hue.  You are also very limited in your activities and eating options due to the location.
• During the busy seasons, the hotel can be crowded with tour groups.
• Depending on your accommodation, some of the rooms are starting to feel “dated”.
• Food and drinks are expensive and not up to our expectation for a city that is known as “the best foodie destination in Vietnam”.
• Staff’s English is limited and can be an issue for foreigners.
• There is a lack of privacy in the bungalow as there are no doors to the bathroom. Even as a couple, you may want something more than a curtain separating the toilet from the rest of the room.

Final Hotel Assessment:

For our hotel’s reviews, we will provide ratings based on the following criteria:

1 (Terrible) to 5 (Excellent)

Overall Rating: 4

• Cleanliness: 5 – The Pilgrimage hotel is spotless inside and out.

• Reviews of hotels from various sources (i.e. Trip Advisors, Bookings.com, and Expedia.com) are accurately reflecting the current condition of the accommodation: 5 – The Hotel gets rave reviews from various booking sites. The comments regarding improvements are in line with La Vie Partagee’s experience during our stay.

• Hotel room descriptions are the same as the booking information: 4 – Based on our experience, the rooms’ descriptions are mostly accurate. The official websites and booking sites showcase the public spaces in its true form.  The hotel rooms and suites are starting to feel “dated” and are in need of maintenance and improvement.  The official pictures are a few years old and in some cases; do not accurately reflect the condition of the rooms.

The official photos:

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La Vie Partagee photos:

 

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• Check in Process: 4 – Customer Service can be really slow as it took us over 20 minutes to check in. However, the welcome staff and receptionists are warm and courteous.  The porter will welcome you when your car pulls up to the driveway.  They will take your bags and walk you down the path to the reception pavilion where you will be treated with refreshment while you wait for check in.  After the paperwork has been completed, the staff will give you a tour of the facilities and make sure that you are happy with the accommodations.  Overall, the process was much slower than we’ve expected.

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• Staff’s ability to speak English: 3 – We find that the reception staff is able to articulate in English and only a few of the hotel staff can speak understandable English.

• Food/Beverage Service: 3 –Food is an issue at the resort. The choices are limited and not up to our expectations for a luxury resort.  The drinks and food are expensive and choices outside the hotel are limited unless you take a 15 minute trip into central Hue. We did find the breakfast to be a pleasant surprise and a wonderful value if  it’s included in the booking. Depending where you book the hotel and at what prices, the room rate can include breakfast.  Otherwise, breakfast is expensive.

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• Issue resolution from management: N/A – We had no issue when we stayed at the resort.

• Customer Service: 4 – The staff is friendly but not intrusive.

• Spa: N/A – We did not use the spa during our stay.  We did visit the spa facility and noted that it is a top notch facility.  Other guests have provided positive feedback. There is also morning yoga available to the guests.

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Helpful Hints:

• This is a secluded, old Hue style resort in the suburbs. You will need access to transportation for everything.
• Book your accommodation to include breakfast otherwise it can be expensive.
• Make sure to stock up on waters, drinks, fruits and snacks as the resort is not walking distance to a nearby store.

Others:

If you are interested in visiting a temple, Duc Son Temple and Orphanage is walking distance from the resort.  The nuns have done a truly inspirational job of raising orphans over the year.  They also run a vegetarian restaurant, Tinh Tam (tel+0906404629), to teach the children hospitality.  You can support them buy eating at the temple-run vegetarian restaurant.  Orphans’ Future Alliance, a non-profit based in the US, provide these orphans by paying for their education expenses.  Please note that the editors of La Vie Partagee are also involved in Orphans’ Future Alliance.

*Disclaimer: The authors stayed at the resort on two separate occasions on their own expenses, but did receive an upgrade on the second visit to a bungalow.

For related articles, visit the TRAVEL page.

Authors: Thai-Anh Hoang and Chau Hoang

Featured Photo: Pilgrimage Village