All photos by: Frederik Wissink for Zannier Hotels
Three restaurants range from Bà Hai authentic regional cooking, fresh seafood at Làng Chài, to all-day Southeast Asian casual dining at Nhà Ô. Resembling the style of Vietnamese homes, 73 villas are dotted with hand-picked antiques, while pools and terraces offer restorative settings.
The bay with its coral reef is the perfect place for kayaking or snorkelling. The Hoa Sen spa, yoga studio and reflection pool provide a serene setting for mind-body wellness.
Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô is the perfect embodiment of the Zannier Hotels philosophy.
Ultimate refinement in a part of Vietnam still largely undiscovered; “What really makes us happy is when our first guests tell us that they are organising their future holidays to coincide with our next opening”, says Arnaud Zannier.
There is no better way to summarise the success of Zannier Hotels. In just a few short years, this hospitality group has succeeded in carving out its own little niche in the world of luxury hotels, adding a peerless intimate and intense dimension to the guest experience.
Like every new jewel that is added to the crown, the Vietnamese project may be ambitious but is entirely based on a clear and very personal vision. After Cambodia and Namibia, the entrepreneur who specialises in very high-end authentic hotel experiences has found yet another completely unique and unspoilt destination with Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô, that reflects the essence of Zannier Hotels: «Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication».
Coral Bay
That is exactly what “Bãi San Hô” means. The resort’s name refers to the one-kilometre long, blindingly white sandy coastline, which is still pristine and immaculate, and peacefully winds its way along lush greenery and spectacular, rolling hills. The bay itself is renowned for the majestic coral reef beneath its waters. At the heart of this little Eden, hundreds of local craftsmen are working hard to add the final flourish to a new hotel experience. Every space, whether for relaxation, accommodation or dining, is primarily inspired by the surrounding nature and reflects the local history and customs, while always striving to respect the Vietnamese ancestral values.
Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô is the perfect embodiment of the Zannier Hotels philosophy.
The resort’s 73 villas draw on three different architectural styles, which are inextricably linked to the country’s tribal cultures. They are all built by locals using traditional age-old techniques.
25 Paddy Field Villas which were inspired by the fishermen’s houses on stilts and are usually built from reclaimed wood. Each villa has a surface area of 49 sqm (including a private terrace).
Designed to be a refuge amongst the fields, they all have stunning views of the surrounding paddy fields. The blue walls brighten up the spaces that are decorated very simply, creating continuity between inside and out, inviting in light and air. The comfortable daybed near the window is lit with hessian lampshades and is a great place to lie down and enjoy the beauty of the rice fields.
25 Hill Pool Villas (53 sqm), which were inspired by The Rade people (Ê Đê), overlook the resort. These hilltop villas are reminiscent of the typical longhouses that you find in the mountain regions, with views over the sea. The original architecture, with a succession of rooms, is very ingenious because the house can be expanded as the family grows. The villas, which are surrounded by a loggia, each have their own private pool and terrace. Smooth bamboo was used for the flooring and to clad the exterior. Here the colour scheme is denser, drawing on the colours of our earth for a more rustic aspect. The primary material throughout the villa is unfinished wood, like the driftwood tray atop the minibar, which the locals used to carry home the branches that they gathered in the forest.
21 Beach Pool Villas (59,5 sqm), which are reference to The Chams (Chăm) who live along the coast. Each villa has its own private pool and terrace with direct access to the beach. Traditionally, these houses are built in very orderly rows, on a single level, with a west facing entrance. The Beach Pool Villas are no different in this respect. The houses on 30-cm stilts are surrounded with a clostra or screen for more intimacy. The walls are covered with cob, a natural material made of clay, sand and straw. The thatched roof villas are built from the wood of the “Gỗ Chò Chỉ” (Parashorea chinensis), a fragrant evergreen tree that is resistant to the moisture in Vietnam’s humid forests. The interior decoration scheme was purposefully kept bright and simple, in shades of beige or cream, as a reminder of the purity of the sea. Likewise, the fabrics evoke the feeling of beachside living and the walls are decorated with painted driftwood panels.
2 Grand Bay Pool Villas, which also refers to The Chams (Chăm), with one 3-bedroom villa (240 sqm with a 170sqm outdoor area and a 56 sqm plunge pool) and one 4-bedroom villa (305sqm with a 225 smq outdoor area and a 56 sqm plunge pool) constructed over 2 levels with breath-taking views over the bay, the villas include an open kitchen, a dining room, a large living room, one bathroom per room, a loggia, several terraces and decks and a private infinity plunge pool. Respectively, each villa can host up to 6 adults and 4 children, and up to 8 adults and 6 children.
Versatile Vietnamese Cuisine
There is no such thing as one Vietnamese cuisine. All the country’s cuisines, whether from the north, south or centre of the country, are equally worth discovering. Discover them all at Bà Hai, the resort’s traditional restaurant which means ‘grandmother Hai’ in Vietnamese. The restaurant has an impressive 9-metre high vertical roof and offers splendid views of the paddy fields. In the evening, a dinner consisting of ten different sharing dishes is served, offering guests an opportunity to go on a journey through the local food history. They also accommodate vegetarian, and aim to create a menu that is healthy and refined.
At the resort’s nerve centre Nhà ở, which means ‘house full of life’, guests can enjoy Vietnamese cuisine with an international twist, from breakfast till dinner. The design scheme of the Hầm Bar (or the ‘refuge’) is a fusion of Vietnamese and French styles, known as Indochine, with sophisticated influences that take you back to old Tonkin. The ambience of this intimate cocktail bar is pleasantly calm.
Guests who prefer seafront dining will love Làng Chài or the “fishing village”. This restaurant is made up of a series of traditional huts that look out onto the bay. A beach bar, freshly caught fish and seafood, grilled and served straight from the sea to your plate… everything pays tribute to the ocean here
Relaxation and Amusement
Yoga, gym, tennis and a large number of water sports and marine activities will be offered at Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô. The resort’s guests will also be able to choose from sporting activities on dry land (walks, jogging, cycling), cultural discoveries (temples, fishing villages, visits to fish farms, meetings with the local communities…) and culinary experiences (visiting the local market with the chef, learning how rice is grown, or even attending a candlelight dinner on a boat in the bay). Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô also has a shop, an area that is entirely dedicated to children and a business centre.
And a magnificent top-of-the-line 427sqm spa with seven treatment rooms, hammams, saunas and relaxation areas will give guests an opportunity to really forget about the time and feel blissfully relaxed. More than ever, the Zannier Hotels signature style is all about capturing the soul of a place, sensing its history, living in the moment, in complete harmony with space and time, in a unique ambience of pure refinement.
“We want people to discover this unspoilt part of Vietnam, which is still a little mysterious and largely unknown, in the best way possible. To let it reveal itself to an audience that is capable of appreciating its simplicity and authenticity, albeit in the most impeccable comfort”; Arnaud Zannier.
Hoa Thanh Hamlet, Xuan Canh Commune, Song Cau District, Phu Yen Province, Vietnam
+84 (0)257 383 0000
