PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

Recently rebranded a Sofitel property, this enormous new resort (500 rooms when complete) on Bamboo Island, a 10-minute boat ride from coastal Nha Trang, gets an \"A\" for effort. Visitors familiar with the Sofitel standard, however, may be disappointed with this property. It veers on kitsch. That much is evident as you approach the island and view the word \"VINPEARL,\" placed in the hills like the famous Hollywood sign. It lights up at night. You'll be away from the main Nha Trang drag (cable car or speedboat connections to the mainland are 100,000 VND/$6.65/£3.70 roundtrip), but the hotel is pretty self-contained. Everything on the island, from construction materials to the very water that comes out of the taps, is transported by large tankers -- an incredible undertaking. Public spaces, like the double-height marble lobby rotunda, are grand in scale but rather uninteresting. Rooms are similarly large and comfortable, with all the amenities, but plain. The resort is designed in an arc around the vast acreage of the central pool, reputedly the largest in the region, with lots of fun slides, meandering river areas, and bridges, all overlooking a secluded bay. Dining is familiar but uninspired. VinPearl is so far a favorite with wealthy Vietnamese weekenders and Korean group tours, but time will tell.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Vietnam, 2nd Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»