Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô

Why book?

This is a design lover’s hideout: every detail is meticulously considered, from the hand-washed, textured walls to the bamboo fan placed just so on top of the reclaimed-wood dresser. However, it’s also a blissfully serene beach retreat for those seeking to tune out and recharge.

Set the scene

Compared to Vietnam’s big-hitting destinations – Hôi An, Hạ Long Bay – Phú Yên, on the south central coast, is virtually unknown, which is a wonderful thing. That said, it’s easy enough to get to: the closest city, Quy Nhơn, which has been drawing locals seeking out smart stays at Anantara for several years, is an easy 45 minutes away and is where most guests fly into. The guests range from honeymooners looking to spend a quiet week full of long, lazy lunches, plenty of beachtime and perhaps a few spa treatments to extended families who return every year and decamp for weeks, sinking deeply into the slow rhythms of life on this sweep of coast framing the South China Sea.

The backstory

Bãi San Hô, purchased in 2014 by French hotelier Arnaud Zannier, is the sixth hotel in the Zannier Hotels portfolio–others are located in Namibia, Cambodia and France (another opening in France is set to happen later in 2026). The area’s local dishes, traditions, materials and architecture take centre stage – a common theme across Zannier’s clutch of distinct properties.

The rooms

Scattered across 240 acres, the 73 free-standing villas, on the beach, terraced into hillsides, or overlooking rice paddies, and many with private pools and expansive patios, are inspired by simple fishermen’s wooden homes on stilts or traditional bamboo-clad houses of the Ede and Cham tribes. Interiors spotlight natural materials–rattan furniture, jute lampshades–and the gorgeous textiles nod to the hospitality brand’s French and Belgian roots (beautifully washed linen drapes and bedcovers and nubby silk pillows in earthy tones). I stayed with my family in a two-bedroom hill villa, which has two spacious suites with king-sized beds and ensuite bathrooms connected by a shady outdoor patio area and a beautiful infinity pool that looks out over the verdant hills and down over the property’s mile-long white-sand beach. As a self-proclaimed beach person, I initially wondered if one of the beach-fronting villas might have been a better fit. But, within minutes of settling into one of the loungers on our deck that first evening, a cold bottle of local Qui Nhon lager in hand and watching the last fishing boats head back to the nearby villages, I knew we had made the right call. Set high above the beach and the resort’s main building, the hill villas offer a beautiful sense of remove.

Food and drink

The food here is next level and truly a highlight of any visit. Nhà ở is the main, all-day dining spot with indoor seating and seating on the covered terrace. The breakfast spread is truly impressive (the bánh xèo, savoury pancakes loaded with dried shrimp, fried eggs, and lots of fresh herbs, dipped in fish sauce, are a must, as are any of the freshly made pastries). The main building is also home to the beautifully designed Hầm Bar, which has a clubby, 1920s feel. It’s an excellent place for a pre-dinner cocktail and game of backgammon. Làng Chài is the relaxed beach bar and restaurant and the place for lunch. The menu is a nice mix of seafood-centric dishes, fresh spring rolls, cold noodle bowls and a few pizza options in case you want to swap up the flavour profile. It’s a casual spot where you can show up in your cover-up and flip-flops and where the kids can come and go between dips in the sea. Bà Hai is a full culinary experience. The menu is set (with a vegetarian option available) and the restaurant is usually only open on Wednesday and Saturday for dinner; we had planned on going once, but the experience was so special and the food so excellent that we went back a second time. The restaurant overlooks a rice paddy and is built to resemble a traditional gathering house; on stilts with soaring, steeply sloped ceilings and made from bamboo, rattan and wood and dimly lit with enormous hanging lanterns. You can watch the open-fire cooking and listen to traditional live musicians play as you eat vibrant dishes like abalone mushroom salad with herbs, crispy onions and a tangy chilli dressing; perfectly grilled giant prawns; and savoury curries. A meal here (or two) is a must.

The spa

The serene, partially subterranean spa has seven treatment rooms, hammams, saunas, and a spacious relaxation area. The spa menu offers a variety of body treatments and facials; I had an excellent traditional massage that involved a bamboo rolling stick, warm oil and herbal compresses–heaven!

The neighbourhood

You really don’t have any true neighbours. There are nearby fishing villages that are definitely worth visiting, but no other places to stay within a 30-minute drive. The resort is set on 240 acres, so you really do feel like you're in your own little world.

The service

Warm, welcoming and genuine. Service here is attentive yet unpretentious, which reflects local life in the region. When zipping you around the property in a buggy, or mixing you a cocktail at the beach bar, the staff are eager to chat about how your day is going, where you’re from, and what you think of Vietnam so far.

For families

While the smaller villas are more suited for couples, there are two-bedroom villas as well as one three-bedroom villa and one four-bedroom one. This is an excellent retreat for families. The beach is flat–just right for soccer or throwing a football–and the water is usually fairly calm and great for taking out a standup paddleboard or a surfboard. There are tennis courts, lagoon kayak trips, and fishing rods to rent; plenty to keep kids and adults of all ages happy. There’s also a lovely main swimming pool (in addition to the private pools at some of the villas).

Eco effort

During construction, the team created a plant nursery to house local vegetation and planted acres of greenery after completion – more than 96.5 per cent of the plant life was preserved and replanted later.

Anything left to mention?

The hotel offers a variety of half-day and full-day excursions. We did the local lifestyle day trip that took us to a nearby market, to a village known for its fishing net weaving (we gave it a go), to another village that makes rice paper, and the final stop was a paddle in a basket boat to visit a floating fish farm. We had a wonderful guide and it was such an interesting day – everyone we met in the different villages was so warm and welcoming.