Where is it? The Nam Hai, a new high-end all-villa resort stands, on China Beach, just outside the historic town of Hoi An in central Vietnam.
High end? It's certainly several rungs up the luxury ladder from other properties in the region, such as the nearby Victoria and the Furama resort in Danang. It is managed by GHM, which operates swanky places such as the Datai in Langkawi, Malaysia, the Strand in Yangon, Myanmar, and various Chedi hotels and resorts, and which is now calling the Nam Hai its Asian flagship property.
What's the ambience like? The central reception, restaurant and pool area are particularly striking: Frank Lloyd Wright with a touch of Zen. Low-slung, pyramid-shaped roofs abound and a series of large infinity pools steps down towards the sea. The 100 villas (40 with private pools) are arranged in five horseshoe shapes facing the near-deserted, kilometre-long beach, and each is built around enough open space to give any Hong Kong property developer a seizure. Ask for a villa close to the sea when booking because it is a fair trudge back across the sand to the most recessed accommodation.
Tell us more. The stone and wood theme carries into the spacious villas, the main focus of each being a raised central platform housing an ocean-view bed, a sunken marble bathtub, a desk area and a lounger. Bathrooms feature open-air rain showers while each villa has a verandah with loungers and a sea view.
What's on the menu? The Japanese-designed main restaurant, imaginatively titled The Restaurant, serves fine international and Vietnamese dishes at indoor and outdoor tables. The Beach Restaurant, on the other side of the pools, is more casual. A bar with live music is located above The Restaurant.
Presumably there's a spa? Yes, eight spa villas - four singles and four doubles - can be found next to a carp-filled lotus pond. Treatments include the usual therapeutic massages, body scrubs, volcanic-clay body masks and facials. Worth a try is the signature Nam Hai Massage: two therapists, working 'in synchronisation to lull you into a blissful state', administering shiatsu, Thai, Swedish, Balinese and Hawaiian lomi-lomi massages, although without a running commentary you won't know (much less care) if you're in Stockholm or Honolulu after the first 10 minutes.