Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh

We stayed in a Duplex family room which was spacious and looked out onto a beautiful garden. The rooms are very clean and have everything you need including filtered water which I was very pleased to see as this reduces single use plastic bottles. The whole resort is very relaxing and peaceful and the staff go above and beyond to help. Breakfast is very fresh and plenty of variety, I particularly enjoyed the noodle soup and fresh fruit. The children enjoyed the swimming pool. Really recommend this beautiful resort.

We stayed here as a family of seven and booked two rooms. The location is beautiful, the pool is excellent, and the gym is very good. However, several aspects could be improved. The staff’s English level is very limited — at the restaurant, the waitresses did not understand our order. We paid over $250 for average-quality food at the evening restaurant. The checkout process was stressful; after we had already paid, we were asked to pay for additional items in cash. I believe the staff are underqualified and would benefit from better training — for example, clearing tables more promptly and welcoming foreign guests in a way that reflects the fact that tourism is a key part of the local economy. This is not unique to this hotel, as we have experienced similar issues at other 3- and 4-star hotels in Vietnam. In addition, both rooms experienced clogged drains after the first night. Overall, it is a very nice hotel in a stunning location, but service quality and staff training should be improved to match its potential.

It's a fairly remote location which we knew about but due to the time of year (August) it was incredibly hot, which we should have expected. The room was large and well equipped but the air conditioner seemed to be under powered for the room size, insulation and heat. Because of the heat we didn't feel like going outside and the pool water was too warm to be refreshing. Also the whole reception area was not enclosed therefore no aircon so it didn't feel like a relief to get to the place. It might be more enjoyable at other times of the year. We found the food quite good and staff helpful.