The Malibu Hotel

Review of Malibu Hotel, Vung Tau During our photography exploration of Vung Tau, the two photographers from Photolator had the chance to stay at Malibu Hotel—and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. From the very first welcome at reception, we were impressed by the friendly, attentive staff who made us feel at home. The hotel’s sleek, contemporary design combines modern elegance with a touch of coastal charm, creating a space that is both inviting and inspiring. Our room was spacious, bright, and thoughtfully laid out, with large windows that offered breathtaking views over the city and the shimmering sea. The comfort of the bedding, the immaculate cleanliness, and the attention to detail made it a true pleasure to unwind after a day of shooting around Vung Tau. The rooftop pool quickly became one of our favorite spots—not only to relax but also to capture the changing light over the city. The hotel’s restaurant offered a delightful range of Vietnamese and international dishes, perfect for starting the day with energy or enjoying a relaxed evening meal. The Malibu Hotel’s location is ideal: close enough to the beach for easy access, yet set back enough to offer a peaceful escape from the busiest streets. For photographers, this balance makes it an excellent base—whether you’re capturing sunrise by the sea, exploring local markets, or framing the city’s skyline from above. We enjoyed our stay so much that we’re already considering returning in 2025. The Malibu Hotel will also be proudly featured in our upcoming Vung Tau Tourist Guide from Photolator, highlighted as one of the city’s premier choices for travelers and photographers seeking style, comfort, and a warm welcome.

We stayed three nights at the Malibu in May 2025. The experience between weekdays and weekends is huge. On the weekends the house was full with families and pretty noisy. During the week very quiet. Our room was okay, however not what you might expect from a 5 star hotel. Clean, but no details to make you feel home in any way. The service overall was good in terms of service mind set, however service skills on many sides needs improvement. Especially at the main restaurant. Front desk was very organized, helpful and upgraded the overall experience kind of. We overall enjoyed our stay. Thank you One last thing to share which I really hate in any Hotel, was the music in the gym. In 2025 anyone who wants music in a gym comes with their own ear pods. So no point of having anymore annoying background music, sorry:-(

Pros: The hotel is close to the beach. There is a small gym and a spa. My room has a splendid view. The hotel even offers free ride service to and from the beach. There is an area belonging to the hotel on the beach with chairs and staff members who will look after your belongings. Breakfast here is served for a long duration (from 6:30 am to 10:00 am). There are a variety of dishes and the food is delicious. Though some of the guests said there weren’t many tea varieties like jasmine tea or green tea (there’s only Lipton tea). Outside of the hotel, there’s a place to wash your feet after coming up from the beach. Nice swimming pool with a gorgeous view. There are different water depths (from small children to adults, 1.4m deepest). The pool’s water doesn’t contain chlorine, it’s mixed with salt. Towels are available near the pool and can only be used there (no taking back to your hotel room). Cons: One out of the three elevators makes me feel unsafe when taking it (It’s a bit shaky and I can hear the cables working). I can hear voices clearly from the room next door clearly from the wall mirror in the room. Tips: Children who are too tall will be considered adults and will be charged some extra fees (depending on their heights and how big they are) when staying in the same room with their parents. There was a deposit fee (in case things are damaged after the stay) when I received my rooms. I either had to deposit 2.000.000 vnd or let the hotel temporarily keep my ID card for the staying duration (which is odd 🧐 because there’s a rule now that hotels aren’t allowed to keep Vietnamese ID cards since they have digital chips on the cards and could be exploited). At least the staff explained this to me clearly when receiving the rooms. Therefore, beware and read descriptions carefully on booking apps, and always brings extra money 😅.