Sonata Resort & Spa♡

Relaxing and friendly value for money hotel

8.0

We got an upgraded room on arrival. Service was professional and friendly. They had a shuttle to the main town of Phan Thiet, a private beach and a good selection of food in their restaurant. Bao at reception was kind enough to arrange a local tour for us and all the staff members were friendly and helpful. We stayed 8 nights. The climate in this part of Southern Vietnam is good all year round.

Terrible experience at Sonata Resort

2.0

The breakfast buffet had very limited options, and the food was not tasty or served hot. I came for breakfast at 8:00 a.m., but almost all the food was already gone. The soup were nearly empty as well. I had lunch at their restautant and The restaurant staff were rude when they told me to move aside so other guests could come in. In details, I was sitting at an empty table, but instead of politely asking for my support to make space for new guests, they rudely told me to move aside.

A fantastic Oasis that is more beautiful in reality than in the pictures

10.0

Pros: A fantastic Oasis that is more beautiful in reality than in the pictures. We are a family of 6, who had a villa. The whole hotel and the area are an aesthetic experience. We have been a lot and traveled, but this is probably among the most beautiful hotels I have been to. The food at the hotel was absolutely ok, the beach was clean and pretty around the hotel, but there is a LOT of garbage in the area outside the hotel area. It was a bit windy while we were there, but there were not very big waves. However, there were a lot of currents in the water, but skilled lifeguards guided us to where to swim. The price level at the hotel is also absolutely ok. I can't think of a better place to relax and recharge the "batteries". The shuttle bus is a great offer, you get around a bit and get to see and eat a bit in other places (Phan Thiet) and is also free. The staff are really friendly and try their best to assist you. (may be a bit of a language challenge) Cons: Located a bit "far" from everything else. There is little to do after 6pm except eat and after 10pm everything is closed. The staff have a bit poor English skills, but there are definitely exceptions among the staff. A lot of trash (plastic) outside the hotel area (not the hotel's fault as their areas are absolutely perfect, but it would have helped the overall impression) this is because you don't have to walk many steps outside before there is a lot of trash

low-category resort

4.0

The resort has good facilities, and the staff is generally kind and polite. However, several important aspects are poorly managed and negatively affect the overall experience. One major issue is the sun loungers. Many guests leave towels on them very early in the morning to reserve them and then do not return until midday. This behavior should be clearly prohibited, as it prevents other guests from using the facilities. The restaurant food is far below expectations. The dishes are bland, poorly prepared, and not at the level one would expect from a resort. Some items on the menu are clearly not well executed. For example, we ordered Tom Yum and received a tasteless soup with poorly cleaned shrimp, which was very disappointing. The bicycle service is also misleading. Bikes can only be used inside the resort, but the property is not suitable for cycling due to stairs, bridges, and stone paths. It would be better not to offer this service at all. Finally, the shuttle service to Phan Thiet is very disorganized. There is no respect for order of arrival, and staff do not intervene to manage the situation properly. Overall, this place is far from offering a premium experience. It feels more like a low-category resort designed for guests with little respect for basic rules of coexistence. I would not return and would not recommend it unless you are prepared to deal with poor organization and a lack of basic courtesy.

Great destination for vacation!

10.0

Great destination for beach lovers with a beautiful garden and lovely pool. The service‘s totally great. Rooms are nice, clean and cozy.

Disappointing

6.0

We were really excited to come here after reading the reviews of fantastic food etc. Our welcome was nothing but short and cold, you did get a welcome drink on arrival however mine was taken away mid drink. Check in was rushed, there was no explanation as to where things where in the resort, no times of the pool, gym, tennis or spa given, or if there was any themed food nights or entertainment. Our room was BEAUTIFUL! Nothing to complain about other than the potential of having dressing gowns for that extra touch, but honestly the bedroom was one of the best I’ve ever stayed in. Loved the fruit basket on arrival in the room. Now the food. Food is huge thing when you’re travelling especially for 9 weeks. And I have never felt so disheartened with the food here, one of the sole reasons why we booked this hotel. The first night we asked if the ribs came with rice and it got lost in translation so ordered garlic rice on the side…of course it came with rice. So the second night I ordered the grilled prawns expecting rice, but no rice came. Even though we asked. Our fresh Vietnamese rolls came as we were finishing our dinner, ideally this should come all together and the waitress tried to take our food away whilst we were still eating. There was a lot of Russian guests staying, who would bring in take away food and sit in the prime restaurant seats by the pond to eat. For me these tables should be reserved for paying guests at the restaurant. In the mornings there was a severe lack of sunbeds around the pool, people reserving beds but not using them. The gym..is not suitable, incredibly small range of weights with a wobbly weights bench. I feel like this hotel has so much potential to be fantastic, however the management and service truly let this hotel down (massively). We have now checked out and staying in a different resort not too far away and believe me, I wish we had came here the entire time instead of Sonata.