📍Grand Mercure Da Nang: An Honest Review. (2024.)
WONDERING WHAT STAYING AT GRAND MERCURE DA NANG IS LIKE?
Nestled on the South Central Coast of Vietnam, Da Nang is a world-class destination with a prolific appeal. This stunning urban centre, one of the largest and most beautiful in Vietnam, is home to many renowned attractions such as the fire and water-breathing Dragon Bridge (yes, you read that right), the intriguing Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture, the Asia Park theme park, and Lady Buddha, the country’s tallest Buddha, and the spectacular Son Tra Peninsula which has such gorgeous views overlooking the city, coastline and the mountains that it looks like something straight out of a movie.
Furthermore, it’s also only a day trip away from the millennium-old ruins of the ancient Indian Champa ruins of My Son Sanctuary, while also on the city’s outskirts is the mountaintop amusement park of Sunworld Ba Na Hills, which has the world’s longest single-track cable car that leads to one of the planet’s newest architectural wonders, the spectacular Golden Bridge and the spectacularly faithful French Village. As if that wasn’t enough, Danang is also the gateway to the stunning historic cities of Hoi An, famous for its Lantern Festival and Hue, home to the ancient capital of Vietnam.
So, if you’re looking for somewhere to stay and discover all of these delights, keep the Grand Mercure Danang in consideration because not only provides solid accommodation close to the heart of the city but as a single skyrise on a small island on the Han River, each room has exceptional uninterrupted views of the city and either the mountains or the river, or a combination of both, making this ALL-Accor Live Limitless hotel a fantastic place to base yourself, as we discovered staying here for five relaxing nights during our month-long adventure through this spectacular south-east Asian country. Here is an honest review of what we loved about the hotel and a few things we thought could be improved.
Mercure Grand Da Nang.
- 5-star luxury hotel.
- 4.7/5 from 3136 Google reviews.
- Spectacular river, city, and mountain views.
- Located close to many attractions.
- Privilege Lounge for executive-level guests.
Grand Mercure Da Nang: Review Overview.
Da Nang’s Grand Mercure Hotel has an enviable list of reasons why it makes a fantastic place for travellers to base themselves while visiting the stunning South Central Coast destination. This beautiful 5-star accommodation provides a high standard of luxury and comfort.
It is also conveniently close to many of the city’s top attractions, and its unique position as a solitary skyrise on an island that juts out over the Han River means every room has a view of the city’s gorgeous landscape. But it’s not just the urban terrain and the river and the mountains to enjoy as landmarks such as the Tran Thi Ly Bridge, Asia Park’s Sunwheel, and the fire-breathing Dragon Bridge are also on showcase from the hotel, giving every guest an observation deck-like experience from their rooms.
Furthermore, it’s equipped with an infinity pool, three restaurants, including one that offers buffet breakfast, a spa and wellness centre for the ultimate relaxation, a fitness centre for keeping in shape while travelling and fascinatingly, a small in-house casino, for international guests who want to try their luck.
Is Grand Mercure Da Nang Worth Visiting?
Yes. The Grand Mercure Da Nang is worth staying at for its remarkable views alone. With its excellent location on Green Island and as the only highrise on it, this hotel does an exceptional job capitalising on Danang’s outstanding beauty. It’s what sticks with me the most about staying at this hotel because, while we stayed at 12 hotels during our month-long trip through Vietnam, some that had some fantastic scenery, this was easily one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful.
Other impressive things about the hotel were the bathroom and the reception, which oozed elegance in a way that I felt the room didn’t. However, my boyfriend didn’t dislike the decor like I did, so it’s more a matter of taste. The pool was also nice, but despite its aesthetically pleasing design and lovely views of the Tran Thi Ly Bridge, the smell wafting over from near the bridge was very off-putting.
If you can look past that (as it was no fault of the hotel and may have only been a temporary thing that was present while we stayed there), the Grand Mercure is a solid luxury accommodation. That is especially so if you want to enjoy seeing the Fire & Water Show on Dragon Bridge from the comfort of your hotel room like we did.
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Rooms.
General Overview & Room Amenities.
- 26-52sq/m.
- Connecting rooms option.
- Free wi-fi.
- 24hr room service.
- Views of the Ba Na Hills or the Han River.
- Access to the Privilege Lounge for Executive Level guests.
Our Room. – Superior Room.
✔️ Pros.
- The standout feature was the incredible uninterrupted views, which was easily one of the best of the 12 hotels we stayed in while travelling through Vietnam.
- We specially requested a room overlooking the iconic Dragon Bridge. The last two days of our stay were a Friday and Saturday, as we knew about the Fire & Water Show where the bridge breathes fire and water on Friday, Saturday & Sunday at 9.00 pm. While it was a touch far away, we were still very pleased with it and enjoyed seeing it from our room more than we did being right next to it in the midst of all the action.
- What we were not expecting was how magnificent the rest of the view would be. The skyscrapers, mountains, the Han River and the striking Tran Thi Ly Bridge were one hell of a sight and definitely the highlight of our stay.
- The bathroom was sizeable with upscale features and a luxurious floor-to-ceiling window panel made both rooms feel bigger and allowed ample natural light to permeate into the shower and toilet.
- I also liked the dual-mode shower.
- My boyfriend liked the bedroom decor.
- Immaculately clean.
- As we were also in a corner room and there was a window right outside our room, we also had a full view of the Tran Thi Ly Bridge in addition to the partial look we got of it from inside our room.
- Two daily complimentary bottles of water. This was great because you can’t drink water straight out of the tap in Vietnam.
❌ Cons.
- I didn’t care for the room’s furniture and decor which felt generic, and outdated and was more akin to something you’d see at a 4-star place rather than a luxurious five-star hotel.
- While it was reasonably spacious, it was one of the smaller rooms we had during our trip and the furniture next to the window, especially felt a bit crammed together.
- Unfortunately, there were no opening windows or a balcony to further capitalise on that epic view.
Facilities & Services.
- Outdoor temperature-controlled infinity pool
- 3 Restaurants.
- La Rive Gauche – Buffet with a selection of Vietnamese dishes and worldwide cuisines.
- The Golden Dragon – Chinese Restaurant – Serving an à la carte menu, daily all-you-can-eat dim sum.
- Veranda Vietnamese – Vietnamese cuisine – NEW*
- 1 Bar – Nirvana
- Privilege Lounge – For executive-level guests
- Karma Spa.
- Fitness Centre.
- Casino.
- Sports – Free access to neighbouring tennis courts with 3 world-class golf courses nearby.
- Kids Lounge.
Outdoor Temperature Control Infinity Pool.
✔️ Pros.
- Beautiful outdoor space.
- It was an infinity pool and had views towards the city, namely the Tran Thi Ly Bridge.
❌ Cons.
- The pool smelt awful, like rotten eggs. I didn’t notice it so much until I got in. My boyfriend noted that it wasn’t the pool, but somewhere near the bridge that was emitting the obnoxious scent which he realised when we went for a walk that way, so while it’s not the hotel’s fault, it was unpleasant.
- It wasn’t very big, but whenever we went, it was only ever us and sometimes one other person, so it didn’t matter too much.
- They made it so it was an infinity pool with a view, which was great. But because it was on ground level, it was right next to the road. At first, I thought it was a private street for the hotel. Nope! It was a regular public street, which was not only weird to watch motorbikes go past, but because the pool was also so low, anyone could easily go into it…
La Rive Gauche Restaurant.
✔️ Pros.
- All-you-can-eat breakfast buffet.
- Spacious, with plenty of ambient natural light coming through.
- Plenty of options.
❌ Cons.
- Food was not labelled for allergen advice.
- Limited selection for people with different dietary requirements.
- Some of the meals were not very hot either.
Other Resort Pros & Cons.
✔️ Pros.
- The reception was gorgeous, spacious, modern and had a welcoming sophistication which was nice to come back to at the end of the day.
- We got welcoming drinks when we arrived.
- As Gold ALL-Accor Live Limitless members, we also got free drinks to use at the Nirvana Bar in the corner of the reception
- There is a gift shop near the Nirvana Bar.
- The massages from the Spa and Wellness Centre were great for easing my boyfriend’s body aches.
- The area outside the Spa and Wellness Centre and Fitness Centre also has awesome views overlooking the Tran Thi Ly Bridge and Han River.
- Gambling in Vietnam is illegal for locals, so it was surprising to learn that the hotel had a small international guest-only casino on the premises!
❌ Cons.
- The services from the Spa and Wellness Centre were expensive. You can get much cheaper and more authentic experiences in the city.
- One of the ladies performing my boyfriend’s massage had sniffles, which was a little annoying for him as he doesn’t like it when people blow their nose when it’s running.
- The casino is very small and only uses American dollars. It was also eerily quiet.
Staff.
✔️ Pros.
- Most of the staff were friendly, welcoming, attentitative and helpful, especially the man who I believe is the manager and the head receptionist.
- They had good English communication skills.
❌ Cons.
- The head receptionist spoke very softly so it was hard to hear her, but she was always lovely and helpful.
- Another staff member felt a little bit hostile.
Location.
✔️ Pros.
- The Grand Mercure Da Nang lies in an excellent location within a short distance of many of the city’s top attractions, such as Dragon Bridge, the fascinating Danang Museum Of Cham Sculpture, the theme park owned by Sunworld, Asia Park with the revered Marble Mountains a little further away.
- It’s not right in the city so it’s away from all the main hustle and bustle. But because it’s still close to the CBD, if you are doing one of the many tours on offer, most of them will pick you up from here.
- Is uniquely on an island (Green Island) and is the only skyrise so has exceptional views. Because of this, it is also easily seen from across the city, most notably from the Sunwheel at Asia Park.
❌ Cons.
- There is something near Tran Thi Ly Bridge that smells horrific that was wafting over and affected the pleasantness of swimming in the pool. Hopefully, that was just a one-off circumstance and is not something always present as our stay was otherwise a mostly positive one.
Overall Impressions.
Our overall experience staying five nights at the Grand Mercure Da Nang was predominately positive. The view was spectacular and amongst the best out of the numerous 4 and 5-star hotels we stayed at in Vietnam, and undoubtedly the highlight of accommodating there. Getting to see Dragon Bridge’s fire and water display was fantastic too, albeit slightly on the distant side, but we did enjoy it more from here than being right up close next to it as it was peaceful and romantic here rather than loud and chaotic.
The proximity to many of the city’s most notable attractions, such as Asia Park, Dragon Bridge and the Da Nang Museum Of Cham Sculpture, was a big plus as it only took us a few minutes to reach.
Back inside the hotel, the reception area and bathroom exuded a high level of sophistication, which I loved. But my boyfriend and I were divided on our room decor, which I didn’t think matched its 5-star rating. However, besides the expensiveness of it and the masseuse’s sniffles, he did enjoy his massage at the Spa and Wellness Centre. But, we both enjoyed visiting the Casino, despite feeling a bit odd being virtually the only ones there besides the staff.
It was a shame about the rotten egg smell that was quite noticeable at the pool as it was a lovely way to cool off from the relentless humidity. I also wished there had been more clear and descriptive signage about what meals I could have at the breakfast buffet and more selection for those of us who have dietary requirements we adhere to.
Nevertheless, the hotel left a favourable impression on us. If I ever have the opportunity to return to Da Nang, I would absolutely consider staying here again, especially because of how magnificent that view is.
Who Is The Hotel Most Suitable For?
- A wide range of visitors to Da Nang, solo travellers, couples, families, groups, etc.
- Those who love their rooms having epic views.
- People who want to enjoy the Fire and Water show from the comfort of their room.
Grand Mercure: FAQs.
Does The Grand Mercure Da Nang Have A Pool?
Yes. The Grand Mercure Danang has a temperature-controlled outdoor infinity pool on the ground floor which overlooks the striking Tran Thi Ly Bridge.
Does The Grand Mercure Have An Airport Shuttle?
No. Da Nang’s 4-star Grand Mercure does not have an airport shuttle service. However, it does have two complimentary shuttle bus services for guests to use as transportation between the hotel and some of the city’s main attractions, such as the Danang Museum Of Cham Sculpture, Asia Park and Danang Beach, which departs the hotel every two hours between 8.00 am and 6.00 pm.
How To Get To Da Nang?
The easiest way to get to Da Nang is by flying into its international airport with airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo, Vietjet, Asiana Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, Air Macau, and Korean Air. However, because of our experience of significant delays and cancellations, I don’t advise flying with Vietjet Air.
Some of the places in Vietnam where you can fly to the Danang International Airport are Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and the paradisical island of Phu Quoc.
Internationally, you can fly to Danang from cities such as Toyko, Japan, Seoul, South Korea, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Manilla, Philippines, Taipei, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
Conclusion: Grand Mercure Da Nang Review.
If you’re visiting Da Nang and are seeking a luxurious place to stay and explore this stunning coastal city in central Vietnam, then the Grand Mercure Danang is an excellent choice thanks to its outstanding uninterrupted views of the city, the river and the mountains along with some of Da Nang’s most iconic landmarks such as Dragon Bridge and Asia Park’s Sunwheel, and its fantastic location close to the numerous attractions.
