The Complete Guide for Where to Stay in Hoi An Vietnam (2024)

Many first time visitors wonder where to stay in Hoi An, Vietnam. The accommodation options are countless. And a wise choice of hotel or homestay can greatly enhance your trip to Hoi An.

Here’s a real example:

Some friends of ours booked their first stay in Hoi An at a house near the beach. They didn’t realize how much there was to see and do in town, which is where they ended up spending most of their time.

So they took a lot of taxis back and forth. It also rained that week, and lounging at the beach was not ideal. Also, their accommodations didn’t include breakfast, so they had to hunt for a meal first thing each morning.

In hindsight, we wish our friends had consulted us before booking their accommodations. It wasn’t a bad experience. But we know we could have helped them find a place in Hoi An that better fit their needs. That’s why we wanted to write this post.

We want to help you find the perfect place for your visit to Hoi An, so you can enjoy it as much as we do.

Updated: January 2024. Originally published: September 2019.

Why listen to us? As of this writing, we have stayed in Hoi An four times, before the pandemic and after Vietnam reopened. In total, we’ve spent more than five months in Hoi An Vietnam.

With the exception of the one week when we hosted a Hoi An tour, we initially stayed in the same room in the same homestay each visit. 

Nonetheless, I have done extensive research, both online and on the ground, to find the best accommodation in Hoi An.

To create this list, I first found the Hoi An hotels and guest houses with the best reviews from guests. Then we visited the top rated accommodations in person, met with the owners and managers, and compiled a list we’re confident in recommending.

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you decide to book a stay through one of our links, we may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Photos and opinions in this post are our own.

Quick links
Top homestay pick: The View Homestay
Value hotel in Ancient Town: HoiAn Central Hotel
Best splurge near Ancient Town: Allegro Hotel
Best apartments for longer stays: Present Home

How to find the best place to stay in Hoi An for your trip

The best place to stay in Hoi An will depend on your travel style and goals for your trip.

There are two main factors to consider:
1) Location
2) Type of accommodation

Let’s look at the options and the pros and cons of each.

Step 1: Choose the best area to stay in Hoi An based on the goals of your trip.

One of the things we love about Hoi An is that it feels like a small town. In reality, it’s quite expansive. Nonetheless, accommodations can be grouped into three general location types.

Accommodations in Hoi An town

The main reason tourism is big in Hoi An is its charming, yellow-walled Ancient Town. This old world port now has a UNESCO World Heritage site designation and attracts thousands of visitors per day.

If history, culture, food, or shopping are your priorities, you’ll want to prioritize time in and around Ancient Town.

Granted, Ancient Town gets quite crowded at times, so there’s an advantage to staying outside the tourist zone but within walking distance.

Although sidewalks include plenty of obstacles and traffic may seem a bit chaotic at first, Hoi An is generally very walkable.

If you like to explore on foot, you’ll want to choose a place to stay in the town center. The downtown neighborhoods are called Cam Pho, Old Town and An Hoi.

Personally, I would avoid staying on Cua Dai or Hai Ba Trung, as they are high traffic, commercial streets. Even half a block off these roads will likely have less street noise and traffic to contend with.

An Hoi, the small island in the heart of Ancient town, can also be loud during big festivals like Tet (lunar new year), as it is home to open-air karaoke bars, the night market, and the holiday fireworks. The rest of the year, Hoi An center keeps at 10pm ban on loud noise.

Pros of staying in town: Access to Ancient Town, lots of restaurant variety and shops, walkable and bike-able.
Cons of staying in town: More street noise (honking), big crowds of tourists in Ancient Town

Accommodations near the beach in Hoi An

Hoi An used to have two sandy beaches to the Northeast of town. Storms have eroded both beaches in recent years, and their restoration can vary depending on when you go.

As of this moment, An Bang Beach is the best beach in Hoi An. An Bang is lined with a series of restaurants and bars where you can order a drink and use their shaded lounge chairs.

Locals go in the morning to exercise, but otherwise you’ll see mostly tourists. There are a few vendors who walk up and down selling snacks or souvenir trinkets.

If you just love beaches of all kinds and that’s your thing, then you can certainly make your Hoi An stay into a beach vacation. There are a few accommodations actually bordering the ocean, while most are a short walk.

For us personally, we spend less than 2% of our time in Hoi An at the beach. We go mainly for a seafood lunch here and there. (With Jedd growing up in Hawaii, these beaches just don’t compare.)

From the center of town, the beach is about 2.5 miles away. Not bad for a bike ride (it’s mostly flat) or a short taxi ride, but it is not a very pleasant walk.

There are a number of restaurants that have popped up for beach tourists, so you can definitely be self-sufficient staying within the beach area. However, I would argue that many of the best restaurants – not to mention sights and other attractions – will require you to bike or catch a taxi into town.

Pros of staying near the beach: Beach access and sufficient amenities nearby
Cons of staying near the beach: More effort/money to go back and forth to town, higher prices in tourist-centric restaurants, vendors on the beach may be disruptive

Hoi An Accommodations out in the rice paddies

Another part of Hoi An we love is that it’s surrounded by rice fields. The neighborhood area is called Cam Chau. It’s not only scenic but also tends to be quieter (though not always!).

As you leave the main roads of Hoi An town, there is quickly a more rural feel as the roads turn to narrower pathways, cutting through fields of green. Small communities sit among the rice paddies like islands.

It’s not completely rural – it’s more of a hybrid with pockets of neighborhoods amidst farmland. Some spots along the tributaries of the river also have this same feel, even if rice paddies are not immediately present.

If you want a more natural and relaxed setting that’s not at the beach, choosing a Hoi An hotel or homestay out among the rice paddies may be the answer.

The drawback is these properties are usually more isolated. Some are still in walking distance to Hoi An’s main streets. Some hotels will provide a free shuttle and on site restaurant.

Otherwise, you would need to bike or take a taxi to access more restaurant choices, shops, and attractions. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but you may want to go back and forth several times a day, including after dark, so make sure you’re willing to do that.

Pros of staying near the rice fields: Scenic and more peaceful
Cons of staying near the rice fields: More effort/money to go back and forth to town, fewer restaurants and amenities nearby

Should you stay in Da Nang or Hoi An?

The nearest airport to Hoi An is in Da Nang, which is also the largest city nearby.

Da Nang to Hoi An is only about a 45 minute drive and can be done by private car for 250,000-300,000d ($13 US) or shared shuttle for $6-8 per person.

Reserve your Da Nang airport transfers here >

The main attraction in Da Nang is the long stretches of beach. If you want a beach resort holiday and prefer larger cities, then stay in Da Nang.

If you want more charm, character, and a small town feel, then stay in Hoi An. It’s easy to visit Da Nang on a day trip from Hoi An.

Where to Stay in Hoi An during flood season

Central Vietnam‘s rainy season is in late Fall. This means sudden, heavy rains as well as occasional monsoons and even typhoons.

October is typically the wettest month of the year in Hoi An, but flooding can also sometimes happen as late as December.

Parts of Hoi An do flood, but flood risks are tightly monitored and increasingly less common.

The main area of concern is in Ancient Town around the river and places locked in by bridges when the water gets high.

To avoid flood zones, look for accommodations North of Ly Thuong Kiet Street. (Here’s a flood area map for reference.)

Step 2: Understand the different types of accommodation available in Hoi An

Vietnam has its own way of categorizing accommodations. The terms “homestay,” “villa,” and “hotel” are determined based on number of guest rooms at the property.

Each type may be run by a local family or by a company with employees. Each type will have different levels of comfort and cost. Nearly every accommodation will be able to book tours and taxis for you.

Homestays in Hoi An have less than five guest rooms. As the name indicates, a family typically lives on the property.

However, some homestays are managed by a local family, while others are run by employees. For this reason, interaction and cross-cultural exchange varies widely depending on the homestay.

In most cases, homestay guest rooms are on separate floors of the house from the family’s private living area.

Villas in Hoi An can have 6 to 20 rooms. There may still be a family living on the property, or not. When a homestay remodels and adds another room, it becomes a villa. There are budget villas as well as boutique villas.

Hotels in Hoi An have at least 20 rooms. Again, it’s still possible that a family could be living on site at their hotel, but due to the size, they will undoubtedly rely on outside help.

Unlike Da Nang, where large foreign companies have built giant hotels everywhere, there are few big brand hotels inside Hoi An.

Apartments or vacation rentals are also available in Hoi An. If you’re looking to stay long-term for a month or more, or want to rent out an entire house, you’ll find some options on Airbnb or Booking.com.

For more choices, search Facebook groups for Hoi An rental properties. Through Facebook groups, we visited several apartments over the course of a few days and then signed a 2-month lease on the one we liked best.

Hostels for backpackers are also available in Hoi An, though they may be listed under the Vietnamese categorization of homestay, villa, or hotel as well.

A very popular Hoi An hostel we’ve seen, which is highly rated and in an excellent location is Hoi An Love.Ly Hostel. Cheap hostel beds can be found for $10 or less, often including breakfast and/or bicycles.

Resorts are primarily located outside of Hoi An, along the beach, although there are some high end properties in town that label themselves resorts. They are more like large hotels with a spa.

It seems that most of the large resorts on the coast between Hoi An and Da Nang have been built by large foreign companies, often catering to big tour groups from China and Korea.

Now that you have a rough understanding of possible locations and lodging options in Hoi An, let’s look at some specific Hoi An recommended places to stay.

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Our Recommendations for the Best Accommodations in Hoi An

The following homestays, villas, and hotels rose to the top in our research. We have done our best to vet and select a range of places to stay for different locations and budgets.

Since our favorite homestay retired during the pandemic, we found another great family-run homestay where we stayed for several weeks.

Our Top Picks in Hoi An for 2024

The View Homestay: Best Location and Value

The View homestay opened in 2019 with one of the best locations in Hoi An for first time visitors and budget travelers. Tucked away in narrow alleys but right in the heart of town, it’s just steps from our favorite banh mi shop and a popular coffeeshop.

The family who runs The View is friendly and hospitable. We had a tour of the rooms and loved the vibe of this place, so we stayed here a couple nights ourselves in January 2024.

The rooms are not large or fancy but each has two beds, a nice bathroom, mini fridge, AC, fast wifi (66bmbps down and 43 up), and a tiny little balcony. Mattresses are comfortably firm and showers are hot. There is a rooftop deck with the namesake views – a great spot to watch the sunset.

You can hear some street traffic (horns honking) throughout the day, but it’s not too loud and there’s plenty of privacy. 

There’s no desk in the rooms and breakfast is not provided, so those are the only caveats when compared with other Hoi An homestays.

Location: 5/5
Amenities: 4/5
Local Experience: 4.5/5
Cost: $ ($21 to $30 per room)

Check price and availability for The View Homestay >>

Yen Homestay Villa: Great Value for Mid-Range Budgets

Yen Homestay (now known as Yen Villa) in Hoi An is an exceptional value. I was drawn to Yen because of their excellent reviews and location within walking distance of Old Town.

We stayed here in 2023 and 2024 (in between our longer-term apartment rentals). 

Located on the larger island of Cam Nam, Yên homestay has 6 guest rooms in a residential area away from main streets. The brother, Vinh, communicates well with guests before and during the stay.

Sister manages the generous daily breakfast, where you have a choice of main dish and drink, always accompanied by fruit and some other treat as well. Their parents don’t speak English but always have a sweet, warm greeting to make you feel at home.

This family goes above and beyond to make sure you have what you need. They live on site and are easy to reach online as well. 

Crossing the busy bridge from Cam Nam island to the central market is a bit chaotic, but you can do it on foot, bicycle, or motorbike and be in the heart of Hoi An quickly. The “wet bath” (no separation between shower and toilet) is also not our favorite.

There are a few bicycles available to guests, or they can help you arrange a scooter rental. There’s a pool out front.

They also provide complimentary drinking water, soap, shampoo, toiletries, coffee, tea, and mini fridge. Wifi is strong and fast for working remotely.

Location: 4/5
Amenities: 4.5/5
Local Experience: 4.5/5
Cost: $ ($23 to $29 per room)

Check price and availability for Yen Villa on Booking.com >>

Present Home: Beautiful Furnished Apartments for Longer Stays

Our top recommendation for long-term stays, or for those who already know Hoi An and will be renting a motorbike to get around, is Present Home. (It’s a bit too far away from Ancient Town and the best restaurants for first time visitors.)

We stayed here in 2023 and really enjoyed it. There are two small buildings with 5 studio apartments.

The design is nice, modern and open. Each has a basic kitchenette and there’s shared laundry. Strong, fast wifi; nice hot water showers; and weekly cleaning are included.

Three of the apartments overlook rice paddies and neighborhood, while the other two overlook a tributary of the river. Various neighbors keep water buffalo, geese, chickens, and ducks, while it’s only a short walk to a number of local street food shops.

Present Home is hosted by a young Vietnamese woman with excellent English. Apart from barking dogs/animal noises, which are unavoidable in most neighborhoods, we loved staying here. We probably wouldn’t stay on the ground floor, but the view from the top floor is worth more than we paid, in our opinion.

Location: 3.5/5
Amenities: 4/5
Local Experience: 2.5/5
Cost: $/$$ (monthly rates under $400)

Check price and availability for Present Home on hotels.com >>

Best Boutique & Luxury Hotels in Hoi An Old Town

Allegro Hotel (Little Hoi An Group)

Allegro Hoi An Hotel & Spa is one of six luxury hotels in the Little Hoi An group. Allegro is one of the best hotels in Hoi An near Ancient Town and attractions like the Japanese bridge. It has exceptional guest reviews and wealth of amenities.

Allegro offers boutique style decor, spa, gym, outdoor pool, on site restaurant and cafe, and shuttles to a private beach area. The 97 rooms are accessible by elevator, which is rare in Vietnam.

Bicycles and buffet breakfast are included in the room price. Meeting rooms, cooking classes, dining, and private tours are offered for an additional cost. Credit cards are accepted.

Each room at Allegro is beautifully appointed with a desk, sitting area, balcony, tub, and shower. A basket of fresh local fruits are provided to the rooms as well. The suites come as twin, double, or triple. For families of four or more, adjoining suites are available.

Allegro’s location is ideal for walking to Ancient Town and the many restaurants and shops nearby. It’s situated on a dead end street, providing a rare break from traffic noise in the city. There is a parking lot for tour buses next door and houses behind the property, so pool view rooms would likely have the least noise.

Here’s what past guests have said:

“Beautiful boutique hotel with elegant touches. Nice free bikes to use and good gym and pool. Excellent breakfast. Staff very professional and friendly.”

Location: 5/5
Amenities: 5/5
Local Experience: 2/5
Cost: $$$$ ($130 – $230 for double suites)

Check price and availability for Allegro Hotel on Booking.com>>

Hoian Central Hotel

Hoian Central Hotel is a small, conveniently located boutique hotel in the heart of Hoi An. Just two blocks from the local market and surrounded by restaurants, shops, and spas, you can easily walk anywhere in town.

The hotel has just 20 rooms with doubles, twins, triples, and family rooms available. Bikes and an open-air breakfast buffet are included. There is also a pool and courtyard bar open in the afternoon.

We learned that this hotel does not receive large tour groups in order to maintain a more calm atmosphere. City-view rooms may get some noise from motorbikes on the street, while pool-view rooms seemed very quiet and included balconies.

Here’s what past guests have said:

“A great small modern hotel right on the edge of Hoian old town (everything you want to see is just minutes away). The location couldn’t be better, the staff more helpful or the rooms any nicer. A lovely small swimming pool which was a delight after a hot day’s sight-seeing.”

Location: 5/5
Amenities: 4/5
Local Experience: 2/5
Cost: $$ ($45 – $55 double, $83 family room)

Check prices and availability for HoiAn Central Hotel >>

Hoi An Homestays & Villas in the Rice Fields

La Uy Villa

If you’re looking for a Hoi An homestay with a pool and glimpses of the rice fields, La Uy Villa has both. This family-run homestay recently added a sixth guest room, which puts them in the “villa” category. They live in the front house with guest suites out back around a pool and a covered area for breakfast.

Named after the first two letters of the kids’ names, La Uy is situated in one of the “island village” communities amidst the rice paddies. Although there are neighbors on all sides, you can catch views of the rice fields from the second floor walkways.

There are not many restaurants or shops in the immediate vicinity, but it’s just 0.4 miles to a busy local market, plus bakeries and restaurants on Cua Dai street. A 10-15 minute bike ride will get you to Ancient Town in one direction and to An Bang beach in the other.

Bicycles and a la carte breakfast are included. Daughter and primary host of the house, Uyen, is very friendly and helpful. A friend of ours stayed here and really enjoyed the hosts, though she did mention that the towels and mattress weren’t super comfortable.

Here’s what past guests have said:

“I had a lovely stay at this villa. It’s on a really quiet road, and you can ride the provided bikes from the rice fields into town or to the beach in about 10-15 minutes. The villa itself is super clean and quiet, breakfast is great and the staff is really friendly.”

A friend of ours who stayed here noted that the stiff mattress and thin towels were the only down side.

Location: 4/5
Amenities: 3.5/5
Local Experience: 4.5/5
Cost: $$ ($27 – $50)

Check prices and availability for La Uy Villa >>

Four Seasons Villa

The Four Seasons Villa, not to be confused with the resort, has a unique location in a tiny “island village” community amidst the rice fields. We think this view of the rice fields is one of the best. Just be prepared to walk, bike, or taxi a bit more for meals and sightseeing.

We didn’t get to visit this villa as extensively as the others, but we liked what we saw. They offer free bikes and a buffet breakfast. The setting around the pool, plus the stylishly appointed rooms are nice. The only thing about this particular area is we always seem to get barked at by the neighbor dogs when we pass through.

Here’s what past guests have said:

“The staff were very friendly and helpful. The bedroom was large and comfy and the shower was also great. The location is fantastic with a beautiful view to the rice fields and swimming pool is absolutely a delight. We highly recommended it! It was our favourite stay in Vietnam so far.”

Location: 4/5
Amenities: 4/5
Local Experience: 3/5
Cost: $$ ($44 double, $72 family suite)

Check price and availability of Four Seasons Villa >>

Hoi An Beach Accommodation

K.A. Villa

This family-friendly villa near An Bang beach is named after the initials of the owner’s son. The family moved from Hanoi and built a modern 18-room villa just a few years ago.

The property features a pool, common play/reading room, and access to a private beach area a short walk away. (Private beach means no need to order food or drinks to use the lounge chairs.) There are a good number of restaurants just 2 or 3 blocks from the villa.

Bicycles, laundry, and breakfast are all included. Breakfast can be enjoyed inside or outside with continental options as well as a la carte ordering for local specialties.

Each room has either a queen or king bed. Family rooms have a king bed downstairs and a loft with additional queen bed above. Interior pool-view rooms have balconies or patios.

Here’s what past guests have said:

“The rooms are amazing, clean and beautiful. Staff are extremely friendly and helpful. Nice pool close to the beach. Such a good value!”

Location: 4/5
Amenities: 4/5
Local Experience: 3.5/5
Cost: $$ ($40 – $60 doubles, about $80 family suites)

Check price and availability for KA Villa >>

Life Beach Villa

Another great option near An Bang beach is Life Beach Villa. They have just 10 bungalow-style suites with a trail from the pool leading directly to the beach in one minute. The property is surrounded by trees, giving it a jungly beach feel.

In this villa, each suite has a seating and dining area. Spacious family suites have a bathroom off the main bedroom as well as a second bathroom in the loft, plus fridge and mini bar.

A la carte breakfast and bicycles are included.

Here’s what past guests have said:

“Life Beach Villa is a wonderful place to stay. Like a tranquil oasis in the jungle, with beautiful decor and comfy beds, plus it’s just a stone’s throw from the beach. The staff are super friendly and kind, breakfast is delicious. We loved it!”

Location: 4/5
Amenities: 4/5
Local Experience: 2.5/5
Cost: $$ ($38 – $74 double, $100+ family)

Check rates and availability for Life Beach Villa >>

Other Top Places to Stay in Hoi An Vietnam

What travel restrictions and rules are in place in Vietnam?
Find post-pandemic travel updates for Vietnam here:
What you need to know about Vietnam travel right now

For further reading about Hoi An:

–Our Ultimate Hoi An Travel Guide + Curated Map
–What to see and do in Hoi An on a budget
–Best food in Hoi An: Our favorite restaurants
–5 Best day trips from Hoi An
–3 Day Hoi An Itinerary and Self-Guided Walking Tour Map
– What NOT to do in Hoi An
–Hue to Hoi An Motorbike Tour/Transfer

For other Vietnam destinations:

–10+ Day Vietnam Itinerary North to South
–Central Vietnam Destinations and Itinerary
–A budget guide to Ninh Binh
–A budget guide to Hue
–A budget guide to Hanoi
–A budget guide to Mai Chau Vietnam

Leaf Homestay – Best Hoi An Budget Stay (Retired 2020)

Our personal choice for where to stay in Hoi An was always Leaf Homestay. (You may recall this homestay being featured in our budget travel book!)

**Leaf Homestay retired during the pandemic. We’ll keep this here for posterity!

We originally found Leaf Homestay through Airbnb. The family is a big reason why we keep coming back for longer and longer stays.

We originally chose Leaf Homestay because of the great reviews on Airbnb and the family’s emphasis on sharing culture with their guests. The owner, Mr. Ty (pronounced “tee”) and his wife, Vy, remodeled their house to open a homestay in 2014. Mr. Ty, an agricultural engineer who worked for the government, has decorated the entryway and balconies with potted plants, orchids, and cool fish tanks. Vy’s sister, Thao, ran the daily operations of the homestay, with some help from their extended family.

The four private guest bedrooms upstairs were appointed like hotel rooms, clean and simple. Each room had its own bathroom and mini fridge. Bicycles and hot breakfast were included in the price. The free wifi was strong and, for the most part, consistent.

Leaf Homestay was a short bike ride into Old Town or a 20 minute walk. It also had easy access to the main road that leads out to An Bang beach (about 10-15 minutes by bike). Across the street are fields of rice paddies.

Mr. Ty is a big advocate for cross-cultural exchange and the family offered a number of activities you could participate in with them. Visit the local market with Thao, learn how to cook a local dish or two, and share a meal together ($5 per person).

If you stayed over a weekend, Mr. Ty had more time and often invites guests to see his family’s woodworking shop or visit their ancestral home. He was also happy to show how to care for irises and other flowers. People into badminton could join him for his daily work out at 4am!

Here’s what other guests said:
“We extended our stay in Hoi An from 3 nights to 5 nights because we enjoyed the area and our hosts so much… Cannot recommend this place enough.”

Location: 4/5
Amenities & Style: 3.5/5
Local Experience: 5/5
Cost: $ (under $20/night)

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