Merperle Hon Tam Resort

CASH THEFT at Hon Tam Resort (room 1222). Zero security! 1. We left for the mainland at 11:53 AM. In our absence, the housekeeping staff entered the room, found the safe open, and manually locked it without our consent, without calling us, and without making an inventory report of the cash inside. 2. The staff members were left completely alone with our open money for 11 minutes. After the safe was opened with a master key, we discovered that our money had been stolen. 3. Attempt to cover up the crime: The resort administration flatly refused to call the police to the island. They intentionally stalled and delayed the process until 8:00 PM just to allow the servicing staff shift to safely leave for the mainland due to a shift change. 4. The Chief of Security officially admitted that there are NO CCTV cameras anywhere near the bungalows. This isolated island is completely unmonitored and insecure. 5. Concealment of evidence: Following our departure, the management sent an official refusal—they refused to provide us with the safe's audit log and the electronic door-lock log, hiding behind "investigation confidentiality" and completely evading any liability. Money gets stolen directly from rooms at this hotel, while the management protects the staff and hides electronic evidence from the victimized guests. Do not risk your money and safety at this place!

I really wanted to give this place a chance but they kept letting us down. It just isn't a 5 star property both in terms of structure and service. The initial welcome on the Nha Trang side was to standard but once we arrived on the island things deteriorated. Check in info was minimal, we weren't given any information and just told to wait for the room to be ready. We weren't offered to use the facilities whilst we waited nor briefed about any of the facilities available. We booked a bungalow which was very nice on first impressions. Once in the room though we realised the floor was filthy. We reported this to front desk and it was cleaned shortly after. A little later we noticed that the bathroom had a terrible smell of drains. When we reported this to front desk, the supervisor, Thao, recommended we changed rooms. Thao handled the situation well and was very apologetic, I must commend her handling of the situation. Make sure to avoid bungalow 1201 as besides the smell the shower tray is not level and results in water accumulation. We had to wait several hours for the new room which wasn't ideal since it was the evening. The new room was very nice, it was huge but again the floor was dirty, we found a used soap wrapper in the bathroom vanity and the sheets were in a horrible state; faded and full of stains which looked like blood. This is really unacceptable especially for a 5 star property! The towel quality was not great either. The linen has clearly done it's time, I don't understand why it hasn't been replaced. Another hiccup was that I was not asked for a guarantee for extras upon check in and was not allowed to charge to my room. This was an error from front desk and upon addressing them about it they rectified it. On a positive note, the restaurant staff were friendly and efficient. Breakfast variety was lovely though several items were not served hot and pastry quality could be improved. We did use the spa facilities which were nice, but small and have to be reserved. Of course front desk never informed us of this until we enquired. Overall we enjoyed the stay as the island and property are beautiful. The property is in need of some serious attention though as the passage of time and being close to the sea have taken their toll. To be fair, the resort is huge and it must be a challenge to manage, but it's a shame to allow it to fall into this level of disrepair. The gardens though are kept meticulously well. I regretfully wouldn't return due to the many issues we faced but I would reconsider if they are tackled.

Beautiful island with so much potential. Unfortunately, our experience was really let down by the service and lack of facilities. Almost everything was closed, often by around 4:30pm, and with such limited boats to the mainland, it left very little to do in the evenings. The food was average, and unfortunately the pool staff were incredibly rude — to the point that we genuinely didn’t want to return to the pool. On the positive side, the restaurant manager was absolutely amazing and the reception staff were lovely and helpful. We also changed rooms for our final two nights and the beachfront bungalow was gorgeous — the setting and views were stunning. It’s such a shame because the island itself is beautiful, but the rude pool/grounds staff, average food, early closures and limited boat schedule really don’t do this stunning location justice. With better service and more facilities actually operating, it could be an incredible resort experience.

This was my second stay at this resort, so I can compare my experiences more objectively. During my first visit, I stayed in a bungalow, and after returning, I realized many of the same issues still exist. The positives: the location is beautiful, the nature is stunning, the breakfast buffet is good, and the rooms are decent. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. The à la carte restaurant is by far the biggest disappointment. We tried many dishes over two visits, and almost everything was below expectations. Frozen tiramisu, undercooked steak despite ordering it well done, Caprese without mozzarella, a Parma salad with barely any Parma, and an underwhelming hot pot. The only dish we actually enjoyed was the club sandwich. During our recent stay in a villa with four rooms sharing one pool, there were only two sun loungers available. If the villa is fully occupied, guests have to compete for them. The staff were friendly, but their English was often too limited for basic communication with international guests, so we had to rely on Google Translate. We also had to request a kettle because the room provided complimentary tea and coffee but no kettle. The resort has a huge territory, yet there is almost nothing to do. The pool bar wasn’t operating, there were no activities or entertainment, and even the beach had very few sun loungers. Maintenance is another issue. The pool tiles are chipped and could easily cause injuries, and the public restrooms near the restaurant had broken flush systems in multiple stalls. Overall, this resort has incredible potential thanks to its beautiful location, but it simply doesn’t meet five-star standards. The service, facilities, maintenance, and especially the restaurant are far below what you would expect for a hotel at this price point. Right now, it feels much closer to a 3–4-star resort than a genuine five-star experience.