Escape to Paradise: Huong Sen 2 Hotel, Vung Tau Awaits!
Escape to Paradise: Huong Sen 2 Hotel, Vung Tau Awaits! - A Review From a Real Person (Who Needs a Vacation, BADLY)
Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because I just spent a week at the Huong Sen 2 Hotel in Vung Tau, and I have a feeling you're gonna want to know what's really up. Forget the stiff brochures and polished promotions; I'm here to give you the raw, unfiltered truth – from someone who's seen the inside of a hotel room more times than they've seen the sun this year. Let's dive in, shall we? Because, honestly, I need to escape to paradise.
First Impressions & That Damn Elevator…
Okay, so first things first: Accessibility. The building itself? Not bad. There's an elevator, thank the heavens, because hauling luggage up stairs after a long flight is NOT my idea of fun. They also have facilities for disabled guests, which is a huge plus for inclusivity. I always check for that. They have a car park [free of charge], Car park [on-site], but let's be honest, I got a taxi. Less stress.
The Room: My Little Sanctuary (Sort Of)
Let's talk about the lair, the crib, the…room. My room had everything you needed: Air conditioning, thank god. Air conditioning in public area, much appreciated. Free Wi-Fi, which, THANK YOU, because I need to post all my vacation photos. Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! Double-thank you! Internet access – wireless, yeah, you know the drill. There's a desk and a laptop workspace, which… I meant to work, but… you know. In-room safe box is always a good shout. The hair dryer worked, the refrigerator kept my beer cold, and the slippers were a nice touch. I was a little underwhelmed by the non-smoking rooms, but there were designated smoking areas.
The Bathroom: A Tale of Two Showers (and a Slight Freak Out)
The private bathroom was okay. Standard. Clean enough. The separate shower/bathtub situation was… interesting. One day, I swear the water pressure died mid-shower. I was covered in shampoo, screaming internally, picturing myself stuck in the shower for eternity. Then, out of nowhere, it roared back to life, nearly knocking me off my feet. Dramatic? Maybe. But it’s the little things, isn't it? Besides, that bathtub, though? Tempting. I didn't get the chance to use it.
Food, Glorious Food (and a Few Minor Hangry Moments)
Okay, the food… This is a big one, and it’s a mixed bag. There are Restaurants! And multiple. I tried nearly all of them.
- Breakfast [buffet]: The Asian breakfast was incredible! I’m talking pho that whispered sweet nothings to my soul. And the coffee/tea in restaurant? Essential. The Western breakfast was a bit… predictable. Like, really standard eggs and toast. But the pastries! Chef's kiss. There was always fruit, thank god.
- Lunch & Dinner: They had A la carte in restaurant, Buffet in restaurant, and options for Alternative meal arrangement. The Asian cuisine in restaurant was, hands down, the highlight. The flavors! The spices! Oh, the spices! I dream of that lemongrass chicken still. They also had International cuisine in restaurant which was also delicious. I was also happy to see that there was a Vegetarian restaurant. I wasn't a customer but I know many people who travel with this necessity.
- Other Options: They had a Coffee shop which was a lifesaver when I needed a quick caffeine fix. And a Snack bar, because, vacation. They had a Poolside bar, but I have to say, I was disappointed that there was no bar in the pool. My perfect vacation thought.
The Spa: Body Scrubs and… Well, More Body Scrubs
Okay, the Spa/sauna experience. I LOVE spas. This was a major "selling point" for me. They had a Sauna, a Steamroom, and a Jacuzzi, and I happily sampled them all. They also offer a bunch of treatments; I did a Body scrub and a Body wrap. The Massage…. oh, the massage. Okay, the massage. The massage was an actual spiritual experience. I'm not even kidding. I'm pretty sure I achieved nirvana for about an hour. 10/10 would recommend.
"Things to Do" & "Ways to Relax": A Real Mixed Bag
Okay, the hotel has a Swimming pool [outdoor]. I will admit, the Pool with view was stunning. I spent hours floating in that pool, pretending I didn't have a care in the world. They have a Fitness center and a Gym/fitness. I did not have time for the gym. I was too busy… relaxing. There's a Shrine on the property, which was interesting. Also, you can get a Food delivery if you're feeling lazy (which I was, a lot).
Cleanliness, Safety, and All That Jazz (aka COVID-19 Considerations)
Alright, so the world is a bit… messy right now. I was really happy and relieved to see they had serious protocols in place. They had Hand sanitizer everywhere, the staff wore masks, and there was Physical distancing of at least 1 meter. They used Anti-viral cleaning products and did Daily disinfection in common areas. Basically, they seemed to be taking things seriously. They had Rooms sanitized between stays. They did have Room sanitization opt-out available, although I would not take it. I felt as safe as I could, given the current situation. They have First aid kit and Doctor/nurse on call.
Services and Conveniences: The Little Things That Matter
They had a Concierge who was super helpful with recommendations and booking taxis. There's a Convenience store for all your last-minute needs. Daily housekeeping was great (because, honestly, I'm a mess). They offer Dry cleaning. They had Luggage storage, which came in handy. There's a Cash withdrawal machine.
The Downside (Because, Let's Be Real)
My biggest gripe? The internet went out a couple of times (briefly). But, it got fixed. I also think they could add more "fun" activities. And, while there's a Doctor/nurse on call, I didn't want to call for a doctor when I was feeling under the weather. I was hoping for the ability to call for in-room service.
For the Kids (Because, Family is a Thing)
They are listed as Family/child friendly. They have a Babysitting service, which is great for parents who need a break. There are Kids facilities.
Overall Verdict: Should You Book?
Absolutely. The Huong Sen 2 Hotel isn't perfect – no place is. But, for the price, the location, and the sheer bliss of that massage, it's a winner. Do expect a bit of noise, and a few little annoyances (hello elevator!), BUT I highly recommend this escape to paradise, assuming paradise looks like a comfy bed, a pool with a view, and access to an amazing spa.
My Honest, Shameless, and Totally Biased Recommendation: Book it. Book it now. You deserve it. And tell them "The crazy lady who nearly lost her mind in the shower" sent you. They can't miss me.
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Tired of the everyday grind? Craving relaxation and adventure? Escape to Paradise: Huong Sen 2 Hotel in Vung Tau, Vietnam!
Why Huong Sen 2 Should Be Your Next Getaway:
- Unbeatable Comfort & Convenience: Enjoy Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! Stay connected and share your amazing experiences. Relax in well-appointed rooms with Air conditioning, and access the city with easy Accessibility features.
- Culinary Delights: Indulge in a diverse culinary journey with Asian Cuisine in restaurant, from the delicious Asian breakfast, to the many other options, including Vegetarian restaurant options, Coffee shops, Poolside bar, and more. Savor Breakfast [buffet] to kickstart your day.
- Ultimate Relaxation: Rejuvenate your mind and body at our luxurious Spa. Experience blissful treatments including the Body scrub, Body wrap, Massage, Sauna, and Steamroom. Relax by the Swimming pool [outdoor].
- Safety & Peace of Mind: We prioritize your well-being. Enjoy peace of mind with our comprehensive safety measures, including **Anti
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because we're about to dive headfirst into my Vung Tau adventure at the Huong Sen 2 Hotel! Forget the sterile, robotic itineraries you usually see. This is the real deal. Get ready for some sunshine, questionable food choices, and a healthy dose of grumpy old me.
Huong Sen 2: Vung Tau - A Hot Mess of a Itinerary (But in the Best Way!)
(Day 1: Arrival & Initial Panic - Welcome to Vietnam, You Idiot)
14:00 - 15:00: Arrival & Hotel Chaos. Okay, so finding the Huong Sen 2 involved a taxi driver who clearly hadn't memorized the alphabet. After 30 minutes of circling and me waving my arms like a manic seagull, we finally arrive. The lobby? Surprisingly pleasant, with that humid-air-plus-incense smell that screams "Vietnam!" Check-in… well, let's just say my attempts at Vietnamese were abysmal, and the receptionist probably thinks I'm a space alien. Got my room, which, thankfully, wasn't the size of a shoebox. Praise the travel gods! But oh, the AC is a beast. It's either a blizzard or a sauna. This could be a problem…
15:00 - 16:00: The Room Reconnaissance & First Impression – My Kingdom For a Decent Pillows!: Okay, room's decent! Balcony? Yes! View? Mostly of other buildings, but hey, it's Vung Tau, not the Maldives. The bed… hmmm, the pillows are flat as pancakes. This could be a problem. Seriously, I'm going to need those extra pillows soon. Let's see, safety in the room is not a problem. Everything here is so relaxing and comfortable, I can start to think I'm in paradise… but the pillows are definitely an issue.
16:00 - 18:00: Beach Walk & Street Food Suicide Mission (Part 1). Time to hit the beach! (After a desperate plea for extra pillows, which thankfully, worked!). So, Vung Tau Beach… not exactly pristine, but the energy is infectious. Street vendors hawk their wares, the smell of grilling seafood hits you like a tidal wave, and children chase each other like mini-tornados. And me? I'm trying not to trip over anything. Then, the food! Oh, the glorious, terrifying food. First up: Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancake). Crispy, greasy, and utterly delicious. My stomach feels like it's playing a tiny symphony, and I have a feeling it might be a very long symphony.
18:00 - 20:00: Sunset Serenity & Beer Confusion. Back to the hotel for a shower and a desperate attempt to remove the beach sand from my skin. The sunset from my balcony is pretty decent. I'm going to spend a couple of moments watching the sky, just thinking about life. Then, it's time for beers! I grab a few Saigon beers from the hotel, and then I try to figure out the difference between Saigon Special and Saigon Export. I have no idea, so I just drink them both. Cheers!
20:00 - Late: Dinner Debacle & Sleep (Maybe). Dinner, back to the beach. Seafood, glorious seafood. Fresh, simple, perfect. Except… I think I might have accidentally ordered a whole grilled fish. Alone. It's looking at me. I'm looking at it. This is going to take a while. Food Coma level: Activated. Falling into bed, hoping the AC cooperates and the pillows don't stage a mutiny.
(Day 2: Temples, Tequila Sunrise (Sort Of), and Tummy Troubles!)
07:00 - 09:00: Rise and (Reluctantly) Shine. That's right, I woke up! Surprisingly, the AC didn't eat me in my sleep. Breakfast at the hotel: the usual array of deliciousness and mystery. I load up on fruit, hoping to ward off any impending digestive disasters.
09:00 - 12:00: Temple Trekking (and the Humidity Factor). Time for some culture! I'm off to visit the Niet Ban Tinh Xa Temple and the Thich Ca Phat Dai Temple. The temples are beautiful, serene, and… sweltering. I'm sweating like a pig, and my camera lens is constantly fogging up. But the views from atop the Thich Ca Phat Dai? Worth the molten-lava-induced sweat show. I found it to be such a great experience that I have to come back here again.
12:00 - 13:00: Lunch (Maybe not). Street food again! This time it was a seafood roll. I wanted to have a fresh meal again, but this time, my body is having a slight rebellion. I was feeling a bit unwell. I decided to skip lunch to be on the safe side.
13:00 - 16:00: Beach Chill & Book Reading. I went back to the hotel, I laid down and tried to rest, but the thought that I could be sick was very concerning. I felt a bit of stomachache. It was probably the food I ate yesterday, but I don't want to spoil my trip. I need to be careful. Fortunately, I have a book with me, so I started reading.
16:00 - 18:00: Sunset & Beer. The sunset was amazing! Even though I was feeling unwell, things went well. I grabbed a Saigon beer and relaxed on my balcony.
18:00 - 20:00: Dinner." Dinner was even more simple than yesterday: the same food (but at least I didn't order a whole fish!). I ate carefully, and then I went straight to bed.
(Day 3: Departure - Adios, Vung Tau (Until Next Time, Maybe).
07:00 - 09:00: Final Sunrise & Breakfast Roulette. Wake up. The sun is shining. Breakfast. The usual buffet, but this time I'm playing it safe. Toast, fruit, and maybe a hard-boiled egg. I am praying for no more stomach issues.
09:00 - 11:00: Last-Minute Souvenir Hunt, Last-Minute Anxiety. Time to find some souvenirs! Trying to find the perfect gift for my sister… I'm looking for a gift that will make her laugh for a while. It turns out that the stores around here are a bit scarce. I managed to find some, and I then went back to the hotel to relax.
11:00 - 12:00: Check-Out & Goodbye! Sigh. Time to pack. Check out. Head to the airport. Goodbye, Huong Sen 2! I'm leaving with a tan, a slightly-warped stomach, and a collection of memories that are… well, uniquely mine.
12:00 - Onward: Travel to the next destination. Goodbye Vung Tau!
Post-Trip Ramblings:
Okay, so the Huong Sen 2 wasn't a five-star resort. The AC could wage war, the pillows could be better. But it was my base camp, my little slice of Vung Tau heaven (and chaos). Sometimes the food kicked my butt, and other times it was pure bliss. The beaches weren't perfect, they were messy, real, and completely full of life, but that's what made it perfect. The people? Friendly, patient, and always up for a laugh (even at my expense). Would I go back? Absolutely. Because sometimes, a perfectly imperfect trip is the most memorable of all.
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Escape to Paradise: Hương Sen 2 Hotel, Vũng Tàu Awaits! - The REAL Deal FAQs (and my two cents)
Okay, spill the tea! Is Hương Sen 2 Hotel REALLY a paradise escape, or is it just another Instagram filter fantasy?
Alright, alright, settle down, Insta-stalkers. "Paradise?" Well, it's...complicated. Let's be brutally honest, shall we? It isn't like, *The Garden of Eden*, okay? But it's miles better than my usual travel disasters (remember that time I booked a hostel in a former slaughterhouse? Shudder).
Hương Sen 2, in my completely unscientific opinion, *aims* for paradise and hits a solid, slightly-sunburnt-and-salty-haired vacation. It’s got the location, the vibe they're going for, right on the beach. It's paradise-adjacent. You know, the kind of paradise where you might spill your Ca Phe Sua Da on your white linen pants (and I *did*). But the views? Seriously, the *views* are a win. I'm a sucker for sunsets over the South China Sea. That's a straight-up, no-filter, YES.
What’s the deal with the rooms? Are they actually…clean? I'm a germaphobe!
Clean? Okay, deep breaths, germaphobes. Look, I'm not gonna lie and say the rooms are surgically sterile. They are *not* the Ritz-Carlton. I checked under the bed (because I always do, don't judge). I found...mostly dust bunnies. Look, let's just say the cleaning crew is, shall we say, *motivated*? They're trying. The sheets were clean, the bathroom *appeared* clean, and I didn't find any unwelcome critters. (That's a win in my book.) Bring some sanitizing wipes, just in case. Because, you know, Vung Tau. It's beach life. Things get sandy, things happen.
**Anecdote:** My first morning, I swear I saw a tiny gecko on the ceiling. I screamed. (Embarrassing, I know.) Then, the gecko *left*. So, you know, nature IS trying to add to the 'tropical experience'. Embrace the chaos. (Or pack extra bug spray.)
The food! Is it worth getting out of bed for? And by 'getting out of bed', I probably mean 'dragging myself to the breakfast buffet after one too many Saigon beers'.
Breakfast… Ah, breakfast. This is where things get *interesting*. The breakfast buffet at Hương Sen 2 is… diverse. There's a mix of Vietnamese staples (pho, fresh fruit, sticky rice) and slightly-Western-ish options (toast, eggs, questionable sausage). It's a buffet, people. Expect the unexpected. The pho was actually pretty decent (especially hungover, just saying). The fruit was *usually* fresh. The coffee? Strong enough to wake the dead.
**Opinionated observation:** Don't expect Michelin-star quality. But, for the price, it's totally acceptable. Load up on the fruit, the pho, and the caffeine. And maybe avoid the "mystery meat" unless you're feeling adventurous. I tried it once. Regret.
**Messy rambling:** I swear, the first morning, I saw a guy load up his plate with everything *and* steal a whole loaf of bread. It was early... I guess he was REALLY hungry. Note to self: bring a shopping bag for the buffet. Just kidding...mostly.
And the beach? Is it as dreamy as the photos? Or photo-shopped to perfection?
Okay, the beach. This is where Hương Sen 2 *really* shines. The photos *generally* don't lie. The beach is right there. Literally *right there*. You walk out of the hotel, across the road (carefully – traffic in Vung Tau is...an experience), and you're on the sand. The sand *is* soft, the water *is* warm, and the waves...well, they're waves.
**Doubling Down Experience:** One afternoon, I spent like *hours* just floating in the ocean. The world melted away, the sun was setting, the sky was this incredible purple, and I’m not gonna lie, it was pure bliss. It was the perfect Instagram moment. But, even better, it was perfect *me* moment.
**Imperfection alert:** There *might* be some litter (it's a public beach, after all). Don't expect pristine, postcard-perfect cleanliness. But, honestly, the beauty of the ocean, the feeling of the sun on your skin, the sound of the waves… it's hard to complain. Bring your own sunscreen and a sense of adventure. And maybe a trash bag.
What about the staff? Are they helpful and friendly or just going through the motions?
The staff? They’re… a mixed bag. Some are genuinely lovely, eager to help, and speak decent English. Others… well, let’s just say communication can be a bit of a challenge. But the effort is there, and that matters. They try hard. Patience is key. And a smile goes a long way.
**Quirky observation**: I tried to order a taxi with the front desk once. They seemed a tad confused when I pointed out the *actual* car. They finally figured it out. It was a real ‘lost in translation’ moment, but ultimately endearing.
**Emotional reaction**: Don't expect perfection. But most of the staff are friendly and want you to enjoy your stay. Tip generously if you have a good experience. They work hard. It’s a good vibe.
Is there anything *really* bad about Hương Sen 2? Any red flags I should know about?
Okay, okay, here's the messy truth: it’s not perfect. It's definitely *not* a luxury resort.
**Imperfections:** The air conditioning in my room struggled a bit on the hottest days. Water pressure in the shower was...variable. And the walls are a little thin. I could hear my neighbor snoring. LOUDLY. (Earplugs, people! Earplugs!)
**More opinionated language:** The 'fitness center' is a joke. Don't even bother. The Wi-Fi can be spotty. And, let's be real, the whole place feels a little… worn around the edges.
**Rambling:** But hey, that's part of the charm, right? It's not sterile. It's got a soul, even if it's a slightly dusty, slightly-used soul. And honestly, for the price, it’s a pretty solid deal. You're not paying for flawless perfection. You're paying for beach access, a decent bed, and (let’s face it) a chance to get away from it all. Is it gonna ruin your vacation? Probably notSleep Stop Guide
