Banyan Tree Lang Co.

Two decades after Banyan Tree opened its pioneering resort in Phuket, the hotel group is still turning stunning Southeast Asian coastlines into equally stunning coastal resorts. Take Banyan Tree Lang Co, its forty-nine enormous pool villas occupying what was quite recently a sleepy little fishing village halfway between Hue and Hoi An. If another hotelier were behind all this, the preservationist in us might find it a bit disturbing. Fortunately Banyan Tree’s developments are as sensitive to ecology and culture as they are to the needs of their guests.

It bears underscoring: each private villa comes with its own pool. Excellent en-suite dining, cushioned sun loungers and cool, shaded pavilions make it extremely tempting to spend all day lazing around the villa in privacy. Banyan Tree has a knack for taking the best of the local design vernacular — inspired here by the elegant garden houses of Hue — and setting it atop the pillars of modern design, light and space. The result is an airy open-plan layout with one rich flourish after another — sandstone sculptures, Vietnamese calligraphy, silk embroideries, intricate latticework, artisanal ceramics, royal purple fabrics and on it goes.

Force yourself to leave the room and you’ll be in good company. The hotel employs resident guides specializing in local heritage, ecology and outdoor adventure. Whether you want to explore the karst formations of Ke Bang National Park, stroll the backstreets of Hue or go biking in the Truong Son Mountains, a customized experience can be arranged.

That’s without even mentioning the hotel’s gorgeous crescent beach, or all the activities on (and in) the water. Or the nearby 18-hole golf course by Nick Faldo, with game-stopping views of the sea. Or the spa program, for which Banyan Tree is perhaps most famous. Or the restaurants which run from Italian seafood at the casual beachfront Azura to modern Thai at Saffron, a hilltop restaurant reached by a scenic tree-lined path. Essentially, they’ve combined the everything-you-could-ever-want amenities of a much larger resort and the personal attention of an intimate boutique hotel. And that’s a formula we’re happy to see repeated.

How to get there:
The Phu Bai (Hue) Airport is located 35 km from Banyan Tree Lang Co.