Hoi An is a historic city located in central Vietnam, famous for its UNESCO World Heritage old town. Hoi An Ancient Town is the main attraction, so finding a place in a convenient location should be your priority.
This Where To Stay Guide lists the best areas to stay in Hoi An, and some other areas to consider if you are returning.
Where to stay in Hoi An guide:
Map of Hoi An hotels:
Hoi An Ancient Town
Best areas to stay in Hoi An:
Hoi An Old Town (The area immediately around the Ancient Town)
An Hoi Island (In the river opposite the Ancient Town)
An Bang Beach (The best beach in Hoi An)
Other areas to stay in Hoi An:
Cam Chau (Village vibes between the old town and the beach)
Cua Dai Beach (An update about beach rehabilitation)
Dien Ban (The resort coast)
Duy Xuyen (“South Hoi An”)
Map of Hoi An hotels:
Hotels mentioned in this article are pinned on this map.
[View map of Hoi An hotels.]
Hoi An Ancient Town
The Ancient Town is the main attraction of Hoi An, but there aren’t many options to stay within the UNESCO World Heritage area. Most of this area is made up of shophouses with strict conservation rules, so the hotels are in the buffer zone surrounding the boundary designated by UNESCO. You wouldn’t want to stay in the Ancient Town anyway, as it is filled with shops that are geared towards tourists. And it is filled with tourists. So many tourists.
[Tourists at the Japanese Bridge in Hoi An Ancient Town.]
Out of curiosity, I mapped out the protected area on the map. The hotels include some unlisted homestays, the Thanh Binh I Hotel, and the Huy Hoang River Hotel.
Best areas to stay in Hoi An:
Here are the best areas to stay in Hoi An.
Old Town area
The best place to stay in Hoi An is the area immediately around the old town on the north side of the Thu Bon River. This area encompasses different neighborhoods, so there isn’t a specific name for the area. On booking sites, the areas are in Son Phong and Cam Pho. This area could also be called the Old Town Buffer Zone, in reference to the area immediately surrounding the Ancient Town as designated by UNESCO.
The UNESCO map of Hoi An Ancient Town shows the buffer zone in blue. In that area and the next blocks surrounding it are all within an easy distance of the historic area.
[Protection Plan for the Historic Town of HÔI AN.]
Hoi An is a walkable city, but it’s best to look on the map and make sure you don’t book too far from the old town area. If the hotel is further out, check if the hotel offers bicycles.
Ba Trieu Street in Cam Pho is off Hai Ba Trung (one of the main streets leading into the old town). This street is lined with budget hotel options, such as the Hoianese Hotel – Truly Hoi An.
Thanh Van Hotel is a budget hotel with a swimming pool.
Starfruit Villa is a bit further up Hai Ba Trung. I enjoyed staying at this family-run guesthouse in a street that felt more local.
[Starfruit Villa, Hoi An.]
Hoian Royal Villa and Brother Villa Hoi An are 3-star options to the west of the old town.
Hoi An Historic Hotel is a 4-star hotel with a pool that gives it resort vibes. It is close to the old town, so you can easily go back to the hotel to cool off on hot days.
[Hoi An Historic Hotel.]
Almanity Hoi An Resort & Spa is a 5-star luxury hotel. The hotel is located about a block north of the old town buffer zone area, still within walking distance of the action. Its location affords it more space
[Almanity Hoi An Resort & Spa.]
Anantara Hoi An Resort is a 5-star resort on the riverfront to the east of the old town. It is almost within the UNESCO area, making it all the more remarkable that such a large property is so close to the historic area.
[Anantara Hoi An Resort.]
An Hoi Island
An Hoi Island is to the south of the old town area, with the An Hoi Bridge connecting the island to the riverside area of the old town. An Hoi Island is pedestrian-friendly and is loaded with homestay and hotel options. The riverfront has great views of the old town.
[Hoi An Ancient Town viewed from An Hoi Island.]
Cozy House Homestay is a typical budget hotel.
Hoi An Riverland Villa Hoi An Center is a mid-range hotel on the riverside.
Search for more hotels on An Hoi Island.
An Bang Beach
If I was staying in Hoi An for the first time, I would choose to stay near the old town. You can go to a beach any time, but there is only one Hoi An.
If you want to stay by the beach, then stay in the An Bang beach area in Cam An. There is a little expat scene here living among the local community, and there are travel agents and cool cafes and bars.
I am a regular visitor to Hoi An, and now I usually stay in An Bang. It takes 15 minutes to cycle into the old town on a flat road that includes a pleasant section through rice fields.
[Admiring the rice fields between An Bang and the old town.]
Another consideration for staying at the beaches of Hoi An is that the weather is temperamental. Even though Vietnam is in the tropics, there is a winter season in Central Vietnam. The rainy season starts around October, and it gets cool (by Vietnam standards) in December and January. The sea loses its allure when there are gray skies and choppy seas.
I have stayed at Lang Dong An Bang, which is a homestay guesthouse near the lively morning market.
The Blue Alcove is on the main street of An Bang (a very laid-back main street).
An Bang Beach Villas is in an alley that leads from the main street to the beach. There are a bunch of other beach villas in this area.
Another beach alley has the Daisy An Bang Villa.
[Read my review of the Daisy An Bang Villa.]
If you are not staying in An Bang but are curious about it for next time, make your way to The DeckHouse and have a look around from there. I also wrote a comparison of the Da Nang and Hoi An beach areas for expats.
Other areas to stay in Hoi An:
Here are some more areas to stay in Hoi An if you are a repeat visitor looking for alternatives.
Cam Chau:
Cam Chau is the ward between the old town and the beach. This area includes the eastern end of the old town and has a mix of urban areas, riverways, and rice fields. It’s a good area to stay if you want to be closer to nature and don’t mind cycling into town.
Mad Monkey Hoi An is a party hostel by the river on the road that goes to the beach.
[Mad Monkey Hoi An.]
Cua Dai Beach
Cua Dai is the other beach area next to Cam An. This was a popular beach area in Hoi An until the beach was washed away. There has been an extensive rehabilitation program to pump the sand back to the beach, and the beach area at the end of Cua Dai Road has since been restored. Another section of the beach towards the river is a sea wall, so it is not the best coastline. I don’t recommend it, but I put it here for general information.
I stayed at a homestay in Cua Dai while the beach was being repaired. I was riding around the province on a motorbike, so being outside the city area was more useful.
One resort not affected by the erosion drama is the KOI Resort and Spa Hoi An. This hotel sits on the river near the beach, so it feels more like a river resort than a beach resort.
Dien Ban:
Dien Ban is a district-level town in Quang Nam Province between Hoi An and Da Nang. Even though it’s not Hoi An, there are many hotels along the coast that market themselves as Hoi An. They are too far from the ancient town to be a useful base for visiting, and if you are staying in a big beach resort you could be staying anywhere in the world.
I list the main hotels here in case you are wondering where they are in relation to Hoi An. There are also some big-name brands that are listed on the map but haven’t been finished yet. Parts of the coast resemble a giant construction site.
The Dien Ban coast continues Northeast from An Bang Beach. Here are some of the hotels that are along this coast, listed in order when driving from Hoi An to Da Nang.
Citadines Pearl Hoi An is a 5-star resort next to the Lotte Cinema Hoi An. They promote themselves as being at An Bang Beach even though it is not technically in Hoi An.
[Citadines Pearl Hoi An.]
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai Hoi An Vietnam opened in 2016, becoming the first Four Seasons Resort to open in Vietnam.
At the northern end of the Dien Ban coast, this part of Quang Nam feels more like Da Nang. The Shilla Monogram Quangnam Danang reflects this in its name (and at least it hasn’t added Hoi An to its title).
The last hotel on this coast is the under-construction Le Méridien Da Nang, which straddles the boundary of Quang Nam and Da Nang. After Le Meridien, you enter the city of Da Nang. Here is my guide on where to stay in Da Nang.
Duy Xuyen:
Duy Xuyen is the district south of Hoi An. Some places have been marketing it as “South Hoi An” even though that is not an actual name. It’s too far to be useful for a Hoi An base, but I put it here in case you see hotels in the search results.
Hoiana Hotel and Suites is 12 km southeast of the old town, and it features a casino and golf course. The resort is a joint investment with Suncity Group from Macau.
[Hoiana Hotel and Suites.]