Cua Dai Hotel         
a hidden secret

A fragrant breeze beckons me to the balcony; the scent of frangipani in the air. Outside, the pool, shaped like a crescent moon, is sparkling in the light. It is the colour of cobalt blue — a mirror of the clear blue sky. I close my eyes. The only sounds I hear are the soft splashes of a woman languidly floating across the water and the rustling of palm leaves. I am far from the noisy city.

The Cua Dai hotel is one of Hoi An’s best kept secrets. Like the heritage town itself, there are historic elements in the hotel’s architecture but the design has a timeless elegence. Meaning ‘large gate’ in Vietnamese, Cua Dai is the name of the street where the hotel is located and a mere 10 minutes walk from Hoi An’s famous old quarter.