First published July 2023 | Words and photos by Luke Digweed
Luke Digweed is a contributing writer for Vietnam Coracle. He has been living in Vietnam since 2011, mostly in Huế but also in Đà Nẵng & Sài Gòn. While living in Huế, he ran the Huế Grit Tour & co-organized events & small concerts between 2017-2020. His most recent ongoing project is Festivals of Vietnam which documents ceremonies, rituals & processions around the country….read more about Luke
The value of Châu Đốc to foreign visitors in the Mekong Delta is two-fold: The city serves as a transportation hub for people travelling between Vietnam and Cambodia, and, on a less-appreciated point, it’s a fantastic jumping-off point for access to a culturally diverse part of the country. While budget accommodation is abundant in Châu Đốc, there’s only one property that caters to high-end travellers: the Victoria Châu Đốc. I spent my last night of a visit to An Giang Province at the Victoria to find out what it has to offer. Owned by Thiên Minh Group (TMG) since 2013, The Victoria is a small collection of five hotels in Vietnam (Châu Đốc, Núi Sam, Cần Thơ, Phan Thiết, Hội An) and one in Laos (Luang Prubang).
To check rates, availability & make a reservation for Victoria Chấu Đốc BOOK HERE
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Our reviews are 100% independent: we do not receive freebies or payment. Use the links on this page to book your hotel & we will make a small commission. Alternatively, please make a donation or become a patron.
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REVIEW: VICTORIA CHAU DOC
Address: 1 Lê Lợi Street, Châu Đốc City, An Giang Province, Vietnam [MAP]
Average Rates: $70-$100/night
CONTENTS:
MAP:
Victoria Châu Đốc | An Giang Province, Mekong Delta
The Location: The Victoria Châu Đốc sits on an intersection of the Hậu River (a major branch of the Mekong) just east of the city centre. Riverside rooms have an almost panoramic view of the waterway. An express boat from Châu Đốc to Phnom Penh departs daily at 7am from a jetty in front of the hotel, making the Victoria a very convenient stop for people looking for a seamless transition between Vietnam and Cambodia. The Victoria is located on Lê Lợi Street, which runs parallel to the Hậu River and into the city centre. The hotel is approximately 1km from the city’s market and around 2.5km from the bus station. The ferry to Châu Phong, which is part of a settlement for the Muslim community on the opposite bank, is only a 5 minute walk from the hotel. While traffic on both the road and the waterway can be audible, the hotel rooms are insulated enough that motor vehicles didn’t disrupt my sleep.
Resort Grounds & Layout: During the planning of the Victoria, the then French owners decided to limit the building to 4 floors to avoid marking the skyline. The hotel is designed in Cochinchine French-colonial style. Aesthetically, it matches the style of genuine colonial architecture around Vietnam: tiled floors, wooden furnishings, ochre painted walls. The style works if you’re a fan of nostalgic Indochine décor, but personally it’s an aesthetic that doesn’t sit entirely comfortably with me.
The property consists of two buildings connected by the lobby and reception area. Running parallel to the Hậu River is the Tân Châu Bar and the hotel’s restaurant, The Bassac, both of which have spacious indoor and outdoor seating areas that receive a cool river breeze throughout the day.
The size of the resort is deceiving: it doesn’t seem very large, but actually has enough space to accommodate over 200 guests. There are 48 road-facing ‘superior’ rooms, 40 ‘deluxe’ river-facing rooms and 4 suites. One unstated difference is that ‘deluxe’ rooms in the south-east wing have balconies whereas the ones in the south-west wing do not. This is something that isn’t clearly distinguished when booking.
Pools & Activities: Open from 6am until 7pm, the swimming pool looks out over the Hậu River. The pool is a pleasant place to chill but is too small for swimming laps. Beneath the south-west wing, there’s a basement gym, an activity-filled children’s room, and a table tennis table. There’s also a sauna and spa, but I didn’t try these facilities.
Beyond the on-site activities, try exploring Châu Đốc’s markets and communities. The Victoria provides free bicycles for guests to use. However, if self-riding isn’t for you, the Victoria also has a variety of tours available to choose from: river cruises, market exploring and community hopping are all available at reasonable prices.
Guest Rooms & Décor: Rooms in the south-west wing of the hotel don’t have balconies, whereas the ones in the north-west wing do. People who want a riverside balcony may want to look into this when booking. Prices tend to fluctuate a bit depending on the number of guests and the time of the year, but the general range is $70-$100 per night. The view of the Hậu River from deluxe rooms is fantastic, but you can get a similar view from the ground floor common areas, such as the bar and the swimming pool.
Rooms are comfortable and spacious, appointed with sturdy wooden furniture. Walls are painted in earthy yellows and browns, in tune with the hotel’s French-colonial theme. The tiled floors are cool and spotless. The beds are very inviting with lots of pillows and blankets, although I could feel the springs sometimes during the night. Glass bottles of drinking water are provided in the rooms and can be refilled at communal dispensers free of charge. Despite the hotel’s age, there was no sign of deterioration in my room. The materials used to create the shower tiling and bathroom sink are of good quality and are either highly durable or have been recently refurbished. The shower takes a little time to warm up and respond to changes in temperature but the water pressure is strong.
Unfortunately, there were continuous problems with the Wi-Fi connection. The receptionist said it was only temporary, but I think it might be due to the system that is implemented at the hotel. This is something to bear in mind if you have online work to do during your stay.
Breakfast, Dining & Drinking: I was keen to find out how the Victoria Châu Đốc would integrate the region’s excellent local cuisine into its menu. I sat outside at the hotel’s riverside Bassac restaurant for dinner at 8pm, pleasantly surprised to find so many people eating and drinking here, creating a calm but animated atmosphere.
The menu includes appetizers, salads and soups, rice and noodles, sides and hotpots, pizzas, pastas and sandwiches – a mixture of Vietnamese and international dishes. I wanted to see how the hotel’s bún cá (fish noodle soup, a local speciality) compared to streetside versions of the same dish, which are sold for a fraction of the price. I also ordered the bông điên điển xào tép (stir-fried riverhemp flowers with shrimp). The bowl of bún cá was huge and largely incorporated the flavours and ingredients I would expect from this dish, albeit with the more pungent elements, such as mắm (fermented fish paste), clearly tamed to suit foreign palates. The waitress offered to explain how the dishes could be combined with the different condiments on the table. This was a nice touch, because it’s really important for guests who are unaccustomed to Vietnamese cuisine to know how to eat in order to fully experience the wonders of the nation’s culinary delights.
The breakfast buffet (included in the room price) is a combination of Vietnamese food and standard international breakfasts: noodle soups, eggs, a selection of baked goods, cold cuts, rice, cheeses, fruits, juices, coffee and tea. The fresh guava juice was excellent.
Staff at the Victoria are a mixture of young and experienced members. Some staff I talked to have spent a significant portion of their professional career at the hotel and have a personal affection for Châu Đốc and An Giang Province. Overall, I felt service was good and staff were keen to help me upon request.
Summary: Due to a lack of competition in its price bracket, the Victoria doesn’t have to chase its market; the market comes to the Victoria. Businesses in the tourist industry often get lazy in scenarios where customers come to them, but I feel the Victoria Châu Đốc has retained its character as well as making some minor evolutions since its inception to maintain a high standard. Rather than being a bland, international-style hotel, the Victoria makes an effort to integrate aspects of Châu Đốc into its design and cuisine. I met a American-Vietnamese who had returned to Châu Đốc to visit his mother’s grave. The Victoria was where he and his siblings reunited for the occasion. Another group of German friends was spending the night at the Victoria as a stopover while travelling the Mekong Delta. If a high-end, low-key accommodation is what you’re looking for while in south-west of Vietnam, the Victoria is a good place to stay.
*To check rates & make a booking for Victoria Chau Doc please BOOK HERE
Please Support this Site
Our reviews are 100% independent: we do not receive freebies or payment. Use the links on this page to book your hotel & we will make a small commission. Alternatively, please make a donation or become a patron.
Thank you, Tom
*Disclosure: All content on Vietnam Coracle is free to read and independently produced. Luke has written this review because he wants to: he enjoys this hotel and he wants readers to know about it. For more details, see the Disclosure & Disclaimer statements and About Page
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