Review: Tia Wellness Resort in Da Nang

Tia Wellness Resort, formerly known as Fusion Maia, is a well-known wellness and all-inclusive spa resort located in Da Nang, Vietnam. Here’s our review of this upscale beachfront resort with detailed insights into its spa-inclusive concept.

This resort used to be called Fusion Maia, and it recently has gone through a rebranding and renovation to be Tia Wellness Resort. Tia means ray of light in Vietnamese. My family had a good stay at Fusion Maia quite a long time ago, so we decided to check it out for our Christmas vacation in December, 2023.

Check Prices & Availability
Booking.com Agoda.com

Location

Tia Wellness Resort is located on My Khe Beach, about 15 minutes from the center of Da Nang city. I think its location is good for those looking to relax on the beach, explore and dine in the city center and visit the Marble Mountain.

The resort is about 40 minutes from the Son Tra Peninsula, an hour from My Son Sanctuary, and 30 minutes from Hoi An. Again, I think the location is quite convenient, with a balance between having direct access to the beach and reasonable time to visit other attractions.

Next to Tia is an unfinished high-rise hotel which had no activity going on during our stay. Well, there are quite a bit of “ghost” real estate projects emerging in beach cities across Vietnam in recent years. If you are going to stay at Tia, you can inquire about any potential construction noise and ask for a villa away from the construction site.

Arrival and Check-In

Upon arrival, we were greeted and invited to sit in the resort restaurant and enjoy welcome tea. We liked the tea but felt a bit awkward doing the check-in process in the dining area. The process was very quick though, so that was fine.

The staff then took us to our villa. The resort isn’t huge so you can walk to anywhere and there’s no need for a buggy ride. Since it was constructed and has operated for a long time, the ground is lush with bamboo and coconut trees. The entire complex features Indochina style with traditional Vietnamese roof structure and a touch of Champa culture.

Pool Villa

We booked a one-bedroom pool villa. While it is not a standalone villa, sharing a wall and walkway with a couple of other villas, our stay was pretty quiet. The room is simple, cozy with a spacious bathroom, double sinks and a large bathtub.

I would love to see them replace the hair-dryer with a modern one. The one they provided to guests was an outdated style with weak output.

The villa features a small plunge pool within a small enclosed garden, offering privacy but no open views. From the website, only some 2 or 3-bedroom villas may have ocean views. There’s an in-room living area overlooking the pool as well as a small outdoor sitting area.

When we first entered the villa, it was cold and damp inside, probably because it was still the rainy season in Da Nang. After expressing it to the staff, they quickly brought a portable heater and dehumidifier to our villa to enhance our comfort. Overall, the room is comfortable despite the lack of luxurious touches and open views.

Food

We really enjoyed the breakfast buffet since there was a wider range of fresh and healthy options compared to other hotels or resorts. This is expected since Tia focuses on holistic wellness. The breakfast room itself is spacious and quite beautiful, and service is efficient as expected from a well-established property.

You will find different varieties of refreshing salads, summer rolls, overnight oats and yogurt daily. There were also a noodle station, some typical savory dishes and a small menu with made-to-order dishes. Those who have vegetarian and vegan diets will have a lot of options to choose from.

The selection wasn’t huge but we were able to find enough tasty food for our breakfast easily. We’ve been to places with massive breakfast buffet spread only to find little that appealed to us.

Besides breakfast, we didn’t have any other meals at Tia. The resort is not far away from town so you don’t have to limit yourself to their dining options. One evening we went to Le Comptoir for an excellent French dinner. You can read about our favorite restaurants in Danang here.

Spa Service

Fusion Maia was the first resort with an all-inclusive spa concept in Vietnam. Tia Wellness continues to inherit the concept and provides two wellness treatments per night, totaling 80 minutes per person, included in the room rate. The spa area also includes a lush back garden with a waterfall, providing a tranquil space for relaxation.

Here’s the catch: you should plan and book in advance since desirable time slots often fill up quickly. You could even end up with no treatment during your entire stay due to unavailability. I didn’t quite like it as we wanted a relaxed vacation without time pressure, but we worked it out fine.

Generally, don’t expect to book an appointment within a few hours, especially during busy season. You can schedule your treatments after check-in or even before arriving at the resort. Having to work around their availability may affect sightseeing time outside, though it’s less of an issue if you plan to spend most of their time within the resort. The spa staff are quite accommodating and may extend service hours to early morning to fit in appointments if possible.

Now, about the treatments. You can choose among facials, body/head/foot massages, pedicures, and manicures. The treatments felt a bit rushed to us, likely because they were inclusive, every guest tried to use the benefits, and the resort needed to accommodate as many guests as possible.

Overall, the procedures seemed more rushed than in resorts where we paid for treatments separately. We would have preferred a more leisurely pace, with time to enjoy a drink and a foot bath, etc. before our massage sessions. I still think given the price, it is a good value as long as you can schedule and use the benefits and set the expectation to avoid disappointment.

Other Facilities

Tia Wellness Resort is right on My Khe Beach, but due to winter weather, we didn’t go to the beach. There is also a small gym with Technogym equipment.

Additional complimentary service and activities include yoga, tai chi, and breath work classes. We didn’t participate in any classes since we often went out for sightseeing.

Service

This is not a luxury 5-star resort so the service isn’t highly personalized. Regardless, staff at the resort seemed well-trained, friendly, and polite.

Service was efficient throughout our entire stay and they tried to accommodate our requests as much as they could. For instance, they provided a heater and dehumidifier for our villa and were flexible in rescheduling our spa treatments when we were stuck in traffic.

Emphasizing wellness, the resort also supports a healthy lifestyle for its staff by providing vegetarian meals 2-3 times a week.

Summary

To conclude, we think Tia Wellness Resort is a great upscale beachfront option in Da Nang with good value (for the price we paid) and efficient service. It is a pretty well-run property and we wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again. However, if you are looking for a luxurious stay to be pampered, you may not feel satisfied. Here’s my list of the top luxury resorts in Vietnam for a relaxing and romantic vacation.

Check Prices & Availability
Booking.com Agoda.com