44 Tran Phu St Nha Trang: a sentimental favourite hotel in Vietnam

44 Tran Phu St Nha Trang (pictured), ranks for me as a sentimental favourite hotel in Vietnam. I first stayed here in 1993, and it’s where Travel Indochina’s first small group tours stayed back then as well. There are many wonderful memories. Vietnam was just opening its doors and there was lots of excitement about where the country was headed. We were sure it was set to become Asia’s most enticing tourist destination. How could it not - its beauty, its history and its wonderful people? Who could compete? After a long bumpy ride along Highway One, everyone was pleased to hit the serene beauty of Nha Trang and dream about its future too - while congratulating ourselves on our pioneering ways. We’d speculate about how long it would take for an international investor to arrive and transform 44 and its vast grounds into lovely boutique resort with lush gardens and glorious views. 22 years later, Nha Trang has been transformed. But not quite as we had hoped. It's a hub of mass tourism and overdevelopment. There hasn’t been a lot of vision driving its future. The natural beauty of the bay takes a lot of beating. But it sometimes feels like Nha Trang is doing everything it can to inflict self harm. For 44 meanwhile, a lovely heritage building, a prime location and a large plot of land weren’t enough. That visionary developer never arrived. Or if he or she did, they couldn't make it work. 44 has barely changed since 1993. There's something rather nice about that for a pathetic nostalgic. I even receive a warm welcome from staff, many of whom are from those early days and remember them as fondly as I do. Nha Trang has happened around 44 Tran Phu and it’s held on for a long time - the cavernous rooms, the creaky shutters and the dank mattresses. But change is finally coming. Not a visionary development. But another 12 story hotel, not unlike the dozens of others that blight the area. The good news is that 44 Tran Phu will survive - and will presumably get a makeover as well. Its companion will tower above it from very close behind. But at least it will survive.