For many days, the 5-star Hoa Co resort is located at 252 Cua Dai, Hoi An ancient town - Quang Nam, always "nothing outside or entering".

"Happy quarantine"

At 10:00 am, 18 guests gathered in the pool area next to the spacious villas, with flowers in full bloom. Some people hold books and lie by the pool to read and relax, others hold their phones to capture funny "isolation" moments of their friends. At the bottom of the pool another group dived. At first glance, no one thought that the other group of European guests was being quarantined because of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Hoi An Beach 4-star resort at 1 Cua Dai (Hoi An) is one of 3 luxury resorts used as a place to isolate foreign guests because of COVID-19 - Photo: B.D.

"We have been through very different moments. From the excitement of coming to Vietnam to the anxiety of knowing that we are flying with someone infected with COVID-19. But so far, it is really lucky because at least at least We still get to stay in a luxurious place," said Mr. Jan Bleyenberg, leader of the 18-guest delegation from Europe.

According to Mr. Jan, most of his friends are retired. The group planned and then flew together to Hanoi, into Hue and planned to visit Hoi An, Da Nang, go to Ho Chi Minh City and then make the last stop in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) to end the vacation.

But things suddenly changed when a flight from Europe to Hanoi on March 9 had someone with COVID-19.

Extremely surprised by being isolated in the resort for free, the group of European guests cheered and clapped to thank the owner of the accommodation, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Sang (far right) - Photo: B.D.

A few days after coming to Vietnam, while in Hue, the delegation was informed by the government that they needed to be isolated. Everyone was shocked but had to follow the guide back to Hoi An.

"I will honor you and Vietnam on the front page"

Interestingly, the team leader Jan Bleyenberg was a journalist. He has recently retired and is currently an advisory member of the Belgian Journalists Association. Witnessing what he and 17 friends are going through in Vietnam, Mr. Jan hugged the owner of Hoa Co resort Mr. Nguyen Thanh Sang and exclaimed: "Great Vietnam! Even better than Europe, the weather is nice, the food is delicious, the isolation is luxurious, there's a swimming pool, the rooms are luxurious, and we didn't mind anything but the inconvenience of not being able to. go out for a walk".

Mr. Jan looked at the owner of Hoa Co resort and promised: "When I return to Belgium, I will have an article and a picture of him on the front page of the newspaper that I am collaborating with. We will never forget this special trip." .

Isolation area at the resort for foreign guests in Hoi An - Photo: B.D.

Hoa Co is one of two privately owned luxury resorts in Hoi An that are welcoming foreign guests affected by COVID-19 into quarantine. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Sang said everything started at 3 am on March 12. A group of British tourists came to Quang Nam to travel and fly on flight VN0054. When leaving Quang Nam, this group of guests was refused exit from Da Nang airport.

"Around 2-3 am, I was sleeping when a leader of Hoi An city called me to offer to open a resort to accept the other 4 British guests because all other accommodations refused," Mr. Sang said.

A group of European guests and the owner of Hoa Co resort - a place to receive free isolation and take pictures together - Photo: B.D.

At dusk in the morning of March 12, the bus carrying 4 guests to serve the group was returned to Hoa Co resort. Mr. Sang said that from the time the guests returned, his staff assisted them in settling down, the 3 most spacious and luxurious villas were already booked - reserved for 4 British guests and a separate group member. 

A place to relax, work and chat for quarantined guests in Hoa Co resort (Hoi An) - Photo: B.D.

But not only this delegation, two or three days later, the Hoi An government asked him to open the door to the room with 18 guests from Belgium, France and 3 members of the delegation to stay in Hoi An in isolation.

Without hesitation, Hoa Co resort once again opened its doors to welcome the poor group of guests. The days of being "stuck" in Hoi An, even though they were not allowed to go out, all guests in isolation were served with the same dedication as in a high-class resort.

The isolation area is luxurious and fun, just like a vacation - Photo: B.D.

"They are very poor. I listen to whatever they say, but do not complain or ask for anything. When they leave the hotel, they leave a handwritten letter to express their gratitude. They say they will never forget the place where they stayed, Can't forget that Hoi An has taken care of them and one day they will return soon," said Mr. Sang.

Reserve the best place to "make up" for a stormy trip for guests

Along with the story of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Sang, dozens of foreign guests "stuck" by COVID-19 are also being welcomed and served at a luxury resort in the coconut forest in Cam Thanh commune (Hoi An).

This is a luxury resort, the average price per room is from 1-1.5 million VND. However, the owner has decided to accept foreign guests in isolation and care here. From the moment the guests arrive, there are always people around, stopping to disinfect and protect people from going in and out.

Coco River Resort Hoi An also voluntarily opened its doors to welcome international guests into isolation - Photo: B.D.

At the preliminary meeting of the 10 peak days of anti-epidemic, Chairman of Quang Nam People's Committee Le Tri Thanh said that in these difficult times, it is necessary for people, businesses and the government to open their arms to support tourists.

"Visitors to Hoi An themselves are traveling, when normally, they bring jobs. Now during the epidemic, they have suffered a lot of damage, so we have to welcome them to avoid some of the damage. Show your heart," said Mr. Thanh.