Where to stay in Con Dao: from $10 guesthouses to Six Senses

Prices checked in September 2026. Rate used: $1 ≈ 26,000 VND. Hotels quote in USD, so USD comes first here. Always check the live rate on Booking or Agoda before you pay.

Con Dao hotels: what to know before you book

Con Dao has about 28 hotels on Tripadvisor plus a couple of dozen guesthouses, all on the one inhabited island, Côn Sơn. A night costs anything from about $5 for a dorm bed to $2,500 for a four-bedroom residence at Six Senses. Between those two poles you get six types of stay, each with its own area and its own typical guest.

The big difference from Phu Quoc or Nha Trang is scale. There is no Hilton, no Marriott, no all-inclusive strip, no row of twenty five-star towers. Half the land is protected, so almost all accommodation is squeezed into Côn Sơn town, with a few resorts standing apart on the east coast near the airport and by the ferry port at Bến Đầm.

A note on addresses. On 1 July 2025 the old Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu province was folded into Ho Chi Minh City, and Con Dao became the Côn Đảo Special Zone (đặc khu Côn Đảo) of HCMC. Booking and Tripadvisor still show "Côn Đảo District, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu" in places. Same island, and your booking is fine.

Book ahead if you’re coming in June to August (Vietnamese school holidays) or over Tet, the Lunar New Year in January–February. Prices jump 30–80% in those windows, and Six Senses can be full two months out. The rest of the year you can realistically land without a booking and find a guesthouse within a couple of hours.

Then there’s the airport run. Cỏ Ống airport (VCS) is 14–15 km from town, a 20–30 minute drive over a pass. Mid-range and upscale hotels meet guests with their own shuttle, free or for about 50,000 VND (~$2). A taxi into town costs 300,000–450,000 VND (~$12–17). Grab doesn’t operate on the island, but since September 2025 the Xanh SM electric taxis run here and show a fixed fare in their app before you confirm. Travelling light, you can ride electric bus 173 for 5,000–40,000 VND. Taxis at the exit are few and they’re gone ten minutes after a full flight lands, so if you’re heading to a guesthouse, ask the owner to send a car.

For the rest of the logistics see our complete Con Dao guide; flights from Ho Chi Minh City and elsewhere are covered in flights to Vietnam. This page is about the hotels.

Con Dao hotels at a glance

These eight places make up the island’s hotel scene. Prices are starting rates for a standard room outside peak season.

• Six Senses Côn Đảo (Six Senses Côn Đảo): 5-star+ villas with private pools, from ~$800/night — Đất Dốc beach, 1.6 km of sand
• The Secret Côn Đảo (The Secret Côn Đảo): 4-star boutique, ~200 rooms, opened 2022 — From ~$100/night
• Poulo Condor (Poulo Condor Boutique Resort & Spa): 4-star+ boutique on Bãi Vông, 750 m private beach — From ~$120/night — Approximate location
• Saigon Côn Đảo Resort (Saigon Côn Đảo Resort): Saigontourist 3-star+ in town, 117 rooms incl. ~35 in colonial villas — From ~$35/night
• Côn Đảo Resort (Côn Đảo Resort): 3-star, about 95 rooms on An Hải beach — From ~$75/night
• Tân Sơn Nhất Côn Đảo (Tân Sơn Nhất Côn Đảo Resort): 3-star, 89 rooms and bungalows in town — From ~$41/night
• Orson Hotel & Resort (Orson Hotel & Resort): 3-star by Bến Đầm port, infinity pool, 12 km to town — From ~$30/night — Approximate location
• Town guesthouses (Nguyễn An Ninh / Lê Duẩn): Mini-hotels in the lanes behind the seafront and around the market — Rooms from 250,000 VND (~$10)

Vietnam Coracle’s advice for cheap rooms still holds: skip the seafront and look a couple of blocks back and behind Con Dao market. Rooms there go for 300,000–350,000 VND (~$12–13), and the sea is still a five-minute walk.

Six Senses Côn Đảo: the island’s flagship

Six Senses Côn Đảo is the only 5-star+ resort on the island. It has its own 1.6 km beach, Bãi Đất Dốc, 5 km north-east of Côn Sơn on the road to the airport (9 km away). Most of the Con Dao photos you’ve seen on Instagram were taken here.

The design borrows from a Vietnamese fishing village: timber villas, teak floors, open-air bathtubs in walled courtyards, lots of natural ventilation. The buildings sit low in the landscape, and from the beach you barely notice the resort until you’re close.

Villas and residences

There are 50 units in total: 35 villas and 15 residences.

Every unit has a private infinity pool, an outdoor shower and a terrace. Villas start at 79 m²; the four-bedroom residence runs to 350 m².

What the rate covers

Breakfast, Wi-Fi, a daily refilled minibar (snacks and water) and bicycles for your whole stay. Airport transfers are included on some rates only, so read the booking terms. Lunch and dinner are extra: By the Beach does European dishes built on local produce, and Vietnamese by the Market cooks regional recipes. Dinner for two with drinks runs about 2,500,000 VND (~$96).

Turtles and the Earth Lab

The thing money can’t really buy here is the turtle programme. Under "Let’s Get Cracking" the resort has released more than 30,000 green turtle hatchlings since 2018. Turtles nest on Con Dao from May to October, hatchling releases peak in July–September, and in season guests are invited along.

The Earth Lab is the resort’s sustainability centre: candle and soap workshops, garden walks, and a look at how the resort handles its waste and water.

Pros and cons

Who it’s for: honeymoons, anniversaries, eco-minded travellers with a premium budget, and anyone who’s stayed at Six Senses in Bali or Thailand and wants to compare.

Alternatives: nothing on Con Dao. With a smaller budget, the closest thing is Poulo Condor (4-star+). On the mainland there’s Amanoi in Vinh Hy Bay (Khanh Hoa province, south of Cam Ranh), and Six Senses Ninh Van Bay near Nha Trang, which is a different resort reachable only by boat. Don’t mix the two Six Senses up when booking.

Boutique 4-star: The Secret and Poulo Condor

Between Six Senses (from ~$800) and a mid-range 3-star (around $50) there’s a gap of roughly fifteen times the price. Two hotels fill it: The Secret and Poulo Condor. Both are 4-star boutiques, and they could hardly be more different.

The Secret Côn Đảo

The Secret opened in 2022 at the north end of the Côn Sơn seafront (8 Tôn Đức Thắng). The Côn Đảo Museum and Phú Hải prison are a five-minute walk away; there’s more on both in our guide to Con Dao attractions. The market and the town’s cafés are on foot too. Boutique comfort plus a walk-everywhere location is a rare combination on this island.

Inside: almost 200 rooms, mostly 25–30 m² Deluxe; a big infinity pool in the courtyard facing the sea (the hotel’s calling card); Spice Kitchen for the buffet, The Secret restaurant in a restored French villa, the Sunset Lounge rooftop bar, a spa, a gym and bike hire.

Base rates are room only. With breakfast, the same night comes to $130–150. There’s a deposit of about $75 at check-in, refunded when you leave.

Rating: #3 of 28 Con Son hotels on Tripadvisor (4/5, 777 reviews).

Pros: location, a pool that faces the sunset, a breakfast guests rave about, a new building, and the best value in the boutique bracket.

Cons: rooms are compact (25 m² gets tight for two people with big suitcases), breakfast isn’t in the base rate, you hear scooters on the seafront road in the morning, and the pool area plays pop music all day, which Vietnam Coracle’s reviewer also grumbled about.

Who it’s for: couples who want design and location, solo travellers on a mid budget, stays of one to three nights.

Poulo Condor Boutique Resort & Spa

Poulo Condor is a different idea. The resort sits on Bãi Vông beach at the foot of Chúa mountain on the east coast: 4 km from the airport, about 12 km from Côn Sơn. It has 750 m of its own white sand and not many rooms. People come for quiet, design and the spa, not for a scene.

Inside: villas and suites that mix French colonial and modern Vietnamese design, a private beach, a lagoon-style pool with tropical planting, a restaurant cooking French and Vietnamese food, and a spa.

Breakfast is included. Dinner at the resort is about 1,500,000 VND (~$58) for two. Morning yoga is free, spa treatments start at 1,200,000 VND (~$46) an hour. Booking direct on the resort’s site with the code DIRECT takes 10% off.

Pros: privacy (by the end of your stay you’ll know the other guests by sight), design, 750 m of private beach, ten minutes to the airport, big gardens.

Cons: it’s far from town (a taxi is 250,000–300,000 VND, ~$10–12, each way), there’s nothing to do in the evening beyond the bar, and the Wi-Fi by the pool is weak.

Who it’s for: a lighter honeymoon, couples staying four to seven nights, spa people, and anyone landing on a late flight who doesn’t want to cross the island.

Mid-range: Saigon Côn Đảo, Tân Sơn Nhất and Côn Đảo Resort

Mid-range on Con Dao means $35–80 a night. Don’t expect designer interiors, but the basics work: pool, air-con, breakfast, Wi-Fi, a taxi when you ask. Three hotels matter here.

Saigon Côn Đảo Resort

This is the state-owned Saigontourist hotel, 117 rooms, right in the centre of Côn Sơn on the seafront at 18–24 Tôn Đức Thắng. It comes in two parts: about 35 rooms inside French villas from the 1920s (lots of charm, tired interiors) and a newer wing.

Rates: $55–85 in the new wing. The colonial rooms start at $35, but the floors creak and the air-con can be loud.

Facilities: a Vietnamese restaurant (breakfast included), a small pool, a bar by the sea, bike parking and bicycle hire.

Pros: everything is walkable, the seafront is under your window, the night market is three minutes away. The grounds are big and shady.

Cons: the colonial wing is worn, the beach in front is a town beach and not the cleanest, and the Wi-Fi is slow.

Who it’s for: two- or three-night stays for people who want the centre without boutique prices.

Tân Sơn Nhất Côn Đảo Resort

The cheapest "proper resort" on the island. (It shares a name with Ho Chi Minh City’s airport, so watch your search results.) It’s in town at 6 Nguyễn Đức Thuận: 58 rooms in the main building plus 31 bungalows, 14 on the waterfront and 17 in the garden. An Hải beach is about 500 m away.

Rates: from $41, one of the best prices for a beachside 3-star on Con Dao.

Facilities: a pool, a big restaurant facing the sea, bike parking, bicycle hire. Rooms are simple and clean, and the air-con works.

Rating: #9 of 28 Con Son hotels on Tripadvisor (3/5). Families like the price and the location.

Pros: low price, waterfront bungalows, everything in town on foot, free parking.

Cons: the décor is stuck in the 2010s, the buffet is thin (rice, eggs, phở, fruit and that’s it), and staff English is limited.

Who it’s for: families with kids, budget beach trips, three to five nights.

Côn Đảo Resort

About 95 rooms at 8 Nguyễn Đức Thuận, right on An Hải beach, a few steps from the water. Rates start at $75 for a mountain-view room and $90 for a sea view.

Facilities: one of the bigger pools on the island, a restaurant, a bar, a spa, parking and scooter hire.

Rating: #26 of 28 on Tripadvisor, 3/5. The score is low because the hotel is dated and service reviews are mixed. The location and the pool are good.

Pros: big pool, on the beach, parking, a spa.

Cons: dated rooms, a repetitive buffet, worse value than Tân Sơn Nhất.

Who it’s for: people who want to wake up by the sea and will put up with an older resort for the pool. For similar money, Tân Sơn Nhất is the better pick.

Budget: guesthouses and mini-hotels in Côn Sơn

Budget Con Dao means 20+ mini-hotels and guesthouses in Côn Sơn town. Expect 250,000 VND (~$10) for a fan room up to 700,000 VND (~$27) for a decent air-con room with breakfast. Dorms exist but are rare, from 100,000–130,000 VND (~$4–5) a bed.

The rule of thumb: cheap rooms are not on the seafront, but a couple of blocks behind it, on Nguyễn An Ninh, Lê Duẩn, Trần Phú and in the lanes behind Con Dao market. You’re still five minutes from the sea, prices are lower than on the water, and the atmosphere is just as good.

Five budget picks

Orson Hotel is the value leader, with one catch: it isn’t in town but by Bến Đầm port, 12 km south-west of the centre, backed by the mountain and facing the bay. Rooms are new and have everything you need (AC, Wi-Fi, fridge, shower), and there’s an infinity pool over the water. Handy if you arrive by ferry. Useless without a scooter.

Hong Ngoc Guesthouse is the pick of the classic guesthouses. Small but bright rooms with big windows, air-con and a mini-fridge. The owner speaks English and can sort out scooter hire (from 120,000 VND a day, ~$5) and tours.

Finding a room on arrival

Outside June–August you can land without a booking and find a guesthouse within an hour. Here’s how:

1. From the airport, take a taxi to Côn Sơn (300,000–450,000 VND, ~$12–17), or a xe ôm motorbike taxi for 70,000–120,000 VND if all you have is a backpack. Ask to be dropped at Con Dao market.
2. Walk the lanes behind the market and along Nguyễn An Ninh and read the signs: Phòng cho thuê (rooms for rent), Nhà nghỉ (guesthouse), Hotel. Walk into the first one.
3. Ask for the nightly price and the three-night price. Three nights almost always gets you 10–15% off.
4. See the room before paying. Damp walls or a musty smell, move on.
5. Pay cash or card (not everyone takes cards, and cash in VND is always easier).

In peak season (July–August and Tet) this doesn’t work: rooms are gone a week ahead.

Are there hostels on Con Dao?

Barely. Two or three places sell dorm beds, usually "family rooms" with four beds let out by the bed. Nothing like a Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur hostel: no shared kitchen, no common room, no backpacker crowd. If the hostel scene matters to you, skip Con Dao and head to Phu Quoc or Hoi An.

The maths is simple, though: four nights in a 350,000 VND guesthouse cost about the same as one room-only night at The Secret. Con Dao on a backpacker budget is entirely doable.

Areas: where to stay on Con Dao

Côn Sơn itself is tiny, about 3 km end to end and ten minutes by scooter. But the island’s beds are spread over five very different zones, from the seafront to a port 12 km away, and the zone you pick shapes the whole trip.

Côn Sơn town (centre)

The seafront road, the market, the museum, restaurants, banks, pharmacies, ATMs. Mornings are locals on scooters heading to work; evenings are visitors with ice cream on the sea wall. Noise, traffic, life.

Where to stay: Saigon Côn Đảo Resort, The Secret, Tân Sơn Nhất, the guesthouses behind the seafront, Hong Ngoc, Ruby.

Pros: restaurants, market, museum and ATMs on foot; no scooter needed; food delivery works.

Cons: no wild beach, the town beach is busy with scooters early, and it gets crowded in high season.

Who it’s for: backpackers, couples, one- to three-night stays.

Bãi An Hải (the town beach)

The town beach in the south part of Côn Sơn, five minutes on foot from the market. The sand is darker than at Đầm Trầu, but you walk out of the hotel and you’re in the water in five minutes. Locals jog here at dawn; the evening brings a quiet sunset.

Where to stay: Côn Đảo Resort, Phi Yen, Tân Sơn Nhất (500 m).

Pros: a beach of your own with town on the doorstep: the best "town plus sea" balance.

Cons: dark sand, few cafés on the beach itself (mostly hotel ones).

Who it’s for: mid-budget travellers and families who want both beach and infrastructure.

Bãi Đất Dốc (north-east, Six Senses)

A secluded stretch of coast 5 km north-east of town on the airport road. The beach is 1.6 km long, with the Lò Vôi mountains behind it. The only thing on it is Six Senses.

Where to stay: Six Senses Côn Đảo.

Pros: wild scenery, space, silence.

Cons: without a scooter or taxi you’re stuck (5 km to town), and there’s hardly anywhere to eat outside the resort.

Who it’s for: luxury guests who want everything in one place and don’t plan to leave much.

Bãi Vông by the airport (Poulo Condor)

The east coast at the foot of Chúa mountain, 4 km from the airport and about 12 km from town. A long sandy beach, greenery, quiet.

Where to stay: Poulo Condor Boutique Resort.

Pros: privacy, a private beach, ten minutes to the airport, Đầm Trầu close by.

Cons: 20–25 minutes to town, almost nowhere to eat outside the resort, dull without a scooter.

Who it’s for: boutique and spa travellers, couples staying four to seven nights.

Bến Đầm (south-west, the port)

The port where ferries from the mainland dock, 12 km from town. The place to stay here is Orson Hotel & Resort: new rooms and a pool over the bay at a budget price.

Pros: price, quiet, easy if you’re arriving by boat.

Cons: 20 minutes by scooter to restaurants and the market, nothing within walking distance.

Who it’s for: travellers with a scooter, ferry arrivals.

Đầm Trầu beach by the airport

There are no hotels on Bãi Đầm Trầu itself: the national park doesn’t allow it. It’s the island’s best beach, tucked right behind the runway. People come for the day from everywhere on the island, and Poulo Condor guests have the shortest ride. More in our guide to Con Dao beaches.

When it’s cheaper: 2026 price seasons

Con Dao doesn’t follow the usual pattern. The dry season (January–April) isn’t the most expensive time. Prices peak in July–August (Vietnamese school holidays) and around Tet (January–February, dates move each year). March, the most comfortable month, is priced at the base rate.

Six Senses, sample rates:

• January (outside Tet): from $700 a night
• March: from $873 (base)
• August: from $1,500 (peak)

The Secret:

• January: from $65
• March: from $80 (base)
• August: from $130

The sweet spot for weather and price is mid-February to the end of March: dry, 27–32°C, very little rain, base rates. For month-by-month rain and sea temperatures see Con Dao weather.

How to book a hotel on Con Dao

Four main channels, each good at something different.

Booking.com and Agoda

The best rates for mid-range and budget stays: guesthouses, 3-star resorts, the boutiques. Pick rates with free cancellation up to seven days out: in the rainy season a flight can slip by a day and you’ll need to move the booking.

Booking Six Senses direct

Only for Six Senses, on sixsensescondao.com. Direct bookings often come with extras: an upgrade if a villa is free, a complimentary airport transfer, a discounted beach dinner. The perks change, so compare with the same rate on Booking.

Klook and hotel-plus-activity bundles

Klook is strongest in Southeast Asia for bundles, for example "three nights at The Secret plus diving plus transfers" at a fixed price, sometimes cheaper than booking each part. It works best for The Secret and Saigon Côn Đảo Resort.

Local agents in Vietnam

For long stays (15+ nights) and Poulo Condor, an agent in Ho Chi Minh City with corporate rates can shave up to 15% off the Booking price. Expat Facebook groups are the usual place to find one. Check reviews and never send the full amount upfront. Poulo Condor also gives 10% off for booking direct on its own site.

Walk-in: works in Côn Sơn town for guesthouses and mini-hotels any time except July–August and Tet. The method is in the budget section above.

What to confirm in the booking

• Airport transfer: included or paid? Who meets you, and how long will you wait?
• Breakfast: in the rate or extra?
• Deposit: is there one at check-in, how much, and is it refunded in cash or to your card?
• Cancellation: how many days out is it free?
• Wi-Fi: in the room or only in the lobby? At Six Senses and Poulo Condor this matters: the signal by the sea can be weak.

How to choose a Con Dao hotel: a checklist

Seven questions to answer before you book. They head off most of the usual disappointments.

1. How many nights? One to three nights, stay in Côn Sơn town: less time on the road, more time on the island. Four nights or more, a beach or boutique resort starts to make sense.
2. What’s the nightly budget? Under $35: guesthouses, Orson, the colonial wing at Saigon Côn Đảo. $35–100: Tân Sơn Nhất, the new wing at Saigon Côn Đảo, Côn Đảo Resort, The Secret. $100–300: Poulo Condor and the top rooms at The Secret. From $800: Six Senses.
3. Will I rent a scooter? If not, stay in town. From Six Senses, Poulo Condor or Orson, getting around by taxi gets expensive: 100,000–300,000 VND (~$4–12) each way.
4. Do I need a beach right outside? Yes: Côn Đảo Resort, Six Senses, Poulo Condor, and the waterfront bungalows at Tân Sơn Nhất. The seafront across the road but no real beach: The Secret, Saigon Côn Đảo. No: guesthouses and town mini-hotels.
5. Do I need a pool? Guesthouses usually don’t have one. Tân Sơn Nhất has a standard pool, Côn Đảo Resort and The Secret have big ones, Orson has an infinity pool over the bay, and every Six Senses villa has its own.
6. How much does breakfast matter? Most 3-star hotels include it, but the buffet is modest. At Poulo Condor and Six Senses breakfast is an event; at The Secret it’s good but not in the base rate. Guesthouses usually charge 50,000–100,000 VND (~$2–4).
7. When am I going? February–March is the best window. July–August, book at least two months out. September–October brings lots of rain and the lowest prices.

Common mistakes when choosing where to stay

The five we see most often from first-timers.

Mistake 1: looking for a hotel on Đầm Trầu beach

Đầm Trầu is the island’s best beach, but there are no hotels on it (national park). Beds are in Côn Sơn, on Đất Dốc, on Bãi Vông and by Bến Đầm port. You visit the beach for the day and sleep elsewhere; Poulo Condor is the closest.

Mistake 2: booking Six Senses, Poulo Condor or Orson without a scooter

Without two wheels you’re stuck at the hotel. Dinner out, a turtle trip, the market: all by taxi, and it adds up. At least rent a scooter for two or three days (from 120,000 VND, ~$5, a day). Check your travel insurance covers riding: most policies want a licence valid for motorbikes in Vietnam.

Mistake 3: expecting all-inclusive

There isn’t any on Con Dao. None. Six Senses comes closest: breakfast is included, lunch and dinner aren’t.

Mistake 4: booking July–August a week before the trip

That’s the Vietnamese school holiday. Prices are 60–80% higher and The Secret and Six Senses are full. For a summer trip, book two months ahead at the very least.

Mistake 5: ignoring the rainy season

September–October is peak rain (300+ mm). Prices are at their lowest, but half the days are wet. Fine if you like storms and atmosphere, not great for a classic beach holiday. Divers have a better window too: the season is covered in diving in Con Dao.

FAQ — Con Dao hotels

The bottom line

Con Dao is one of the few islands in Vietnam where $10 and $2,500 a night are both sensible choices. Just don’t come looking for what isn’t here: no all-inclusive, no towers, no karaoke strip. People come for quiet, coral, turtles and beaches without touts. Pick your hotel for that.

• First trip, four nights: The Secret or Saigon Côn Đảo. Boutique comfort or a central base, $35–100 a night, everything on foot.
• Honeymoon: Six Senses or Poulo Condor. Villas, privacy, a spa.
• Backpacker budget: a guesthouse behind the seafront from $10 a night, or Orson by the port if you’ll have a scooter.

Everything else about the island is in our complete Con Dao guide.

Read next: Con Dao beaches · Con Dao tours · Con Dao weather by month · Diving in Con Dao

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