Wellness, Not Wellness Theatre
Most resorts treat wellness as an add-on. A menu in the room. A price list by the pool. Operated by Lumina Wellbeing - the leading wellness hospitality management brand founded by Michelle Ford - Namia does the opposite. Every guest receives a complimentary 90-minute wellness journey per night of stay, and it is not a token gesture. The journey begins in the apothecary at the resort's Lumina Wellbeing & Spa, where herbs are prescribed to your constitution. A 30-minute herbal hammam and Vichy shower follows, steaming with botanicals sourced locally and developed in consultation with a Vietnamese herbal doctor. Then comes a 60-minute traditional therapy: choose from Vietnamese massage, cupping, moxi combustion, acupressure, or Diện Chẩn, the signature facial reflexology that has become Namia's headline act.
Namia offers two wellness pathways, each designed for a different kind of reset. We want to help people from all over the world fall deeply in love with the richness of Hoi An. Deep Rest targets emotional calm, sleep support, mood boosting, and mindfulness. Body Balance focuses on pain relief, reducing inflammation, and improving circulation. Both are prescribed through the apothecary after a personal consultation, not chosen from a brochure. For guests seeking a deeper immersion, the Ritual for Release retreat offers an all-inclusive programme prioritising detox, emotional easing with energy healing, and activating yoga and meditation, all under the guidance of a personal Vietnamese wellness practitioner.
The wellness programme was shaped by Emilie Chanon, Group Wellness Director and Partner of Lumina Wellbeing and a former Global Spa Leader of the Year at the World Spa and Wellness Awards. Her philosophy is clear: just as breakfast is included in your stay, 90 minutes of daily self-care for body and mind should be equally essential. Since it is included, the guilt factor is removed.
Thuốc Nam: Southern Herbology, A Cultural Treasure Trove
The wellness programme at Namia is built on Thuốc Nam, the Southern Vietnamese tradition of herbal medicine that uses native ingredients in their fresh or simply dried state. These are not imported wellness trends repackaged for a tropical setting. They are folk remedies passed down through generations, developed in consultation with local herbal doctors and traditional practitioners.
The herbal hammam draws on Xông Hơi, the Vietnamese steam therapy that uses fresh botanicals rather than essential oils. Namia has worked closely with a local herbal doctor to develop exclusive hammam herbal prescriptions. Mornings begin with Dưỡng Sinh, an indigenous breathing and yoga practice similar to Tai Chi, popularised in Vietnam by the historian Nguyễn Khắc Viện, offered poolside at dawn. Our hope is to support Vietnamese Southern Herbology and Vietnamese Traditional Medicine to garner the same international recognition and trust as Indian, Chinese, Thai, or Balinese therapies. The Diện Chẩn signature treatment, developed by Professor Bùi Quốc Châu in the 1980s, applies pressure to facial reflexology points using custom tools to balance yin and yang in the body and activate energy flow. It is Namia's headline act, and it is entirely Vietnamese.
Sixty Villas, One River
Each of Namia's 60 pool villas is designed around the nipa palm forest that envelops the islet. Sunken bathtubs overlook private pools. Terraces face either the river or the forest. The distinction between indoors and outdoors dissolves. Natural textures, indoor-outdoor living, and the constant presence of water create a rhythm that matches the river's own pace.
The centrepiece is a 180-degree heated pool facing the Thu Bon River, complete with waterfall hydrotherapy, reflexology jets, and floating lounges. It is a pool designed not for laps but for lingering.
The Taste of Hoi An
Helmed by Chef Viet Pham, Namia's two restaurants, The Merchant and The Fisherman, serve contemporary Vietnamese flavours rooted in local ingredients and sustainable sourcing. Nourishing dishes are crafted from seasonal, foraged herbs. Chef Viet describes his approach as "sophistication in simplicity". Each dish carries its Soul - the river fish, the foraged herbs, the small-farm ingredients - with a loving reminiscence of 'home'. Vietnamese coffee workshops invite guests to understand what they are drinking, not just consume it. The riverside terrace pairs food with sustainable wines and a view that demands you put your phone down.
The Dinners Duets series, launching this summer, offers six-course menus that pay homage to Hoi An dishes through modern interpretation, with a sustainability-first approach.
Living Slowly by the River
Namia encourages guests to move with the natural rhythm of the day. Sunrise bicycle trails through the countryside. Dưỡng Sinh, the Vietnamese breathing and movement practice similar to tai chi, by the pool at dawn. Paddle boats through the nipa palm forest. Sunset riverboat cocktails. A floating lantern ritual in the evening. As breakfast is included in your stay to enjoy on your holiday, we believe these 90 minutes of self-care for your body and mind daily are equally essential, Emilie says. In-room evening rituals, such as a mugwort and cajeput bath soak, ease guests into rest without screens or stimulation.
Sunset brings riverboat cocktails on the water and the evening Ritual of Lights, where guests release floating lanterns onto the Thu Bon. Evenings conclude with in-room rituals: a mugwort and cajeput bath soak that draws out the day's exertions, or a herbal tea ceremony. There is a silent walking meditation, inspired by the teachings of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, that traces the riverbank at dawn. Everything at Namia is designed to slow you down. Not through restriction, but through the absence of friction. Wellness is not something you book. It is something you receive.
The Merchant Sets Sail
As of May 2026, Namia has extended its reach onto the water. The Merchant River Cruise is a three-hour dinner journey aboard a modern luxury vessel, departing from Namia's private Merchant pier on the Thu Bon River. It carries the same mindful dining philosophy that defines The Merchant Riverside Restaurant, but sets it afloat, echoing Hoi An's legacy as an ancient maritime trading port.
As the afternoon softens into dusk, guests drift gently downstream past riverside villages, quiet islets, and the glowing sky of UNESCO-listed Hoi An Ancient Town. The evening begins with sundowner cocktails and canapes on the open upper deck.
Then comes a five-course Spice Route set menu that celebrates market-fresh local ingredients, organic farm herbs, central coast seafood, and sustainably sourced meats. Cultural storytelling inspired by Hoi An's ancient spice trade routes is woven throughout the journey. The return passage brings desserts inspired by the spice route and a gentle drift past the distant lanterns as the river settles into evening calm. Guests disembark with a curated artisanal gift.
The cruise is available at four package levels, from a classic five-course dinner with complimentary water, juices, kombucha, soft drinks and beers, to a premium experience inclusive of sustainable and sparkling wine. Guests can extend the evening with an exclusive post-cruise happy hour at The Merchant Riverside Restaurant, with 20% off all beverages from 20:00 to 22:00. Private charters are available for weddings, anniversaries, proposals, and corporate gatherings.
The Road Ahead
As a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World Considerate Collection and Wellbeing Collection, as well as Virtuoso Preferred Supplier Partner, Namia's commitment extends beyond the guest experience to sustainability, local hiring practices, and deep-rooted community engagement. Daily rates include an all-day breakfast and complimentary non-alcoholic mini-bar, the 90-minute wellness journey per guest, complimentary cultural experiences including bamboo bicycle trails and sundowner riverboat, and a Hoi An hosts guide available via app or in person to craft a personalised stay. The July Merchant's Market will bring together local artisans, wellness practitioners, and conscious-living workshops in a celebration of the culture that surrounds the resort.
For now, Namia stands as proof that wellness-inclusive hospitality is not a trend but a standard waiting to be set. This inspires our wellness-inclusive movement that we believe will be a standard expectation in the future. And it begins, quietly, on a river islet in Hoi An.