Hoi An and Da Nang, Vietnam

I visited both cities in 2019. I don't recommend "commuting" between the two cities. In fact, I don't suggest you use Hyatt points for Danang, because hotels generally are pretty cheap in Vietnam anyway. It takes about 35-45 min by car between the two places.

Barkinpark--thank you for that heads up! My husband works for Hyatt, so he has free nights that we would use. We will have to evaluate more this Hoi An vs Da Nang situation--the free lodging vs the transportation hassle. Given that this is more like "Vietnam on a Budget" than "Vietnam--World Class Trip" we may be leaning toward Da Nang.

In this case, then it's not bad. Grab (like Uber) and taxis are easily available.

Hoi An is charming. Danang is a developed city.

Do you like seafood? If so, you must eat dinner at Hoi San Be Man ("Hoi San" means seafood) in Danang:

https://goo.gl/maps/uuBi66V8LeSTFWzw9

This is the place where you buy live seafood by weight and then ask the restaurant to cook it according to your taste. Don't pick imported seafood, such as cold water fish or geoduck. Keep track of the weight of each ingredient to avoid "surprise" items on your bill. It's really fun!

In Hoi An old town, each sandwiches at Bahn Mi Phurong. The late Anthony Bourdain claimed that it's the best sandwich in the world. It's super crowded. Just walk upstairs, grab a seat, and you will be served. The folks lining up on street level at the entrance get them to-go:
https://goo.gl/maps/7j2pwuddagT8NreA9

Well. As long as you do not miss an evening in Hoi An. It is a beautiful place with the river and all the lanterns.
But really? Saving how much by the Hyatt in Danang and a commute? How much?
Not worth it.

Google says 25 miles between Da Nang and Hoi An

It also shows it takes 60+ minutes to do that distance.

Booking.com shows 9.0+ rated lodging in Hoi An for less than $50 a night.

What is the value of 2.5 hrs per day of your time, If you have a rental car, gas is about $4 per gallon; so about $8 for gas each day to commute. A taxi ride probably $8-10 one way.

As best I can tell you save , maybe, $30 per day, by using the free Hyatt room.

You can split your time between Hoian and Danang but you should spend more time in Hoian due to the atmosphere of its outskirts; My Son village, An Bang beach, Cham island… while being there.
In my opinion, 1 or 2 nights in a big city, Danang is max.

Okay everyone! Thanks so much for the insights, input, and information. Very clear vote for the beauty of Hoi An. We will try to stay there.

We were in Vietnam in April. Hoi An was one of our favorite places in 3+ weeks of travel throughout Vietnam. Hoi An is beautiful and can't be compared to DaNang. We stayed at Bel Marina Hotel, approx $C55. per night, there are many charming choices in Hoi An and its inexpensive. If you stayed at the Hyatt and had to pay for meals it would be much less expensive overall to stay in Hoi An and the travel time between DaNang and Hoi An is about 45 minutes depending on location and traffic. Depending on your arrival or departures times you could consider staying at the Hyatt for a night or two and then stay in Hoi An. Grab is the best way to get around, download the app and no need to add a credit card, its better to pay with Vietnamese dong. For example, GRAB from DaNang airport to Hoi An was about C$17 and took one hour.

We only had 1 day in Hoi An on a cruise stop. We would love to spend a week there! Our favorite city in all of Vietnam. If you're looking for a tour guide, I highly recommend Andy Tran tours. He was fabulous and adapted our day to what we want to see. Took us to a fabulous restaurant on the water. andyhoiantours.gmail.com.

Another vote for staying in Hoi An - beautiful place I wish I had stayed more than two short nights. I did a fantastic bike and cooking class there, unfortunately it looks like the provider is no longer operating. See if you can find something equivalent - we did a market tour, bike ride, and a cooking class all in one day. It was fabulous. I loved the meals I had at Morning Glory and Miss Ly's - still dream about that food (especially the Cao lầu).