InterContinental debuts first hotel in Vietnam

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Perched on the edge of a fabled city lake, the InterContinental Hanoi Westlake officially opens its doors March 6 as the UK-based hotel group’s first property in Vietnam. After a soft opening in mid-December, the 359-unit hotel shows off its polish in a market where the demand for upscale accommodation has never been greater.

“We couldn’t get our doors open fast enough,” said Jon Nielsen, general manager of the InterContinental. “In many ways, Hanoi is one of the most happening cities in Asia, for business and leisure travelers alike. As a hotel, we’ve got to respect the unique dynamics of this city, and its demand for the authentic and the progressive. That’s why we’re breaking the mold of what a big-city hotel is all about.”

The Westlake hotel is anchored by a 161-room main building that functions as its own island and complemented by three pavilions, each with 66 rooms and suites.

“We’ve married the best of both worlds here,” said Nielsen. “Proximity to the cultural heart of Vietnam and a sanctuary on the edge of a spectacular lake. That we’ve been able to successfully have it both ways continues to fuel our anticipation for this property. There’s nothing else like this in Vietnam.”

“Historically, West Lake, or Tay Ho as it’s known locally, was the preserve of Vietnam’s Ly and Tran royalty, as well as the country’s mandarins, who built summer homes on these shores,” said Nielsen. “We do feel a responsibility to uphold that heritage with a hotel that caters to the very highest expectations.”

Expectations are soaring all over Vietnam as the country’s GDP gallops at a nine percent rate of growth, reputed to be among the fastest, if not the fastest, in the world.

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