…
Movenpick Hotels & Resorts have doubled their management portfolio in Vietnam with the 1 December christening of its chic, new Movenpick Hotel Hanoi, a 5-star boutique property located in the heart of downtown. The acclaimed Swiss hotelier opened the Movenpick Hotel Saigon in July 2008. In the Vietnamese capital, 800 miles to the north, the new Movenpick Hotel Hanoi pioneers a category unique to this 1,000-year-old city.
“It’s is a very competitive hotel market in Hanoi, but Movenpick Hotel Hanoi will be different,” said Knuth Kiefer, the property’s general manager. “We are Hanoi’s only 5-star hotel with a residential feel, and we plan to enhance this dynamic with a level of personalised service, practical business accommodations and stylish furnishings that further distinguish us from the competition.”
Hanoi is the second largest city in Vietnam, Asia’s hottest hotel market and a country where the paucity of rooms has resulted in a glut of hotel development in Ho Chi Minh City in the south, Danang on the Central Coast, and here in Hanoi. Movenpick Hotels & Resorts’ launch here is the second in a series of planned steps for a country that welcomed more than 4 million visitors in 2007 – a 16 percent increase over the previous year. “Statistics continue to show that Vietnam has massive tourism and business travel appeal but a severe shortage of hotels that possess warm-hearted hospitality and quality – our signature,” Kiefer said. “The timing is right in every way.”
Kiefer noted that his competition in Hanoi is substantial, but the new stock – led by the Sheraton and InterContinental Hanoi Westlake – is located quite a ways from the city centre. “Our location is fantastic, wonderfully central,” Kiefer said. “We are fortunate that location is perceived to be such an issue of importance here in Hanoi – rightly so, as so much of the city’s signature tourist offerings and business community are centrally located.”
The freestanding, colonial-style Movenpick Hotel Hanoi stands astride the city’s busy Ly Thuong Kiet, right next door to Pacific Place, one of Hanoi’s most prominent business/residential buildings and home to local headquarters of IBM and HSBC. Hanoi Tower is a mere two-minute walk from the hotel’s front door, and the Quan Su temple is just around the corner. Hanoi’s famed Opera House, Old Quarter shopping district, myriad embassies and central train station are all located a mere five-minute taxi ride away.
Inside the Movenpick Hotel Hanoi guests will find Mangosteen, the second-floor, all-day dining venue with seating for 110. Lounge 83 complements the main lobby, with its creative “Swiss Roesti” casual dining menu and integrated wine cellar. Kinetic, the third-floor gym and wellness studio, features one-foot reflexology treatment capability, a pair of massage treatment rooms, and a VIP treatment room equipped with Jacuzzi.
The hotel’s 154 guest rooms come in three grades: Superior Deluxe (30 square metres in size), Premium Deluxe (37sm) and Junior Suite (60sm). “The guest rooms vary in size and layout, but all are designed to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with earth-tone accents and dark wooden floors,” Kiefer explained. “Some Vietnamese touches have been integrated into the decor, to give it a sense of place. All the rooms offer a unique open bathroom concept that features a large glass windowpane that extends from the bathroom into the guest room. This adds daylight to the bathroom while creating an actual feeling of space elsewhere.”
While many of the building’s original architectural features have been preserved, the new furnishings are a smart, very Swiss mix of the au courant – artwork and appointments that are elegant, youthful, modernist – and the practical: halogen lamps, large work areas complete with office chair, and WiFi and Internet facilities. “We will focus on leisure travellers over the weekends, but we are tailored for the corporate business traveller. Our two meeting rooms can each be divided into two smaller meeting rooms. The largest comfortably accommodates up to 110 people, theatre style – so we are very flexible. Our meetings business will be like everything else we do: very personalised,” Kiefer said, noting that all meeting rooms and the second-floor business centre are equipped with wireless and cable Internet connections.
“Let me give you another tangible example of our personalised approach: the hotel will feature six guest rooms specifically designed for female business travellers. The rooms will feature a slightly different colour theme; an additional movable make-up mirror in the guest room, iron and ironing boards; additional bathroom amenities and small touches like scented potpourri. “Those rooms are located on the third floor opposite the gym and wellness centre to offer easy access for women who would like to make use of the massage facilities without having to take an elevator.”
Tatiana is the news co-ordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes to monitor the hundrends of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skim the most important according to our strategy. She holds a Bachelor degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
