InterContinental Hanoi Westlake Vietnam Master Thread
Dec 9, 2007, 8:30 pm
#1
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InterContinental Hanoi Westlake Vietnam Master Thread
Anyone in Hanoi who coud check out the new IC on West Lake? I'd love to learn more about it, how they plan to treat RAs,etc.
Thanks!!
Kate
Thanks!!
Kate
Jan 1, 2008, 9:06 am
#2
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: SEA(sia)
Posts: 5,181
Apparently this hotel had a soft openning on 15th December 2007.
I requested and was given a tour of the hotel today and it is a very beautiful property. Feels very much like a resort rather than a business hotel.
The entire hotel is built over the lake comprising of several blocks ranging from 3 to 5/6 storeys high, all linked together by walkways. The rooms are beautiful, modern asian decor with high ceilings and every room comes with a balcony. 2-3 blocks furthest away from the lobby will only open in February next year, and from what I can see the view there is quite stunning.
The IC must be the best hotel in Hanoi right now. The location next to the Sheraton is an oasis of calm and yet is only 10min away from the Old Quarter.
I requested and was given a tour of the hotel today and it is a very beautiful property. Feels very much like a resort rather than a business hotel.
The entire hotel is built over the lake comprising of several blocks ranging from 3 to 5/6 storeys high, all linked together by walkways. The rooms are beautiful, modern asian decor with high ceilings and every room comes with a balcony. 2-3 blocks furthest away from the lobby will only open in February next year, and from what I can see the view there is quite stunning.
The IC must be the best hotel in Hanoi right now. The location next to the Sheraton is an oasis of calm and yet is only 10min away from the Old Quarter.
Jan 1, 2008, 9:14 am
#3
Join Date: May 2005
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Apparently this hotel had a soft openning on 15th December 2007.
I requested and was given a tour of the hotel today and it is a very beautiful property. Feels very much like a resort rather than a business hotel.
The entire hotel is built over the lake comprising of several blocks ranging from 3 to 5/6 storeys high, all linked together by walkways. The rooms are beautiful, modern asian decor with high ceilings and every room comes with a balcony. 2-3 blocks furthest away from the lobby will only open in February next year, and from what I can see the view there is quite stunning.
The IC must be the best hotel in Hanoi right now. The location next to the Sheraton is an oasis of calm and yet is only 10min away from the Old Quarter.
I requested and was given a tour of the hotel today and it is a very beautiful property. Feels very much like a resort rather than a business hotel.
The entire hotel is built over the lake comprising of several blocks ranging from 3 to 5/6 storeys high, all linked together by walkways. The rooms are beautiful, modern asian decor with high ceilings and every room comes with a balcony. 2-3 blocks furthest away from the lobby will only open in February next year, and from what I can see the view there is quite stunning.
The IC must be the best hotel in Hanoi right now. The location next to the Sheraton is an oasis of calm and yet is only 10min away from the Old Quarter.
Jan 1, 2008, 9:30 am
#4
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I requested to see the rooms at the Sofitel Metropole and was told to make an appointment,so yes its better than the Metropole in the attitude department !
The IC is very modern which is my prefered style, though I have to admit the Metropole's common area is quite nice in an old world sort of way. Dont think the Metropole's rooms would have much of a view given the lowrise design and courtyard layout.
The IC is very modern which is my prefered style, though I have to admit the Metropole's common area is quite nice in an old world sort of way. Dont think the Metropole's rooms would have much of a view given the lowrise design and courtyard layout.
Jan 10, 2008, 8:57 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: CO
Posts: 813
I just stayed at the Sheraton last week and saw the Intercontinental briefly. Our driver for the trip to Halong bay stopped at it to pick up a couple staying there. Can't comment on the hotel - however, location is not the greatest since it is 2-3 kms from the center of Hanoi and the action and will require cabs to get back and forth. It will provide more peace and quiet though, being away from the town.
Jan 10, 2008, 12:44 pm
#6
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Having stayed at the Hilton by the Old Quarter before, I much prefer the peace and quiet by the West Lake.
BTW the current promo rate at the IC is USD220++ without breakfast
Jan 17, 2008, 11:20 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 812
I stayed here in early January, and thought this was a gorgeous hotel. I would say in terms of room quality, it much nicer than the Sheraton that is adjacent to it. The hotel is currently doing a soft opening (not all the facilities are ready yet) with the grand opening scheduled for ~ Feb 7 (Lunar New Year).
I booked the basic city view room ($230++ best flexible rate b/c I didn't want to deal with the hassle of the $10 cheaper prepaid rate when I wanted to use a BOGOF cert), and with RA status, was upgraded to a Lake View room with lounge access. No suites were available for sale for my dates (and plus I also needed 2 beds, and all the suites only have one bed) so I don't know if the hotel would upgrade to a suite. The rooms are lovely, very luxurious and spacious with Vietnamese design touches rather than a generic decor. The room has hardwood floors with area carpets, and sliding wooden doors with shutters that open onto a large balcony. The beds are very comfortable, with a soft feather mattress (eg NOT the hard beds found in some Asian hotels). In ambiance, I would rank it closer to a luxury hotel room vs a nice business hotel room. The bathroom is also very large, with 2 sinks, a huge tub and a separate shower. The only negative is that the the soundproofing seems to be very bad (I could hear hallway noise very clearly). Anyway, I took a lot of pictures of the hotel, and I can post them once I get the time if there is interest.
Check-in was handled in the room; the front desk had the club lounge attendant bring us to the room. All the employees I interacted with were extremely enthusiastic and helpful. According to one of the employees, the hotel took ten years to open (though there was a hiatus of 5 yrs in the construction) so the staff is probably happy the hotel is finally open!
The club rooms come with free in-room internet and 3 pieces of dry cleaning/pressing for the day of arrival. If you don't have a computer, the lounge also has computers for you to use. The lounge is lovely--very large (~20-25 tables) with views of the lake. For breakfast, you get to order a hot item from a limited menu list (all western selections, eg omelettes, french toast, etc.) and there is the regular continental breakfast spread as well. I didn't try the restaurant which I assume would have a much larger selection, but the lounge definitely has the much nicer view! There is also evening cocktails and a selection of hot items, a dessert, as well as the usual mini-bites. I think they change the selection each day, but I arrived too late the first day to use the lounge. Only western food items were available, nothing remotely Asian at all which was sort of disappointing but this might change as the hotel is only starting up. In the evening, I saw a bottle of red wine, white wine, and champagne (Roederer I think) out for self-serve but I'm not sure about the mixed drinks available since we only wanted tea. For those of you that are interested in the alcoholic content of the in-room minibar, there was a bunch of various beers and well as a small bottle of red and white wine. However, it is also supposed to include 375 ml bottles of Chivas Regal, Black Label, and Hennessey VSOP but it is "on request" only, eg you have to call room service to stock it.
Interestingly enough, the hotel quoted a flat rate of $14 by regular taxi to the airport, vs the $12 quoted rate for the Sheraton that is right next door to it. I think there is an additional "luxury" tax for this hotel. The hotel car (an extremely nice mercedes benz) costs $65 for the airport transfer. You can also hire it for $20/hr.
Currently, the formal restaurant isn't open yet though the casual restaurant & bars and lounges are open. The healthclub/spa is still under construction, but if you're desperate for a fitness center, there is a temporary set up in one of the guest rooms with 3 machines and some free weights. The pool looks completed but had a closed sign; anyway, the weather is chilly enough (highs in the mid-70s) that I wouldn't want to use the pool unless it was heated. The rooms in the main building are finished, but the smaller buildings further out over the water are still under construction.
The hotel is located on West Lake so it is far away (eg 2-3 km over a busy road, so not walking distance) from the Old quarter. Truthfully, I enjoyed the lovely lake view and prefer that vs staying in a hotel in the Old quarter (which IMO isn't all that attractive). Anyway, I would definitely stay here again if I were to revisit Hanoi.
Finally, as a funny aside, I was given a printed sheet describing RA status and benefits. The points included: "Should an Ambassador earn Platinum status in Priority Club and no less than 1 stay at 3 different IC hotels and Resorts within the current or previous calendar years, they will be invited to Royal Ambassador status by Priority Club." Of course, if you earn Platinum status via nights (vs points) this would probably be true! The privilege section also included, "Option to purchase an additional RA card at USD $150 for partner, colleague or spouse."
I booked the basic city view room ($230++ best flexible rate b/c I didn't want to deal with the hassle of the $10 cheaper prepaid rate when I wanted to use a BOGOF cert), and with RA status, was upgraded to a Lake View room with lounge access. No suites were available for sale for my dates (and plus I also needed 2 beds, and all the suites only have one bed) so I don't know if the hotel would upgrade to a suite. The rooms are lovely, very luxurious and spacious with Vietnamese design touches rather than a generic decor. The room has hardwood floors with area carpets, and sliding wooden doors with shutters that open onto a large balcony. The beds are very comfortable, with a soft feather mattress (eg NOT the hard beds found in some Asian hotels). In ambiance, I would rank it closer to a luxury hotel room vs a nice business hotel room. The bathroom is also very large, with 2 sinks, a huge tub and a separate shower. The only negative is that the the soundproofing seems to be very bad (I could hear hallway noise very clearly). Anyway, I took a lot of pictures of the hotel, and I can post them once I get the time if there is interest.
Check-in was handled in the room; the front desk had the club lounge attendant bring us to the room. All the employees I interacted with were extremely enthusiastic and helpful. According to one of the employees, the hotel took ten years to open (though there was a hiatus of 5 yrs in the construction) so the staff is probably happy the hotel is finally open!
The club rooms come with free in-room internet and 3 pieces of dry cleaning/pressing for the day of arrival. If you don't have a computer, the lounge also has computers for you to use. The lounge is lovely--very large (~20-25 tables) with views of the lake. For breakfast, you get to order a hot item from a limited menu list (all western selections, eg omelettes, french toast, etc.) and there is the regular continental breakfast spread as well. I didn't try the restaurant which I assume would have a much larger selection, but the lounge definitely has the much nicer view! There is also evening cocktails and a selection of hot items, a dessert, as well as the usual mini-bites. I think they change the selection each day, but I arrived too late the first day to use the lounge. Only western food items were available, nothing remotely Asian at all which was sort of disappointing but this might change as the hotel is only starting up. In the evening, I saw a bottle of red wine, white wine, and champagne (Roederer I think) out for self-serve but I'm not sure about the mixed drinks available since we only wanted tea. For those of you that are interested in the alcoholic content of the in-room minibar, there was a bunch of various beers and well as a small bottle of red and white wine. However, it is also supposed to include 375 ml bottles of Chivas Regal, Black Label, and Hennessey VSOP but it is "on request" only, eg you have to call room service to stock it.
Interestingly enough, the hotel quoted a flat rate of $14 by regular taxi to the airport, vs the $12 quoted rate for the Sheraton that is right next door to it. I think there is an additional "luxury" tax for this hotel. The hotel car (an extremely nice mercedes benz) costs $65 for the airport transfer. You can also hire it for $20/hr.
Currently, the formal restaurant isn't open yet though the casual restaurant & bars and lounges are open. The healthclub/spa is still under construction, but if you're desperate for a fitness center, there is a temporary set up in one of the guest rooms with 3 machines and some free weights. The pool looks completed but had a closed sign; anyway, the weather is chilly enough (highs in the mid-70s) that I wouldn't want to use the pool unless it was heated. The rooms in the main building are finished, but the smaller buildings further out over the water are still under construction.
The hotel is located on West Lake so it is far away (eg 2-3 km over a busy road, so not walking distance) from the Old quarter. Truthfully, I enjoyed the lovely lake view and prefer that vs staying in a hotel in the Old quarter (which IMO isn't all that attractive). Anyway, I would definitely stay here again if I were to revisit Hanoi.
Finally, as a funny aside, I was given a printed sheet describing RA status and benefits. The points included: "Should an Ambassador earn Platinum status in Priority Club and no less than 1 stay at 3 different IC hotels and Resorts within the current or previous calendar years, they will be invited to Royal Ambassador status by Priority Club." Of course, if you earn Platinum status via nights (vs points) this would probably be true! The privilege section also included, "Option to purchase an additional RA card at USD $150 for partner, colleague or spouse."
Jan 27, 2008, 11:33 am
#9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 812
Sorry for the delay, but I had a lot of pictures from my trip to sort through!
Anyway, here is a public album containing the IC Hanoi pictures.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...u&x=0&y=1amcgz
Anyway, here is a public album containing the IC Hanoi pictures.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...u&x=0&y=1amcgz
Jan 28, 2008, 1:58 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SNA
Programs: UA 1K, HH LTD
Posts: 1,782
Sorry for the delay, but I had a lot of pictures from my trip to sort through!
Anyway, here is a public album containing the IC Hanoi pictures.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...u&x=0&y=1amcgz
Anyway, here is a public album containing the IC Hanoi pictures.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...u&x=0&y=1amcgz
Mar 2, 2008, 9:51 am
#12
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Join Date: Nov 2002
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InterContinental Hanoi Westlake Vietnam
The hotel had a soft opening on December 12th and will have a grand opening on the first Friday of March.
http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2..._IHGHanoi.html
I just stayed there two weeks a go for a one night. Overall I was satisfied with the stay considering that it was till under the "soft" opening but they do need to get their act together at least when it comes to RA benefits.
At the check in I met the Club InterContinental Manager who was brought from Seoul as a part of the opening team. When I inquired about the RA suite upgrade I was told that they did not have suites available and that I was booked to whatever is their normal room. I kindly asked the manager to cancel my reservation and book us a room at the Hilton Hanoi instead. Suddenly a king deluxe room (could be categorized as a junior suite) became available.
Nobody really told us if we were given the club access as well but the club manager didn't protest when I was using the free wireless in the lounge. The food offering both in the evening and the morning at the lounge were really good as well as the hotel restaurant where we had dinner.
We did not receive an ambassador welcome amenity or a wine bottle that IC's typically give out. Also the minibar was lacking all the liquor that was listed on the minibar price list.
The fitness center wasn't ready and they had couple of treadmills etc. on a normal 4th floor room.
The hotel is within a nice walking distance from the city itself as well.
Overall the hotel is very nice and feels almost more like a resort than a city hotel.
-----
Two more things:
1. For some reason the hotel couldn't charge the Any hotel any time Amex card that I would have wanted to use to pay the stay. Not a big problem.
2. I typically have a default cc on my IC profile but rarely settle anything onto it. After we had unsuccessfully tried to settle the bill to the Any hotel-card I just handed other cc to settle the bill. The hotel, however, charged the amount to the default card.
http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2..._IHGHanoi.html
I just stayed there two weeks a go for a one night. Overall I was satisfied with the stay considering that it was till under the "soft" opening but they do need to get their act together at least when it comes to RA benefits.
At the check in I met the Club InterContinental Manager who was brought from Seoul as a part of the opening team. When I inquired about the RA suite upgrade I was told that they did not have suites available and that I was booked to whatever is their normal room. I kindly asked the manager to cancel my reservation and book us a room at the Hilton Hanoi instead. Suddenly a king deluxe room (could be categorized as a junior suite) became available.
Nobody really told us if we were given the club access as well but the club manager didn't protest when I was using the free wireless in the lounge. The food offering both in the evening and the morning at the lounge were really good as well as the hotel restaurant where we had dinner.
We did not receive an ambassador welcome amenity or a wine bottle that IC's typically give out. Also the minibar was lacking all the liquor that was listed on the minibar price list.
The fitness center wasn't ready and they had couple of treadmills etc. on a normal 4th floor room.
The hotel is within a nice walking distance from the city itself as well.
Overall the hotel is very nice and feels almost more like a resort than a city hotel.
-----
Two more things:
1. For some reason the hotel couldn't charge the Any hotel any time Amex card that I would have wanted to use to pay the stay. Not a big problem.
2. I typically have a default cc on my IC profile but rarely settle anything onto it. After we had unsuccessfully tried to settle the bill to the Any hotel-card I just handed other cc to settle the bill. The hotel, however, charged the amount to the default card.
Last edited by holtju2; Mar 4, 2008 at 10:53 am
Mar 4, 2008, 12:26 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2006
Programs: Marriott/SPG Lifetime P, IC RA, Hyatt D
Posts: 256
Thanks for the trip report. I was looking at IC West Lake from the Executive Lounge of the Sheraton next door right two months before the openning last year. Although it was still under construction, it looked great with rooms on top of the water. The Sheraton lounge staff told me that it's gonna be the first 6 star hotel in Vietnam. Then the next day, I met the owner, a state travel company (BTW who also owns the Hilton Opera). The Chairman invited me to go to the opening in Dec last year. Didn't get a chance to go though.
Too bad, their RA upgrade is not up-to-date yet. Look forward to going to this property.
Too bad, their RA upgrade is not up-to-date yet. Look forward to going to this property.
Mar 4, 2008, 5:44 am
#14
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The IC was owned by a Malaysian company "Tradewinds" which recently sold it to another Malaysian company "Berjaya" last year. "Berjaya" also recently proposed to purchase the Sheraton, if the deal goes through both hotels will eventually have common ownership.
Mar 4, 2008, 10:31 am
#15
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Thanks for the trip report. I was looking at IC West Lake from the Executive Lounge of the Sheraton next door right two months before the openning last year. Although it was still under construction, it looked great with rooms on top of the water. The Sheraton lounge staff told me that it's gonna be the first 6 star hotel in Vietnam. Then the next day, I met the owner, a state travel company (BTW who also owns the Hilton Opera). The Chairman invited me to go to the opening in Dec last year. Didn't get a chance to go though.
Too bad, their RA upgrade is not up-to-date yet. Look forward to going to this property.
Too bad, their RA upgrade is not up-to-date yet. Look forward to going to this property.
Last edited by holtju2; Mar 4, 2008 at 10:46 am