Hotels tell stories: Chaplin, Putin, Merkel, Kim Jong Un: Vietnam is a terribly beautiful country
Hotels tell stories – and history: Nowhere else can this be experienced more clearly than in the Southeast Asian tiger state, which relies on a finely balanced hybrid drive of socialism and capitalism.
Past and present are often very close to each other, even in a geographical sense: at the Bamboo Bar of the Sofitel Legend Métropole Hanoi, guests are served a Graham Greene by liveried waiters, accompanied by French chansons at a discreet volume. The drink is one of the house’s signature cocktails, named after famous guests. And that’s why, in addition to a Charlie Chaplin (who honeymooned here with his third wife Paulette Goddard), there has also been a Graham Greene, and has been since 1951. According to legend, on hot tropical nights the writer preferred a dry martini with a dash of cassis serve while he wrote several chapters of his masterpiece “The Quiet American” here.
Just a few meters from the open-air bar, steep stairs lead into another, depressing world: the historian of the Métropole invites you on a guided tour into six small, windowless rooms with low ceilings in which the tropical air is thick enough to cut through. In 1964, when American air raids had to be expected, the management decided to have an air raid shelter built in the hotel’s inner courtyard in order to be able to bring the guests – including numerous diplomats – to safety. Nobody expected that the USA would actually bombard the luxury hostel with its illustrious guests. But they didn’t want to take any risks and also wanted to be immune to unexploded bombs. And that’s why several dozen people found shelter under a meter-thick concrete ceiling while ordinary people tried to hide in sewer shafts during the US attacks between 1966 and 1972, which had ridiculously little resistance to the B-52 bombers and their deadly cargo. “It was only in 2011 that we accidentally came across the former bunker during renovation work,” says Anthony Peter Slewka-Armfelt, the hotel’s sales manager. “It has served as a memorial for several years now.”
The fact that Vietnam is literally a “terribly beautiful” country can be experienced nowhere better than in the first house on the square in the capital Hanoi. When the Métropole opened its doors in 1901, it quickly became a favorite of French colonial officials, who came here to sip champagne and nibble on macarons, which remains a popular pastime for guests who gather in the Orangery for afternoon high tea. Alternatively, you can meet at La Terrasse, the hotel’s street bistro, which brings Parisian chic to the sidewalk, even though the socialist government doesn’t actually allow outdoor dining. Slewka-Armfelt rolls his eyes when he is asked about such contradictions, which means: Many things are not eaten as hot as they are cooked. And: Even the party elite doesn’t always just want the popular noodle soup Pho. She also appreciates French high cuisine in the fine-dining restaurant Le Beaulieu, where chef Charles Degrendele uncorks a fruity Riesling to accompany the fried foie gras.
The Métropole is a rock in the surf, unaffected by the turmoil of history. The first cinema films in all of Indochina were shown here in 1916. Here Ho Chi Minh, the later President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, negotiated with friends and foes. Ambassadors, war correspondents, actors and writers such as Somerset Maugham stayed here. Jane Fonda and Joan Baez slept here while demonstrating against the Vietnam War. The second (unsuccessful) meeting between then US President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un took place here in February 2019. “Brangelina” lived here when they were still a couple, as did Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin (who were never a couple, but did get along better).
Colonial rule, the fight for independence, more than 20 years of war, political socialism, the economic boom of the tiger state that was about to jump – Vietnam is and remains one of the most exciting destinations in the world for travelers. And Hanoi, once celebrated by the French as the Paris of the East, is at least as worth seeing as Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon. Around the Métropole, in front of the brand’s two classic cars Citroën are parked, luxury labels compete for wealthy customers, as if the foray into socialism had been a long-forgotten experiment.
Excursion to the village of Nom
The boutiques are housed in French colonial buildings and Art Deco villas, but Hanoi has more to offer: If you are interested in the past, the concierge can organize a trip to the village of Nom. Only 45 minutes by car from the center, time seems to have stood still here. Via an old stone staircase you enter a park-like oasis made of wooden pagodas, richly decorated prayer niches and tranquil ponds in which goldfish do their laps. You could just sit here for hours, mostly undisturbed by other tourists, and enjoy the silence. Another excursion into the past takes you to the narrow streets of the Old Quarter of Hanoi, to the empire of Le Dinh Nghien. The small, ascetic-looking man is the last artist who still masters the wood carving painting known as Hang Trong. He likes to show his studio to visitors who are genuinely interested.
As interesting as such excursions may be for travelers, they are snapshots from earlier times – irrelevant to the millions of young Vietnamese who ride to work on scooters in the metropolis every day: one hand on the handlebars, the other typing on their smartphone. They are working less and less in the sweatshops of textile companies, and more and more often in mirror-glazed high-rise towers, where the country’s IT industry is developing into a new engine of prosperity.
Travel to Cam Ranh
In fact, tourism is also one of the emerging industries. And the sector is also changing rapidly. While the audience at the time-honored Métropole Hotel is predominantly of European origin and the employees speak fluent French, the 21st century travel industry is emerging on the south coast. If you want to see for yourself, get on a plane and travel to Cam Ranh. Spit out from the international airport in the city of Nha Trang, which has a population of 500,000, you will find neither socialist magnificent buildings nor buildings from the colonial era, but countless beach resorts nestled on the long bay. The first impression when faced with tall hotel towers and holiday resorts in XL format, many of which are still in construction site mode: The mistakes that were made in southern Europe in the 1970s are being repeated here. In fact, the region was the first package holiday destination in Vietnam and was initially particularly popular with holidaymakers from Russia. However, high-quality tourism has now developed here, which should appeal to families from Germany who want to escape the cold season in Europe.
For Herbert Laubichler-Pichler, the Cam Ranh peninsula has even become a second home. The Austrian is director of the five-star resort Alma, which is one of the big players with around 3,000 beds, twelve pools and seven restaurants. The Vietnam expert had already launched other hotels in the Southeast Asian country when he was asked by the Israeli Alma investor in 2019 to launch the mega resort. Back then, shortly before the pandemic, 24 million foreign tourists came to Vietnam, making it the best year to date. “The catch-up process is still ongoing,” says Laubichler-Pichler. In 2022, only 3.6 million foreigners vacationed in Vietnam. According to the national tourism authority, 5.5 million came in the first half of 2023, and there are likely to be another ten million in the second half of the year, so that the pre-pandemic level has almost been reached again.
“Koreans save us through the rainy season”
However, the Austrian sees much more potential. “We can address very different customer groups here at different times of the season,” he explains. “Koreans save us through the rainy season, for example.” Why? Because they don’t want to roast in the blazing sun anyway, but rather spend a lot of time in the resort’s own water park or at indoor amusements. But that doesn’t mean he’s selling off rooms at competitive prices. “On Phú Quốc Island they did this – gave away five-star rooms for $50. This is now taking its toll.”
The hotel manager compares the Alma resort to an Airbus 380, in which there are different booking classes. “First Class” are the modern, spacious pool pavilions with their own paddling pool and uninterrupted views of the ocean. Anyone who checks in here can enjoy the sun rising on the horizon in the morning. If you then walk along the beach, there is little to remind you that you are on holiday in Vietnam: neither the architecture nor the few undeveloped plots in the bay. Laubichler-Pichler says: “What you see here is the new, modern Vietnam. It is a statement about what the country currently is and represents. We don’t even try to use clichés.”
The authentic Vietnam no longer only consists of straw huts and water buffaloes pulling plows in rice fields, but also of modern cities and a tourist infrastructure that appeals to guests who, above all, want to relax. To ensure that everything runs smoothly, 750 employees look after the well-being of holidaymakers. “Nevertheless, only 28 percent of all costs go to personnel,” says the Austrian. “Vietnam still scores points with affordable labor. Our guests benefit from this and are offered perfect service.” The fact that this is not Laubichler-Pichler’s private opinion is proven by various awards that the Alma Resort has already won.
Traditions are upheld when it comes to food
The architecture of the resort may seem modern, global and perhaps a bit interchangeable – traditions are upheld, especially when it comes to food. The Atlantis beach restaurant focuses on fresh seafood, and a food court (vulgo: Freßgass) offers specialties primarily from Asian countries at colorful stands. “You have to taste a culture to understand it,” says the hotel manager. That’s why he works with a local boutique travel agency that organizes culinary excursions for resort guests. You learn more about the importance of mango cultivation for the region and buy the ingredients at a colorful market, which are later processed into fine specialties such as spring rolls and pho during the cooking class led by Alma professionals.
If you ask Herbert Laubichler-Pichler with a wink whether that isn’t a bit too much authenticity, he has a convincing answer: “The authentic thing about Vietnam is the boundless hospitality of the people!”