Best Western to Open Hotel in Hanoi on Saturday; Big Plans for Country

Eyeing Vietnam’s fast-growing tourist arrivals, with 5 million visitors expected in 2010, Best Western International is planning to take its Vietnam portfolio from 729 rooms currently to 2,050 rooms within 2012.

“Our aim is to have a hotel in all the key areas across the country to serve sharply growing demand from both business and leisure travelers,” said International Development Manager – Asia, Mr. Rashane Sala-Ngarm.

“Vietnam has so much to offer that particularly appeals to the kinds of people who value Best Western’s high standards of comfort and reliability while still reflecting the special character of each particular place. Among those are a lot of North American and European visitors who love the country’s culturally rich cities and World Heritage Sites.”

“At the same time, strong government backing for tourism development makes Vietnam a place you can be confident in when planning ahead and increased flights by low-cost carriers are all the time injecting more energy into the mix,” Mr. Sala-Ngarm added.

Currently, Best Western has one property operating in Vietnam, with another to join its portfolio on Saturday.

The Best Western Pearl River Hotel in Haiphong, which originally opened in 2008, features a total of 101 guestrooms and suites. The new Best Western Muong Thanh in Hanoi, which will celebrate its Soft Opening on Saturday, 10 October 2009, features 168 rooms, conference and banquet facilities, food and beverage outlets and a Savasana Spa & Wellness Center.

Best Western International – Asia also has three hotels in Vietnam at various stages of development:

• Best Western Sapaly Hotel, Lao Cai - 180 rooms (opening Q1 2010)

• Best Western Premier Nha Trang Plaza - 200 rooms (2010)

• Best Western Dalat Plaza Hotel - 80 rooms (2010)

Particular areas of focus for Best Western include the three gateway cities with international airports, namely Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. World Heritage areas have also been identified as strong prospects. These include Halong Bay and Halong City, Hoi An and Hue City. While Vietnam is famous for its long coastline and beautiful beaches, the group is also eyeing the exceptional mountainous landscapes of Sapa (Lao Cai) and Dalat.

“Vietnam tourism is booming as the country has been certified as safe and has nice weather, friendly people, lots to see and great culture and cuisine,” said Mr. Kevin Corlor, Director, Business Development, Best Western Area Development Vietnam. “What’s more, from a purely infrastructural point of view, the time is right as world-class transport and communications systems are being put in place that will make this fascinating and diverse country much more accessible to discerning travelers from all over the world.”

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