There was a time when hotels liked to impress us with the quality of
their custom-made mattresses. Nothing like a snooze in a Sheraton bed to
set you up for the busy day ahead.
Then it was the sheets. Nothing less than 1,000-thread cotton bed
sheets would suffice. After that, it was the pillows. Feather, goose
down, hydro-allergenic, latex or memory foam, the choice was ours.
Now, having pretty much wrapped up the sleep experience, hotels are
looking beyond the bedroom to tempt guests to book their properties.
“Experiences are very much part of what we offer,” says Phan Trong Minh, general manager of Azerai La Residence in Hue, Vietnam.
“A hotel isn’t just great people. We have great people. It isn’t just
a great bed. We have great beds. It isn’t just great dining. We have
great dining. It isn’t just history and culture. We have that, too.
“It also needs to be the experiences you build around the property and the neighbourhoods they inhabit that sets a hotel apart.”
Activities, from cultural journeys to culinary explorations and
sunset boat trips are very much part of Azerai’s three boutiques hotels
and resorts in Vietnam: Azerai Ke Gay Bay, Azerai Can Tho, and Azerai La
Residence, the latter housed in an art deco-style mansion on the banks
of the Perfume River, a 1930s building that was once the home of a
former French colonial governor.
The expansive Resident Suite, on the top floor of the original governor's mansion, boasts a 72-square-metre space, art deco furnishings, and a 360-degree veranda view. Photo Credit: Azerai La Residence, Hue
The opulent former governor’s quarters in Hue remain as one of the
122-room hotel’s grand suites that bookend gardens and a large salt
water swimming pool with views across the river to Hue’s formidable
World Heritage-listed citadel , once the Nguyen emperors’ seat of
absolute power in this region and now popular with tourists who like to
stroll the Citadel dressed, a touch bizarrely, in the traditional garb
of the Imperial days.
A reminder of that royal time in Vietnam’s history is on the list of
activities provided by Azerai La Residence, with a visit to a royal
family member in her garden and home. The owner of the house is Nguyen
Thi Suong, grandchild of prince consort Nguyen Huu Tien.
Her husband is a well-known historian in Hue and it is their
understanding of Hue’s history and culture that has helped to preserve
and enrich the Princess Ngoc Son Worship House.
Other experiences offered by Azerai La Residence are sunset cockails
on a private cruise boat on the Perfume River, bike tours and visits to
the homes of local artisans.
Azerai’s Can Tho Cycling Tour lets visitors explore Mekong Delta’s peaceful villages, small canals, and an organic cocoa farm, all while cycling over "Monkey Bridges" and learning local stories. Photo Credit: Azerai La Residence, Hue
The Azerai brand was founded by storied Indonesian hotelier Adrian
Zecha, the man who created Aman resorts. The name is derived from
Zecha’s initials and the latter part of a Persian word, caravanserai,
which references the old inns of the Middle East.
Zecha says that even with Regent Hotels, GHM Hotels and Aman under
his belt he can’t stand still. “I never wanted to stand still. My desire
was always to take on challenges, the longer the odds the better. Once
an ambitious target was set, I worked towards it,” he remarked recently.
In Azerai La Reserve, Zecha has once again managed to create a hotel
that is even greater than the sum of its sumptuous parts. Reception and
public areas like the tastefully period-refitted Le Gouverneur cocktail
bar have a cosy, clubby feel with ceiling fans and dark-stained wood
furnishings embracing colonial times.
Interiors have been retro-refitted with monochrome tiles and mosaics,
teak wood floors, stained glass and 1930s furniture. The spa and gym
are newly refurbished and kitted-out with modern equipment.
Azerai La Residence's 40-meter salt-water pool, located on the garden's far side with river views, is surrounded by shaded sun loungers. Photo Credit: Azerai La Residence, Hue
The Art Deco-style hotel’s proximity to the Huong River (more
commonly known as the Perfume River because of the perfume-like aroma it
takes on when flowers from upriver orchards fall into the river in
autumn) encourages another experience: a stroll along the river’s edge
on a long walkway which draws local families into the cooler evening
air.
Beginning at Le Cercle’s fine dining restaurant, strollers can take
in the river and restaurants all the way to Hue old town, some 25
minutes’ walk from Azerai La Residence.
A perfect way to end a day in Hue.