First hotel in a pipeline of 10 hotels to launch across Vietnam over the next four years to open in Q4 in Ho Chi Minh City’s Da Kao area of District 1, daubed the Soho of Saigon
The Wink brand reflects a young, modern and confident Vietnamese identity
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM: Wink Hotels, a sleek, chic and vibrant lifestyle brand, locally born and locally positioned to tap into the booming domestic travel market in Vietnam, is poised to redefine affordable luxury across the country as it readies to open its debut hotel later this year.
Conceived by developer, Indochina Kajima, operated by Indochina Vanguard (both joint venture companies with Indochina Capital and Kajima Corporation, and Vanguard Hotels respectively) and designed by AW2, Vietnam’s first homegrown, international-standard hotel chain will personify the dynamic generation emerging throughout Indochina, catering to their fast-paced lifestyle and immersing them in each destination.
Fueled by economic growth and the advent of low-cost carriers, domestic tourism in Vietnam grew 22% per year from 2014 to 2019, registering 85 million domestic travelers last year. And even now, as Covid-19 containment measures disrupt international tourism, Vietnam’s successful management of the virus and the quick re-opening of the economy have prompted greater emphasis than ever on domestic tourism to spur growth.
Wink Hotels has long had the domestic market in its sights and with 48% of Vietnam’s 96 million population under the age of 34, the brand is set to become a vital proposition for young, aspirational and highly mobile business and leisure travelers.
Michael Piro, Wink Hotels CEO
“These are exciting times for the Vietnamese hospitality industry. There’s a massive, underserved market segment currently and it is our clear ambition to serve and inspire this youth market with a new and dynamic brand of hospitality,” said Wink Hotels CEO Michael Piro. “Wink Hotels will be modern, bold and resolute in personality – reflecting a strong cultural identity – while being deeply respectful of Vietnamese traditions. At the same time, we offer guests a fun and connected destination experience.”
The Wink Hotels brand blends creative design with functionality, Vietnamese values and a contemporary set of desires. Wink rooms will focus on the essentials – a bed to match the best in the world and water pressure to deliver a full-power shower.
But more than anything, Wink Hotels is about mind-set. The brand and hotels capture the youthful heart of Vietnam and will present that soul through Wink Guides, a team of talented, personality-driven associates who will up-end traditional deferential hospitality. Each Guide is encouraged to individualise interactions with guests; leveraging their local knowledge and sharing their own stories. Other key features are self-check in, grab and go Wink Food Carts, the best local coffee delivered through state-of-the-art Simonelli machines, and social, community spaces and flexible seating – and where the formal lobby of traditional hotels is no more.
Partnership and collaboration will be a signature of all Wink Hotels as the brand celebrates Vietnamese culture, creativity and commerce. For example, Wink has partnered with Toong, Vietnam’s first chain of co-working spaces, which will be featured in all Wink Hotels replacing the typical business centres.
The first Wink branded hotel will be the 237-room Wink Hotel Saigon Centre @ 75 Nguyen Binh Khiem, opening in Q4 2020. Properties to follow include the 243-room Wink Hotel Danang Centre @ 178 Tran Phu and a third in riverside Danang as part of a mixed-use complex with a 60-metre façade on Tran Hung Dao Street, along the Han River.
