Hire a private chef and treat yourself to Vong village green rice

Before welcoming a group of 4,500 guests from an Indian billionaire's pharmaceutical company to Vietnam for a tour at the end of August, Movenpick Living West Hanoi hotel hired an Indian chef to prepare typical Indian dishes, aiming to bring a sense of familiarity and comfort to visitors.

This establishment serves typical Hanoi dishes such as: beef noodle soup, fish noodle soup, grilled pork noodle soup... Desserts made from Vong village green rice are also included in the menu of the Indian guests on the occasion of Hanoi entering autumn with cool weather.

“The culinary experience is our top priority, aiming to introduce Vietnamese cultural identity to international friends,” said Ms. Shamila Rolfe, General Manager of Movenpick Living West Hanoi Hotel.

Restaurant inside 5-star hotel welcomes Indian guests (Photo: Movenpick Living West Hanoi)

Movenpick Living West Hanoi is one of the 5-star hotels in Hanoi preparing to welcome the Indian billionaire's delegation. The unit is expected to welcome about 300 people in the delegation, staying for 4 days.

As one of the hotels that received information about welcoming the Indian delegation early, Ms. Rolfe said the unit had made careful preparations.

They pay attention to every customer "touch point", arrange a cultural check-in area exclusively for tourists, hire Indian chefs to serve the most professional cuisine, and bring maximum comfort to tourists.

A representative of Movenpick Living West Hanoi revealed that most of the tourists in the group were traveling abroad for the first time, so it could be said that "Vietnam was their chosen destination".

Therefore, the hotel’s top priority is to “provide a familiar and comfortable stay experience like at home” for the Indian guests. The hotel rooms are spacious and comfortable, with full-length glass windows offering city views.

Inside the 5-star hotel in Hanoi welcoming the Indian delegation (Photo: Movenpick Living West Hanoi).

The strictest vegetarian diet

Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Cam Ly, Deputy Director of Communications and Marketing at Sheraton Hanoi Hotel, also said that she received information about welcoming the Indian delegation 3 months ago. About 200 guests will stay at the hotel for 4 consecutive nights.

“Regarding accommodation and cuisine, Sheraton Hanoi Hotel is very confident in serving this group of guests because we have previously had experience serving many high-level banquets for the Indian Embassy and welcoming Indian leaders to stay at the hotel during their visits to Vietnam. However, we still have thorough preparations,” said Ms. Ly.

The hotel's organizers have arranged for a private event company to organize the event. However, each guest in the group who wishes to explore more of Hanoi or other famous tourist destinations around the capital will be fully advised by the hotel's experienced concierge team.

All rooms at Sheraton have views of West Lake or the Red River.

Ms. Ly said that, like many previous Indian tourist groups, the group of 200 people (part of a group of 4,500 guests) had strict requirements.

Hotels must serve Chai tea (traditional Indian tea) with all their meals, the breakfast buffet must have more Indian and vegetarian dishes than usual during the group's stay at the hotel.

In addition, the organizer also sends a room list to the hotel with notes on the dietary requirements of each guest in the group so that the hotel can serve them properly.

25% of the guests staying at the Sheraton Hanoi Hotel will be vegetarian, some of whom are Jain vegetarians, the strictest form of vegetarianism: no vegetables, roots, or seeds.

(Vegetarian dishes on the buffet counter at the restaurant of Sheraton Hanoi Hotel. The number of vegetarian dishes requested increased more than usual when the hotel welcomed a group of Indian guests).

The group of 4,500 Indian guests coming to Vietnam will be divided into 6 small groups. Melia Hanoi Hotel will welcome 3 out of 6 groups with about 300 rooms and 5 gala dinners will take place here.

“Serving Indian guests is probably the most difficult part of ensuring culinary requirements with many different diets according to religion and beliefs,” said Mr. Santiago Cabre, General Manager of Melía Hanoi Hotel.

The Grand Ballroom will host a gala dinner for Indian delegations with a capacity of up to 1,000 people (Photo: Melía Hanoi).

According to Mr. Cabre, Indian cuisine is notable for its rich and complex use of spices. They have different diets depending on their religion and beliefs, such as no beef, no pork, no eggs, no tubers, etc.

The main dishes consist of beans, lentils, vegetables, fruits, rice and breads such as roti and naan. The dishes are prepared with a variety of spices and herbs.

“To ensure the local flavor for the group, we invited an Indian chef to serve the group along with the hotel’s culinary team throughout their stay. In addition, ensuring security and food hygiene and safety is always a priority,” the hotel representative informed.

The Indian tourist market is full of potential

Most hotel representatives in Hanoi believe that India is a potential customer stream and is growing rapidly, especially since Vietnam and India have direct flights.

“Previously, Indian tourists often chose other destinations in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Bali, or Indonesia, but now they have a new option: Vietnam, which is only a 3-hour direct flight away,” said Ms. Nguyen Cam Ly, Deputy Director of Communications and Marketing at Sheraton Hanoi Hotel.

According to Ms. Ly, large MICE groups (tourism combined with seminars, conferences, events) such as the Sun Pharma group or the weddings of Indian billionaire families held in Vietnam... have brought the country's name to a new height on the world tourism map.

Similarly, Ms. Shamila Rolfe, General Manager of Movenpick Living West Hanoi Hotel, also said that welcoming such a large number of foreign tourists is a great opportunity for the hotel in particular.

At the same time, this is an opportunity to promote Vietnamese culture and make a strong impression in the eyes of international friends about a friendly, modern, culturally rich Vietnam.

Mosaico restaurant inside the 5-star hotel where the Indian delegation will dine (Photo: Melía Hanoi).

With Melia Hanoi, before this Indian group, the hotel also welcomed a group of Indian guests with a nearly equal number of rooms.

Tourists travel with their families, so the hotel has mobilized a large number of extra beds, along with many different diets, to meet the needs of the group.

“We have also gained a lot of experience in welcoming Indian delegations, even in large numbers like the upcoming Indian billionaire delegation. We have also received positive feedback on our services,” said Santiago Cabre, General Manager of Melía Hanoi Hotel.

Compared to the same period in 2023, the number of Indian guests choosing to stay at Melia Hanoi has increased significantly. The potential of Indian guests is still very promising because of the advantage of direct flights and Vietnam is always considered a safe and friendly destination.

“For Melia Hanoi, this is also a good sign because Indian guests choosing to stay are in the high-end segment, hopefully boosting spending on travel and shopping services in Hanoi and neighboring provinces,” said Mr. Cabre.

At the end of August, the Indian billionaire will bring 4,500 employees to Vietnam for a tour. The group will be divided into 6 small groups, expected to travel for 4-5 days, visiting Hanoi, Ha Long (Quang Ninh province) and Ninh Binh.

According to Dan Tri reporter's source, the expected attractions of the 4,500 Indian guests include: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hoa Lo Prison, Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, Ha Long Bay, Trang An scenic area (Ninh Binh).

As the first destination, Hanoi is completing all preparations, ready to welcome the "largest ever" group of Indian tourists.

“The goal is to create a strong impression of a dynamic, modern and very hospitable Hanoi,” said Mr. Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism.

Mr. Hieu said the Department has directed service providers in Hanoi to prepare carefully to bring the most unique experiences to tourists. The delegation is expected to stay at some 4-5 star hotels, paying special attention to culinary issues.

“We work closely to support and create the most favorable conditions for the group of tourists on their journey to explore Hanoi,” Mr. Hieu emphasized.

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/thue-dau-bep-an-dai-com-don-doan-cua-ty-phu-an-do-tan-huong-mua-thu-ha-noi-20240822193331010.htm