Vietnam :: Sleeping with the Princess d’Annam
Vietnam is a country still in-between, a country with one foot in the past and another in the future. Still a one-party state with plenty of red propaganda, it is also a rapidly growing economy. For travelers, this means an off-the-beaten destination where luxury has never been more affordable.
Nowhere is Vietnam’s status as an emerging luxury destination more evident than in a remote corner of Ke Ga Bay. Near the resort town of Mui Ne, Ke Ga Bay is a more secluded stretch of Southeast Asian sand that made history this spring when it became home to Vietnam’s first ever privately owned luxury resort - Princess d’Annam.
After a frantic week of shopping in Saigon, I headed to the South China Sea coast and spent three glorious nights with the Princess. And let me tell you, this is a woman of undeniable royalty who knows how to dress it up, turn it down and show you how to unwind.
Meeting the Princess
Driving away from Saigon, city traffic jams eventually gave way to narrow roads winding through fertile farm country. Rubber plantations took up most of the scenery between Saigon and the coast, though when the scenery changed to more tropical offerings, I knew the coast was near. Passing through the large fishing village of Phan Thiet and the resorts of Mui Ne, the coastal backdrop became increasingly abandoned, until at long last, the Princess stood before me - refined, elegant, exquisite.
Unlike the many chain resorts I’ve visited over the years, the private touches of the Princess were evident as soon as I stepped from the taxi. Staff greeted me by name, having already ascertained my arrival time, and whisked my bags away to my room, inviting me to sit down and refresh with a cup of chilled green fusion tea before taking a tour of the resort.
The resort absolutely dazzled in those first introductory moments. Ke Ga Bay and the Princess were sensory heaven with the ocean waves providing a soundtrack, while tropical scents and the hint of gourmet food and drink wafted from the restaurant. By the time the tour had concluded and I was taken back to my room, I was already a different person, calm and relaxed and blissfully unaware of my hectic life beyond the resort’s walls.
Designed to Impress
While the natural setting of Princess d’Annam is impressive, it is the aesthetic of the resort amid such surrounds that sets the place apart. Set on an 8-hectare square property and oriented towards the sea, every single aspect of the resort and its facilities has been carefully planned for maximum rest, relaxation and luxury.
Designed by renowned Singaporean architect Tan Hock Beng, the Princess is a bold beauty mixing Mediterranean, Vientamese and French colonial influences. The signature view, and the first image that springs to my mind when I think back on my stay, is the walk up to the resort’s main building, where a long entry lined by columns of Greek grandeur leads to the ocean. The spa design is another strong point, and an elegant black sets off the central reflecting pool and adds spice to the dominant sun-bleached whites of the rest of the resort. With the property’s series of pools and fountains, water is a well-chosen motif throughout the Princess.
Guest villas are set back from the water and separated from the waterfront spa and restaurant by a winding ’jungle’ path of tropical flora. The paths are intentionally without signage and maze-like so guests ’lose’ themselves in the setting, albeit momentarily (all paths eventually lead to the end), before emerging at the grand open-air hall that seems to lead straight to the horizon.
In addition to bold strokes of large-scale design, the Princess pays close attention to detail and decor. Large canvas photographs, specially selected by the owners, capture coastal Vietnam in breathtaking simplicity throughout the resort and the guest villas.
The carefully crafted aura of relaxation that pervades the resort is not just a result of what the design features, but also what it does not. Internet and technology are carefully hidden. There is no business center to tempt workaholics, though in the event pressing business does rear its ugly head, the hotel staff will ensure guests can access whatever they need (printing, copying, fax, etc). The resort also has high-speed wireless for guest convenience and a laptop at the bar for guests who need to check email but opted to leave their computer at home (I envy those people, seeing as leaving my computer at home would be akin to giving away my first-born).
At the end of my first evening with the Princess, I discovered perhaps the most subtle and well-thought out omission - guest villas are without clocks. Time doesn’t matter with the Princess and guests are free to wander into meals without a reservation and linger on the beach for as long as they like. Here is one of the few places where time stopped for as long as I stayed and hours melted away beneath a soothing sun.
Up Next - wining and dining beneath the stars!
