Hanoi to have first Marriott hotel Hanoi to have first Marriott hotel The hotel management company Marriott International is preparing to open what will be the first hotel to be managed by Marriot in Hanoi. When in service, the five-star JW Marriott Hanoi will become the second hotel to be managed by Marriot in Vietnam after the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon in downtown HCMC. Speaking to the Daily during his visit to Vietnam early this week, Marriott International, Inc. President and CEO Arne M. Sorenson said Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon was one of the first hotels to be opened in Vietnam in the 1990s. Marriott has in recent years planned a variety of projects but has had to temporarily halt them as Vietnam’s economy has been slowing down. The forthcoming opening of JW Marriott Hanoi is a next step of Marriott in the Vietnamese market, said Sorenson. Marriot, he noted, expects to have three or four Marriott hotels in each of Vietnam’s two biggest cities, Hanoi and HCMC. JW Marriott Hanoi is now ready to serve guests but hotel owner Bitexco Hotel Management Co. has yet to decide on an opening date. However, the hotel will be certainly opened to business within this year. Bob Fabiano, general manager of JW Marriott Hanoi, said 40-50% of the total rooms would be used be for MICE (meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition) tourism. In this segment, JW Marriott Hanoi focuses on large businesses. JW Marriott Hanoi has 450 rooms, European and Asian restaurants, ballrooms, fitness center and many other amenities. The hotel also provides the largest meeting space in Vietnam with an area of 2,400 square meters on the same level. About 26.7 kilometers south of Noi Bai International Airport, JW Marriott Hanoi has an area of 80,000 square meters and is adjacent to the Vietnam National Convention Center. Vietnam Airlines offers ‘Golden Moments’ program The national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines is offering the 3rd ‘Golden Moments’ promotional program on some domestic routes since October 15. Accordingly, one-way tickets for routes including Hanoi-Hue will be VND499,000; HCMC-Hue/Quy Nhon/Phu Quoc at VND699,000; Hanoi-Buon Ma Thuot/Quy Nhon at VND1,099,000. These special prices will be applicable for flights which will be departing from October 18-December 15. Earlier, Vietnam Airlines had offered a discount on return tickets for flights from Hanoi, Vinh and Hai Phong to Ho Chi Minh City at VND799,000; from Hue, Da Nang and Quy Nhon to HCMC at VND599,000; from Buon Ma Thuot, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc to HCMC at VND399,000 (not including taxes). These special prices will be applicable for flights to HCMC from January 25-30, 2014 and February 3-10, 2014 for flights departing from HCMC. The promotional program will apply from October 8 to December 31. The national carrier will give free tickets to children of passengers who buy tickets on routes from HCMC to Hanoi, Hai Phong, Vinh, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc from October 8 to December 15.  Flights departing from HCMC on January 17-24; and trips to HCMC on January 31-February 2 and February 11-16 will also enjoy this promotion. Tourism Promotional Tours attract many holidaymakers Local travel companies taking part in the City Tourism Promotion Program, sold package tours to Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Da Nang, Con Dao and Hanoi by plane to nearly 3,000 visitors in September, according to Tran The Dung, member of HCMC Tourism Promotion Center. The report presents a year-on-year increase of 60 percent in local tourism. The center members sold promotional tours to more than 23,000 holidaymakers from May to September, up 46 percent compared to 2012. Tourism Promotion Center was launched by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in January. The center assumes responsibility for providing advice and implementation of strategies, programs and plans approved by the City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote tourism. It links and co-ordinates with domestic and foreign organizations in tourism promotion and investment, developing and promoting tourist markets and local tourism products, besides implementing international co-operation programs in tourism. The center also organizes and takes part in workshops, fairs, exhibitions and advertising events in tourism promotion in the country and abroad. Source: SGT/SGGP/VNA/VNS/VOV/ND