What kind of service did 4,500 Indian guests request when they arrived in Hanoi?

A group of 4,500 guests from an Indian billionaire’s pharmaceutical company will travel to Vietnam from August 26, divided into 6 small groups. Their first stop is Hanoi and they will stay at 5-star hotels. As of the afternoon of August 20, the group is expected to stay at hotels including InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72, Meliá Hanoi, Movenpick Living West Hanoi, Pan Pacific Hanoi and Novotel Hanoi Thai Ha.

Representatives of these accommodation establishments said that the group had almost no requirements regarding accommodation but were particularly concerned about food and beverage. Ms. Shamila Rolfe - General Manager of Movenpick Living West Hanoi Hotel, which will host 300 guests in the group for a four-day stay, said that the entire lobby on the first floor will be used as the group's dining area.

Ms. Rolfe revealed that many of the guests in the group were traveling abroad for the first time, so the hotel needed to ensure that they were not "too bewildered when away from home." The representative of this facility said that they would hire an Indian chef to serve familiar dishes for the group, in addition to Hanoi specialties such as pho, bun ca, and cha ca. A dessert made from Com Lang Vong was also included in the menu for Indian guests to enjoy Hanoi's autumn specialties.

Novotel Hanoi Thai Ha will welcome 800 guests, divided into two groups, each staying four nights, from August 27 to August 30 and from August 31 to September 3. Sales and distribution director Nguyen Viet Thu said "we are eagerly waiting for the day to welcome guests". According to Ms. Thu, this is the largest group of Indian guests the hotel has ever welcomed, previously groups usually ranged from 100 to 200 guests.

The entire set menu is Indian, prepared according to regional tastes to satisfy a variety of guests. The menu changes daily and is prepared by the hotel's team of Indian chefs. Currently, the group has not requested Vietnamese dishes, but if so, the hotel team can "respond immediately".

InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 was asked to offer traditional Indian, vegetarian and vegan dishes. General Manager Patrick Verove said he was "completely confident" because the hotel has a lot of experience welcoming Indian guests. The chefs here have been sent to India to learn cooking and cultural exchange.

The upcoming menu will feature signature Indian dishes from across the region, including naan bread, tandoori chicken, tikka masala, Indian-style chicken biryani, butter chicken, curry, chutney, and masala chicken. All the kitchenware used to serve Indian dishes will also be imported from the local country.

According to Meliá Hanoi General Manager Santiago Cabre, the hotel will serve the entire gala dinner for six Indian groups during their stay in Hanoi. Preparing the menu for the group will take a lot of time because Indian dishes use a lot of spices.

According to their beliefs, Indian guests will have different diets such as avoiding beef, pork, eggs, and tubers. The main dishes served include beans, vegetables, fruits, rice, and breads such as roti and naan. To ensure the local flavor for the group, Meliá Hanoi invited an Indian chef to serve with the hotel's culinary team throughout their stay.

After visiting Hanoi, the Indian delegation is expected to visit Ha Long and Ninh Binh. The two localities have previously said they have made plans to ensure transportation, accommodation, prepare guides and train chefs to welcome them.

Vietnam is receiving a strong wave of tourism from India. According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Vietnam will welcome 392,000 Indian visitors in 2023, an increase of 231% compared to 2019. In the first 6 months of this year, Vietnam welcomed more than 231,000 visitors from this market, an increase of 164% compared to the same period last year. Vietnam also has many advantages to attract Indian visitors such as convenient connections, only 4-5 hours of direct flight.

This event, which welcomed 4,500 guests, is considered an important step in affirming Vietnam's position as an ideal destination for international events and conferences.