From tubs to toilets, Vietnam hotel opens with gold-plated pizzazz

By Minh Nguyen

 

FILE PHOTO: Gold-plated toilets are seen at the newly inaugurated Dolce Hanoi Golden Lake hotel, after the government eased a nationwide lockdown following the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Hanoi, Vietnam July 2, 2020. REUTERS/Kham/File Photo

 

HANOI (Reuters) - A five-star hotel in Vietnamese capital Hanoi has opened with a twist that it hopes will attract guests with intimately expensive tastes: gold-plated bath tubs, basins and even toilets, all housed behind a massive golden exterior.

 

The Dolce Hanoi Golden Lake Hotel has made the extra effort to bring visitors back to Vietnam where the tourism sector is slowly reopening after a three-month coronavirus lockdown.

 

The hotel, owned by Hoa Binh Group and managed by U.S.-based Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc, stands in stark contrast to its surrounding weather-worn Soviet-era buildings.

 

"At the moment, there is no other hotel like this in the world," said Nguyen Huu Duong, majority owner and chairman of Hoa Binh Group.

 

Hotel facilities include a 24 karat gold-tiled infinity pool on the rooftop, while inside guest rooms, bathrooms are laced with yellow metal. From $250 a night, the hotel is in the same price bracket as rival luxury accommodation in the city.

 

"It has changed my mind about what luxury can be. Other luxury hotels usually use marble as tiles, but here everything is gold-plated down to the washing basin," said 62-year-old guest Luong Van Thuan, himself a hotel owner.

 

Vietnam has been relatively successful in containing the coronavirus outbreak with only 350 or so cases and no reported deaths. Duong said if not for the pandemic, the hotel would likely be fully booked with international guests.

 

Around a tonne of gold was used to cover the hotel, said Duong, a Vietnam War veteran and former cyclo taxi driver who made his fortune in construction and property.

 

He is planning gold-plated projects in Ho Chi Minh City and a resort in central Vietnam.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-03

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Never photograph a toilet with the lid up

No taste or sense of style at all. Pure bad taste

Not a bad finish for gold paint

Goldeneye in more ways than one .. 

That´s outright sick!

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

"It has changed my mind about what luxury can be. Other luxury hotels usually use marble as tiles, but here everything is gold-plated down to the washing basin," said 62-year-old guest Luong Van Thuan, himself a hotel owner.

It has changed my mind about what someone vacant in any taste at all would consider luxury.

 

The only way I could describe this is ‘Post-Chav-Garish-Kitsch’ 

 

 

 

I have been told that gold plate is actually cheaper than chrome or stainless steel. Apparently gold plate is a single process whereas chrome is a double plating process, first copper plate then chrome plate. 

3 minutes ago, anterian said:

I have been told that gold plate is actually cheaper than chrome or stainless steel. Apparently gold plate is a single process whereas chrome is a double plating process, first copper plate then chrome plate. 

You are correct

7 hours ago, anterian said:

I have been told that gold plate is actually cheaper than chrome or stainless steel. Apparently gold plate is a single process whereas chrome is a double plating process, first copper plate then chrome plate. 

Does not make it attractive or stylish, cheap, yes in process and presentation. I shudder if I have walked into a restaurant and see gold plated cutlery or under-plates, reeks "look at me"" arrivists.

 

ridiculous  waste of a precious  metal.

1 minute ago, bodga said:

ridiculous  waste of a precious  metal.

It is gold plate, if it was gold it would be too heavy and guests would be working out how to get some of it out in their luggage.

 

Donald Chump would be proud.

19 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Never photograph a toilet with the lid up

because???

21 minutes ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

because???

It look awful and amaturish

20 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Never photograph a toilet with the lid up

Well, if you eat a gold plated steak, not only should the lid be up, but you can prodly show the floater, as he will blend in nicely with the rest of the toilet ????

21 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

A five-star hotel in Vietnamese capital Hanoi has opened with a twist that it hopes will attract guests with intimately expensive tastes: gold-plated bath tubs, basins and even toilets, all housed behind a massive golden exterior.

Ah! The "new normal" for Thailand's expected wealthy guests in their private planes and yachts?????