New homegrown hotel chain launches in Vietnam

by Sorcha O'Higgins | 05 Aug 2020 | Chains

The new Wink brand is targeted at young business and leisure travellers (photo: Wink Hotels)

Wink Hotels – which claims to be ‘Vietnam’s first homegrown, international-standard hotel chain’ – plans to launch ten properties across the country over the next four years.

Carefully positioned as a sleek, chic and vibrant new lifestyle brand, Wink is certainly making waves ahead of the rollout of its inaugural hotel. We find out more about this ambitious upstart.

Vietnamese dreams with Wink

The Vietnamese hospitality industry is celebrating a huge step forward with the launch of a new brand that aims to redefine affordable luxury across the country, exploring the heart and soul of destinations with the help of art-inspired interiors and a commitment to connecting guests with upbeat local vibes. Aimed squarely at young, aspirational and highly mobile business and leisure travellers, Wink’s brand philosophy is to deliver a modern take on Vietnamese culture with a healthy dash of fun thrown in.

The new brand already has a host of properties in the pipeline. The first is the 237-room Wink Hotel Saigon Centre @ 75 Nguyen Binh Khiem, due to open in Q4 2020. This will be followed by the 243-room Wink Hotel Danang Centre @ 178 Tran Phu, and another in Danang that will form part of a mixed-use complex along the Han River.

Wink hopes to appeal to the growing number of Vietnamese travellers – bolstered by cheap flights and a strong economy, domestic tourism increased by 22% in 2019, although it’s not yet clear how Covid19 will affect the country’s hospitality industry longer term. The brand also pointed out that 48% of Vietnam’s population is under the age of 34.

A stylish offering fit for the 21st century

It’s envisaged that creativity and functionality will come together inside Wink’s properties, and contemporary conveniences such as contactless check-in, local coffee via state-of-the-art Simonelli machines and grab-and-go food carts will all make an appearance. In addition, the brand has partnered with Toong, whose co-working spaces will appear in all Wink hotels instead of typical business centres.

Meanwhile, each hotel will feature ‘Wink Guides’, personality-driven associates tasked with up-ending traditional deferential hospitality and freely sharing their knowledge and expertise with guests.

“These are exciting times for the Vietnamese hospitality industry. There’s a massive, underserved market segment currently and it is our clear ambition to serve and inspire this youth market with a new and dynamic brand of hospitality,” said Wink Hotels CEO Michael Piro.

“Wink Hotels will be modern, bold and resolute in personality – reflecting a strong cultural identity – while being deeply respectful of Vietnamese traditions. At the same time, we offer guests a fun and connected destination experience.”

Wink intends to launch ten hotels across Vietnam over the next four years, with plans to expand to a minimum of 20 locations “in major Vietnamese cities and beyond” in the next five to seven years. Designed by AW2, Wink has been created by developer Indochina Kajima and is operated by Indochina Vanguard, a joint venture between Indochina Capital and Vanguard Hotels.