Indochine charm. Modern Luxury. These are the words The Anam embodies down to every last detail. But, talk is cheap. The real question is: what does it feel like to be there?
Upon visiting The Anam’s recently opened Mui Ne location, a short three-hour drive from its bigger, older sister in Cam Ranh, the first thing I felt was peace.
When you enter the hotel through the grand lobby, the outside noise from Nguyễn Đình Chiểu Street becomes muted. Your breathing eases and your muscles relax as your vision travels outward taking in the serenity of the view.
Two pools, one fresh, one saltwater, are separated by a long, lush fairway lined with palm trees designed to lead you down to the sandy Bai Dai Beach, home to one of the best spots for windsurfing in Vietnam and possibly the world.
I follow my line of sight to the Saigon Bar where I plop down for a cocktail, a plate of sun-dried calamari, and some cool jazz.
“If this isn’t nice,” I say to myself quoting the late Kurt Vonnegut, “I don’t know what is.”
The Anam is proud to be Vietnamese. From the hand-selected tiles throughout the property to the on-site water bottle factory beneath them to the local executive chef in the kitchen to the hundreds of bespoke art pieces by Vietnamese artists adorning the walls, the home-grown brand which started in 2017 is locally sourced through and through.
When you check into one of the 127 rooms, you’re greeted by light, amber hues, a colonial style aesthetic, a few chocolate goodies, and one of my favorite details: the timeless clawfoot bathtub.
Any tired traveler knows all too well the temptation to relax solely in your room, but in order to have the full experience, one must give themselves permission for indulgence. The good news is there are options for everyone.
Feast at the Indochine and or Lang Viet Restaurant. Drink at the Saigon Bar or order right there in the Lobby. Drop the little ones off at the Kids Club for some fun. Sweat it out at the fitness center. Rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit at the spa. Shop for hand-crafted gemstone jewelry at the boutique shop. If you’re feeling adventurous, go for an excursion to explore the historical remnants of the past Champa Kingdom that ruled south-central Vietnam such as the famous Po Sah Inu Towers. Whatever you do, don’t forget: complimentary sunrise yoga on Fridays.
There’s something special about getting up for an early morning stretch and listening to the waves crashing while kitesurfers and local fisherman wake to seize the day like any other day.
Foreigners have had a hard time believing The Anam is a local brand, General Manager Laurent Myter shared. After nearly three decades of working directly with hotel owners in Europe, the Middle East, and in Asia where he spent over two decades working in Malaysia, Meyter was hired two years ago and given the responsibility to grow The Anam brand while diligently keeping its DNA intact.
At the core of such a task is running the hotel like a family, which means understanding every single staff member and decision counts. In order to consistently make good decisions with the guest experience always in mind, Meyter understands empowerment from the ground up is absolutely key.
“You will see a lot of companies where empowerment is always at the manager level, which is wrong. In a hotel, who knows your guest best? Who is closest to your guests? Is it the manager or is it the housekeeping that cleans the room every day? She or he knows much more about your guest than any of your managers. Your waiter that serves your coffee every morning, they know what your guests like. Listen to them and you will give much, much more than any statistics, any reports that you can read and for me that’s key in our business.”
Looking into the future, The Anam has plans for further expansion. The award-winning brand has its eyes set on Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Yen, with a stunning location roughly 20 minutes from the airport, which will take a few years to develop, Meyter says. Like the other locations, these future spots will aim to be locally sourced from the ground up with a near zero carbon footprint, retain that family-like DNA circulating the grounds, and, of course, aim to improve on the success of Cam Ranh and Mui Ne by providing its guests a peaceful environment every time they visit.
