Globetrotters looking for the world’s most exclusive accommodations will soon be able to add a new line on their list of must-visit locations a Hanoi 6-star hotel with a 24K-gold-plated exterior and interior.
The world’s first gold-plated hotel Dolce Hanoi Golden Lake hotel opened its doors in Vietnam on Thursday. The hotel sits by Giang Vo Lake, in the center of the Vietnamese capital, and cost $200 million to construct. The hotel opened its doors to guests amid the coronavirus pandemic that has put a cramp on travel.
The five-star hotel took 11 years to build and boasts about being the first property in the world to be clad in gold. From the tiles, bathtub, coffee cups, to the gold-plated infinity pool on the roof, the hotel is plated in 24-carat metal. The gold-plated infinity pool overlooks the city while meals at the 25-storey hotel in downtown Hanoi may be mixed with a mysterious ‘gold substance’, according to the owners.
The 400-room, 25-storey property will operate under the American Wyndham Hotels brand. Guests will pay $250 a night to enjoy the luxury that the hotel offers. The hotel wants “ordinary people to the super-rich to check-in” both physically and on social media, said Nguyen Huu Duong, chairman of Hoa Binh group that owns the hotel.
The Hanoi Golden Lake isn’t the world’s first ultra-exclusive hotel in the world or even Hanoi but according to Hoa Binh Group, the company behind the project, this is the first hotel in the world to have both the exterior and interior covered in 24K gold.
Apart from the gilded exterior, it has a gold-plated lobby, and gold-plated furniture, sink, bathtub, and a series of decorations and accessories covered in 24K gold. “As tourism has been identified as the spearhead of the local economy, the sector must have a unique product to attract visitors.
The Hanoi Golden Lake will become a place not to be missed in this sense,” the general director of the Hoa Binh Group told Vietnam Insider.
Dubai’s Burj al-Arab hotel is famous for its 22K gold-plated elevator & lobby, Emirates Palace in the UAE has a gold-painted ceiling and walls, the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas has gold-infused windows that glistens in the sunlight, but the Hanoi Golden Lake hotel wants to one-up them all by implementing the opulent, gold-based theme both on the outside and the inside.
Despite being developed since 2009, the Hanoi Golden Lake hotel only recently started drawing the attention of passers-by, as its gilded exterior made it impossible to ignore.
For now, all people can do is admire it from the outside, but those who can afford to spend at least $250 per night will be able to check out the interior gold furnishings as well. Interestingly, a number of apartments in the 25-floor building will also be sold for about $6,500 per square meter.
However, owners will not be able to live there permanently, but rent out the apartments through a rental agency to ensure quality consistency.
