Vietnam – A revolution in the hospitality industry

The studio is reshaping the hotel experience in Vietnam with the opening of the first three Wink Hotels: Saigon Centre, Danang Centre and Danang Riverside. Based on a universal concept, Wink Hotels combine the perfect balance of urban design, street life and local Vietnamese culture.

A DESIGN CONCEPT DEPLOYED IN ALL THE WINK HOTELS ACROSS VIETNAM

The international architectural practice and design studio AW2 worked on the creation of the Wink brand, developing both the architectural and visual identity. This total design concept (incorporating architecture, interior design, furniture and visual identity) is deployed in all the Wink Hotels across Vietnam. AW2 combined innovative design with the trademark cost-effectiveness of the Wink brand, whilst simultaneously creating a fashionable urban destination.

This concept of twenty-first century hospitality is aimed at a new generation of travellers, one that is constantly connected and looking for a hotel experience that resonates with the times. In response to this new target group, AW2 incorporated blended spaces where accommodation, work and leisure co-exist and echo Vietnamese street life. This ambience is reflected throughout the design from the public spaces right down to the bespoke furniture inspired by the local culture.

Wink Hotels are highly codified with a customised colour palette developed by the Paris-based studio. The five Wink colours (purple, red, blue, yellow and green) are an integral part of the concept and are inspired by the colours of Vietnamese nightlife. They can be found just about everywhere: from the bespoke sunshades on the façade to the walls of the public spaces, down to the furniture fabrics.

AW2’s previous work in Vietnam (FV International Hospital, Four Seasons The Nam Hai and Six Senses Con Dao) with Indochina Capital placed them in a strong position to respond to the client’s brief requirements.

WINK HOTEL SAIGON CENTRE AND DANANG CENTRE

The hotel incorporates hybrid spaces where accommodation, coworking and leisure coexist. The project brings Vietnamese street life into the lobby and public spaces with furniture designed by AW2, such as food carts for the self-service food and beverage facilities and bicycles repurposed as table legs for the breakfast bars.

The bespoke seating is directly inspired by the everyday stools found in local markets, whilst the collaborative spaces are designed as an invitation to use the ground floor in multiple ways.

Open to locals as well as hotel guests, this is a space for interaction and encounters, like a social club, both local and global. Composed of different flexible zones, the shared spaces consist of a lounge with integrated library and games area, as well as a selection of food and beverage facilities (the Breakfast Bar, the Grab & Go self-service and the Wink Bar).

WINK HOTEL DANANG RIVERSIDE

This is the third Wink Hotel in Vietnam to be completed by AW2 architecture & interiors. Located in the Danang Riverside quarter, this is also the brand’s first hotel project to offer Wink Suites and serviced apartments. The twenty-five-level hotel of 15,800 sqm comprises 357 total rooms conceived as modern, creative pods providing every comfort for guests in an elegant, minimalist setting. This original, avant-garde building also includes 70 suites. The hotel distinguishes itself from its predecessors with its panoramic views from the rooftop terrace and its rooftop swimming pool.

Designed by AW2, Wink Hotel Danang Riverside embodies a pop culture energy where accommodation, work and leisure cohabit in harmony. Wink Hotels provides modern, vibrant and intercultural spaces underpinned by traditional Vietnamese values, inspired by local street life and featuring artwork by local artists. Perfectly positioned on the Han River, Wink Hotel Danang Riverside is a gateway to Danang’s diverse tourist attractions.

Hybrid spaces 

True to the brand’s DNA, the hotel offers high-tech solutions such as automated check-in desks or cashless and contactless vending machines throughout the building. The Wink Space entrance lobby invites guests to mingle over a locally brewed craft beer or customised cocktail whilst unwinding with a game of pool or table football with expansive views of the Han River. The food and beverage facilities cater to every moment of the day with the Breakfast Bar, dining areas, Grab & Go self-service area, and the Wink Bar.

“The Wink Hotels concept resonates firmly with a new generation of dynamic travellers and the Danang Riverside hotel is very much designed for this new genration of traveller, one that is constantly connected and seeking a hotel experience that rhymes with their epoque,” commented Stéphanie Ledoux and Reda Amalou, partner architects at AW2.

Rooms concept

The rooms have been conceived in order to optimise space. Designed as modern, creative pods, they offer guests every comfort in an elegant, minimalist setting. With the beds positioned facing the windows, each compact room opens up onto the city through the large triple-bay floor-to-ceiling windows framing the exceptional views.

Featuring bespoke furniture, the rooms have been efficiently designed to maximise space usage whilst conveying the brand identity throughout. A glass partition tinted in one of the bespoke Wink colours creates privacy by separating the bathroom from the bedroom.

Wink Hotels offers standard double rooms, twin rooms, L-shaped rooms for three guests (with one double bed and a high bed), and suites (incorporating additionally a kitchen, living space, dressing area and bathroom with shower).

Sustainibility

Wink Hotel Saigon Centre is the first hotel in Vietnam to be LEED Gold V.4 certified. Wink Hotels uses energy-efficient double glazing with a low thermal transfer coefficient and thermal transmittance, as well as insulating autoclaved aerated concrete blocks, to minimise energy consumption for air conditioning and artificial lighting. All lighting is LED.

The air conditioning system complies with American energy standards. A VRF system with high-efficiency heat recovery, it guarantees better performance levels and avoids depletion of the ozone layer (R-410c). The building management and occupancy detection systems are optimised to guarantee energy efficiency.

Wink bathrooms are equipped with thermal control valves to maintain the hot water at 60°C, reducing the risk of injury. Wink has also teamed up with PLASTICPeople to recycle the plastic from the products used in the rooms, all of which benefit from eco-friendly packaging. Wink has charging points for electric vehicles and green signage in public areas and rooms to encourage energy and water saving, as well as recycling. Guests also receive loyalty points for ‘zero waste’ and ‘linen reuse’ days.

Sociale responsability

Wink has launched an educational programme focusing on sustainable buildings in the hotel industry, using Wink Hotels as an example or case study. This includes conferences organised by partners such as the US Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) (LEED certification) for the various Wink Hotels stakeholders (media, partners, students, etc.).

Products are sourced locally to promote and support local businesses and communities. Wink Hotels’ rainwater evacuation system is designed to ensure smooth drainage and prevent flooding.

Wink Hotels currently operates three hotels in Vietnam and is planning to expand across the country to several new locations over the coming years.