HÀ NỘI – Hà Nội will develop luxury hotels in the capital city’s prime locations in the next five years, as part of its efforts to promote tourism.

According to the municipal People’s Committee, some 20,000 rooms are to be built in the city’s downtown areas.

“Hà Nội encourages investors to develop luxury hotels, as there are a shortage of hotel rooms. Developing luxury hotels is necessary to develop tourism into a spearhead industry of the capital city,” Chairman of Hà Nội People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung said.

Phạm Thanh Tùng, office manager of the Việt Nam Architecture Association, said it was essential to develop luxury hotels to boost tourism, however, adding that the city should not move ahead too quickly.

The city needs to first gather information about privately-owned mini hotel rooms as as basis for decisions about constructing luxury hotels, Tùng said.

“This is important to prevent a shortage in several places, and an excess in others,” he said.

He noted that developing luxury hotels must include special attention to the development of the city’s infrastructure, as well as transportation.

Prime locations to develop luxury hotels in downtown Hoàn Kiếm District include No 22-32 Lý Thái Tổ St, 22-24 Hàng Bài St and 39 Hai Bà Trung St. Further, the hotel at No 1 Bà Triệu Street and Hòa Bình Hotel on Lý Thường Kiệt St would also be upgraded.

Other hotels to be developed are Đống Đa, Nam Từ Liêm, Ba Đình and Đông Anh districts.

According to Lê Vinh, Director of the Municipal Department of Planning and Architecture, several projects in the downtown area have been converted from high-end office and apartment buildings into luxury hotels.

Further, the commercial real estate services firm CBRE said the hospitality market in Việt Nam was expected to see robust growth, driven by the country’s large tourism potential, as well as policies to improve tourism services.

Việt Nam was voted one of the 20 best countries to visit in the world by the US Condé Nast Traveler magazine, based upon criteria such as food, beauty sports and traveling costs.

In the first eight months of this year, international arrivals to Việt Nam reached 6.5 million, rising 25 per cent over the same period last year. – VNS