Dalat Palace in Vietnam Continues Transformation

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. October 14, 2008

DALAT, Vietnam. May 22, 2008. The hotel that inspired the development of an entire town almost a century ago is redeveloping its own image in one of the world's most fabled colonial-era hill stations. Last month, the Sofitel Dalat Palace hired Pascal Tadin as its director of food and beverage and promoted Thuy Thu Nguyen to public relations, communications and marketing manager. The moves are just two of several that have been carried out recently by the venerable French colonial-style retreat, a fixture on Vietnam's luxury lodging landscape since 1922.

In January, Tony Chisholm took over as general manager. In February, free WiFi was installed in all 43 rooms. And in March, the tennis courts were completely refurbished and three new indoor public areas-a library, a private dining room and a billiards room-were created. "These changes are just the tip of the iceberg, too," said Chisholm, who came from the Novotel Clarke Quay Singapore, which he helped win "Best Venue for a Corporate Meeting" at the 2006 Singapore Business Events Awards. "We've got a lot more in the works and Pascal and Thuy will be influential in executing some of those plans."

Prior to his appointment at the Palace, Tadin served as the food and beverage manager at the five-star Hotel de la Paix in Geneva, Switzerland. Before that, the Frenchman trained at some of his country's most luxurious hotels, including Sofitel Mediterranee in Cannes and the Hotel Ambassador in Paris. The Dalat-raised Nguyen joined the Palace staff in 1995 as a food and beverage assistant. She has also worked in the hotel's guest services department.

The Sofitel Dalat Palace (originally Lang Bian Hotel) was built as the anchor to the fledgling colonial resort of Dalat, 300 kilometers northeast of Ho Chi Minh City in the temperate Southern Highlands. In 1991, Danao International Holdings (DIHL) initiated a multi-million-dollar resuscitation of the structure and two others-the adjacent 144-room Novotel Dalat Hotel and the lauded Dalat Palace Golf Club.

The original vision for DIHL, and the revival of its current assets, was stimulated by Larry Hillblom, an American tycoon whose surname is the "H" in the express delivery company DHL. Today, the Sofitel Dalat Palace is appointed with furnishings that amplify its regal stature. From chandeliers in the guest chambers, to Chesterfield leather sofas in the lobby and now vintage black-and-white photos on the freshly painted walls of its new library, it evokes a bygone era.

The restaurant, Le Rabelais, is even grander than its forebear, with tremendous views of Xuan Huong Lake and the city. Larry's Bar, on the ground floor, is both rustic and cavernous, offering a welcome complement to the hotel's otherwise refined ambiance.