4,500 workers from Indian billionaire’s company on incentive tour to stay at 5-star hotels

They will arrive in Vietnam in six groups from August 26 to 28, accompanied by the owner of Sun Pharmaceuticals and one of India’s wealthiest billionaires.

Their first pit stop is Hanoi, where they will stay at places like the InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72, Meliá Hanoi, Movenpick Living West Hanoi, Pan Pacific Hanoi, and Novotel Hanoi Thai Ha.

The hotels said the visitors have almost no requirements with regard to accommodation but “are highly concerned about food.”

A 5-star hotel room in Hanoi chosen by the group of Indian tourists. Photo courtesy of Novotel

People in many parts of Indian are not just vegetarian, but also often would not eat food cooked in vessels used for meat or seafood. Besides, there are religious factors like Muslims not eating pork and non-halal food and Hindus and Buddhists shunning beef.

Shamila Rolfe, general manager of Movenpick Living West Hanoi Hotel, which will house 300 of the visitors for four days, said the entire first-floor lobby would be used for their dining.

Since many of them would be traveling abroad for the first time, the hotel is seeking to ensure they do not feel “too bewildered when away from home,” she said.

It also plans to hire an Indian chef to serve familiar dishes alongside Hanoi specialties such as pho (noodle soup), bun ca (fish noodle soup) and cha ca (fried catfish).

A dessert made from com (sticky green rice) will hope to give the visitors a taste of local autumn specialties.

Novotel Hanoi Thai Ha will accommodate 800 of the visitors, divided into two groups and staying from August 27 to 30 and August 31 to September 3.

A dedicated kitchen for preparing Indian cuisine at a 5-star hotel in Hanoi. Photo courtesy of InterContinental

The hotel’s sales and distribution director, Nguyen Viet Thu, expressed the hotel’s eagerness to welcome the largest Indian group it has ever hosted.

It has prepared an entirely Indian menu, with dishes tailored to suit a variety of tastes. The menu, prepared by a team of Indian chefs, will change daily.

The InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 has been tasked with providing traditional Indian and vegetarian dishes.

General Manager Patrick Verove said he was “completely confident” in the hotel’s ability to meet the group’s needs, claiming it has extensive experience in hosting Indian guests.

Its chefs have even been sent to India for culinary and cultural training, he claimed further.

Its menu will feature typical Indian dishes such as naan, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, chicken biryani, and chicken butter masala.

Kitchen utensils have been imported from India to ensure authenticity.

Santiago Cabre, the general manager of Meliá Hanoi, said the hotel would host a gala dinner for the entire group during their stay in Hanoi.

The cooking is expected to be time-consuming as Indian cuisine involves the use of numerous spices and elaborate preparation, sometimes running into hours.

To ensure the flavors are authentic, the hotel has hired an Indian chef during the group’s stay.

After Hanoi, the visitors are expected to travel to Ha Long and Ninh Binh, both around a two-hour drive from Hanoi.

Both localities have made plans to ensure smooth transportation, accommodation and culinary arrangements.

Vietnam is rapidly emerging as a favored destination for Indian tourists.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the country received 392,000 Indian visitors last year, 231% up from 2019.

In the first six months of this year the number was 231,000, a 164% increase year-on-year.