COUNTRY FOCUS VIETNAM
INVESTING IN PEOPLE
A
s one of the fi rst fi ve-star spa resorts on the Central Coast, the GHM-operated The Nam Hai, Hoi An, set a new bench-
mark in luxury service when it opened in 2006. Almost 600 people are employed at the 35-hectare (86-acre) site, which features 100 guest villas. With staff benefi ts such as daily English training, provision of food, uni- form and transportation, combined with a share in the service charge, The Nam Hai has high staff retention levels. On average, employees stay with the company for 4.5 years. Still general manager Anthony Gill points out that immediate investment is required at the national level for hospitality management schools, especially as Vietnam- ese school leavers tend to have poor English. Refl ecting the national picture, The Nam Hai has a strong emphasis on leisure-driven tourism, with German-speaking nations, the British, French, Americans and Australians comprising top source markets. Since Viet- namese travellers are experience-driven, often preferring to try new things, they don’t typically return to the same destina- tion. While the resort does cater for small, high-level business groups from overseas,
The GHM-operated site has eight stand-alone spa villas
Gill says the corporate and MICE segments are relatively limited in Vietnam. After rooms, the Spa at The Nam Hai rep- resents the resort’s most profi table centre. Comprising eight stand-alone spa villas, the facility was named Best Overseas Spa Hotel at Condé Nast Traveller’s Readers’ Travel Awards in 2012. Rigorous training, clean- liness, service and design standards have been set by GHM’s director of spas, Brenda
Ramen, who’s based in Singapore but visits at least four times a year to test treatments and ensure touch points are consistent. Spa manager Desak Ambarwati says she has lit- tle diffi culty in recruiting staff because of the resort’s reputation. Instead the spa’s biggest challenge is to maintain occupancy during the low season (June, September- November), during which time value-added promotions are offered to resort guests. The Nam Hai works with a specialist local consultant who handles the importing of its premium spa, cosmetics and toiletries ranges because complex Vietnamese regula- tions can make the process labour-intensive. Looking forward, Gill sees potential in a region that has benefi tted from governance by party leaders who are both progressive and anti-corruption. This makes the Central Coast, which is forecast to welcome 3 million visitors this year, an attractive proposition for hospitality groups. As reputed spa brands, such as Thailand’s
Harnn based at the new InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, land in the vicinity, there’s no doubt world-class spa facilities are contributing to the diversifi - cation and enhancement of the offer in a destination that is one of the fl agships of Vietnamese tourism. ●
With generous staff benefi ts, the 600 employees stay for up to 4.5 years 60 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
Neena Dhillon is a spa, hotel and travel journalist Email:
ndhillon@spabusiness.com
Spa Business 3 2013 ©Cybertrek 2013
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