In pictures: Vietnam's gold-plated hotel
An employee in traditional dress is seen in the newly-inaugurated Dolce Hanoi Golden Lake luxury hotel, which features gold plated exteriors and interiors in Hanoi, Vietnam. PHOTO: REUTERS
A five-star hotel in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi has opened with a twist that it hopes will attract guests with intimately expensive tastes: gold-plated bathtubs, basins and even toilets, all housed behind a massive golden exterior.
The hotel, owned by Hoa Binh Group and managed by US-based Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc, stands in stark contrast to its surrounding weather-worn Soviet-era buildings.
"At the moment, there is no other hotel like this in the world," said Nguyen Huu Duong, majority owner and chairman of Hoa Binh Group.
Hotel facilities include a 24 karat gold-tiled infinity pool on the rooftop, while inside guest rooms, bathrooms are laced with yellow metal.
From $250 a night, the hotel is in the same price bracket as rival luxury accommodation in the city.
"It has changed my mind about what luxury can be. Other luxury hotels usually use marble as tiles, but here everything is gold-plated down to the washing basin," said 62-year-old guest Luong Van Thuan, himself a hotel owner.
