Promotions and news in HCMC and beyond…
Delicious Décor Debuts
Delicious Décor has launched in Ho Chi Minh City, offering artfully arranged fruit and confectionery bouquets. It blends the concept of fruit baskets with designs inspired by the floral business. All the fruit products are sourced and handpicked from accredited suppliers and delivered fresh daily. Delicious Decor also offers a selection of toppings including semi-sweet dark chocolate, white milk chocolate, shredded coconut flakes, crusted roasted almond and peanut, and colorful sprinkles. Each bouquet is arranged in either a ceramic mug or vase, all of which can be used afterwards as home decorative items, coffee or tea mugs, or even contemporary planting pots. Open from Monday to Saturday, 8am-6pm and delivers within Ho Chi Minh City. Visit www.deliciousdecor.com.vn or call 090 256 1061 for more info.
New Resort in Phu Quoc
Salinda Premium Resort and Spa will officially open its doors on August 15. It is located four kilometers away from Phu Quoc Airport and is inspired by an interplay of rustic local heritage with contemporary design. It features 121 rooms and villas with private balconies, Salinda lounge, spa facilities and a banquet hall, equipped with a sound system sufficient to host a concert and can accommodate over 400 guests. To celebrate the opening, the resort is offering special promotions from VND3,182,000 per night, valid from October 31, 2014 to August 15, 2015. For more information, email rsvn@salindaresort.com or call 3929 3097.
Intercontinental Asiana Saigon Specials
InterContinental Asiana Saigon (corner of Hai Ba Trung & Le Duan, D1) is offering a special package to all Vietnamese citizens and Vietnamese resident card holders for stays from now until September 30. For VND3,200,000 net you can stay in one of its deluxe rooms including breakfast for two people, high-speed internet access, late check out until 4pm and 15 percent off at the hotel’s restaurants, bars and spa.
Purple Jade Bar will be showing all the matches of the World Cup 2014 until July 14. Two big screens have been installed so you can catch your favorite teams in action. While watching, enjoy snacks for VND170,000++, including one Tiger draught beer. For more info, call 3520 9099.
Belluni Adds Store
Vietnamese luxury businessmen’s fashion line Belluni has opened its 35th store at 496 Truong Chinh, Tan Binh. The new store boasts a complete collection of menswear including hybrid organic fiber comfort shirts, trousers, belts and shoes. More about the brand at www.belluni.com.vn.
Novotel Danang Premier Han River Summer 2014 Offers
Novotel Danang’s ‘Stay 3 Pay 2’ promotion allows you to stay three nights at the resort but pay for just two. The promotion is valid until August 31 and is priced at VND2,082,570 per night, including daily shuttle bus to Premier Village Danang Resort, drinks upon arrival, daily in-room bottled water and complimentary hi-speed internet access.
You can also enjoy a Spa Inclusive Package when you book a three day/two night stay at Novotel Danang. For VND 2,449,000 per night, you can enjoy a free 30 minute foot massage at In|Balance Spa, daily breakfast for two at The Square restaurant, drinks upon arrival, daily in-room bottled water and complimentary hi-speed internet access. For further details, visit www.novotel-danang-premier.com.
The Orient Bar
Meet your sports, movie and entertainment night needs at The Orient Bar (24 Ngo Van Nam, D1). It has six 55 inch HD screens and one 4m HD projector connected to six different satellites. The game room features pool table, foosball and darts. They offer free flow draught Tiger (VND120,000) and Sapporo (VND150,000) during Happy Hours (5:30pm-8pm) and serve imported steak and handmade pizza. More information on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/theorientbarsaigon/.
Ascott Turns 30
The Ascott Limited, which manages the Somerset brand of serviced residences in Vietnam, kicked off its 30th anniversary and 20th year in Vietnam with a thanksgiving gala dinner.
To show appreciation to its customers, Ascott is offering promotions for stays from now until December 31. Ascott’s online members can enjoy at least 30 percent off Best Flexible rates at participating properties. Log in or sign up for complimentary Ascott online membership at www.the-ascott.com/en/myascott/signup.html.
Guests on long stays can get one free night for every 30 consecutive nights stay. In-house guests who refer their friends or business associates to stay at Ascott’s serviced residences for a minimum of 30 nights will be rewarded with cash vouchers redeemable for complimentary stays at any Ascott serviced residence. Corporate clients who are members of The Link Club can get 30 percent off redemption points from now until September 30. Visit www.the-ascott.com for more info.
ViVa! Tapas Bar & Grill
Viva! Tapas Bar & Grill (R4-28 Hung Gia 4, Tan Phong, Phu My Hung, D7) aims to bring the love of Spanish culture and food to Ho Chi Minh City. The color scheme at Viva! reflects the striking blues of a typical Spanish coastal village – the light blue cloudless skies and the deep azure blue of the Mediterranean Sea. The restaurant is furnished in an eclectic style of old and new, from the modern blue glass and stainless steel bar to the traditional wine barrels that serve as tables in the outdoor patio. Individual sized tapas dishes start at less than VND50,000 per plate. Some of the tapas dishes are Spanish classics like albondigas (meatballs in tomato sauce) and gambas pil-pil (spicy chili shrimp). Viva! also boasts a wide variety of modern tapas not found in other tapas restaurants in Saigon.
Saigon Makeover
Saigon Makeover is a new design competition for graphic designers and artists to share their creative vision of how different parts of Ho Chi Minh City can be beautified. It is organized by the Global Shapers HCMC Hub, and to join simply take a picture of any part of the city that you think could use a unique graphic improvement – the more open and public the space, the better. Redesign with your favorite design or art tools. Make it look as real as possible and then send a blurb that describes your design. The deadline for entries is July 31. Prizes range from VND5 million to VND10 million. For more info, visit www.saigonmakeover.com.
New Italian Restaurant
With a strong passion for cooking, Swiss-Vietnamese Ophely has set up her own restaurant, Le Crespo Pizza on 63 Truong Dinh, D3. Ophely says almost all of their food is organic and homemade. Le Crespo Pizza started operating several months ago, serving Italian food such as pasta and pizza, cooked in a wood fired brick oven, along with a good selection of wine. For more info, visit www.lecrespo.com.
Beer Club
MOB Beer Club (152 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D1) is modeled after the Beer Club in Central Park, New York City. It describes itself as “a place to be seen for those who like to be seen,” a cozy, minimal vintage atmosphere and friendly service with good entertainment. It utilizes the heritage of an old French mansion from the 1920s. The venue’s indoor and outdoor areas are detailed by greenery and landscape with a complete garden in the back. Food is prepared by Chef Julien who puts an Asian flair on modern Western cuisine. Visit their website at www.mobgroup.vn/beerclub.html.
Time for Love
Book a Time for Love package now, or until the end of September, to enjoy a break with your loved one at Pullman Danang Beach Resort. The indulgent package, priced from VND5,208,000/room/night, includes an intimate breakfast at any location in the resort, one bottle of Champagne, a late check-out and more. Call (05) 11 395 8888 or email info@pullman-danang.com for info.
Steaks & Cigars
Enjoy steaks with different cuts imported all the way from the US at Riverside Cafe (Lobby Level, Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon, 8-15 Ton Duc Thang, D1) from July 1 to July 14 for VND1,100,000++/person (food only) and VND1,500,000++/person (free flow of beer, house wine, sodas). Club Marriott members are entitled to a 30 percent discount. Dining vouchers are accepted with surcharge.
Unwind and discover Don Julio cigars and Flor De Cana rum at Atrium Lounge (5th Floor) from now until September 30. Flor De Cana rum is one of Central America’s leading brands of rum and one of the most recognized rum brands in the world. Visit www.renaissance-saigon.com for more info.
Be Natural
Salty Dragon soap is a local brand of 100 percent natural, handmade soap. Each bar contains local and imported ingredients including coconut, castor and olive oils, goat’s milk, aloe vera, beeswax, various essential oils, cocoa butter, honey and many more. They are mixed and molded by hand from start to finish. Salty Dragon never tests on animals and continually refines its process to provide “healthy, luxurious soap for every skin type, whether dry, oily or normal”. Email info@saltydragonsoap.com for more info or visit their Facebook page at http://facebook.com/saltydragonsoap.
BIS Helmets for Kids Campaign
With more than 37 million motorcycles registered in Vietnam, knowing how to properly wear a helmet has become a crucial matter and the Year 9 students of the British International School are helping to raise awareness. As part of the ongoing Helmets For Kids campaign, in May the Year 4 students of the Truong Huynh Van Ngoi local school were invited to BIS for an array of educational activities, all with the aim of teaching and encouraging road safety.
Throughout the event, students and teachers from the local school were interviewed about the event as well as their own awareness of helmet and road safety. Surprisingly, the number of responses to “Do you know how to wear a helmet?” was far from positive when students from the local school were asked. Although they all confidently stated the first part correctly, most of them forgot to fasten their chin strap. Readers, “Do you actually know how to properly wear a helmet?” If you don’t, follow these instructions: 1) The helmet has to be put on the same level front to back, side to side. 2) The side straps should be positioned right below your earlobe. 3) The chin strap should be fastened leaving the space for no more than one finger.
The simple message of “Wear Your Helmets” should be embedded not only into the minds of the students in Huynh Van Ngoi local school, but to every child in Vietnam that uses a motorbike without a helmet. By increasing awareness among the children themselves, the fearsome statistic of “over 9,000 motorcycle fatalities in Vietnam each year, 90 percent [of which] involve children” would inevitably falter.
Hair Bar Opens
Hair Bar (68 Ngo Duc Ke, D1) is a new concept by Sandrine Nguyen providing services to beautify women’s hair in as little as 30 minutes. There are no scissors or coloring at the Hair Bar, instead hair is washed with care, blown dry and then fabulously styled. Additional perks include a “blowout experience.” Visit www.hairbar.vn for details.
The Legends Bar & Grill
Wayne’s Texas BBQ has recently reopened as The Legends Bar & Grill (236 Bui Vien, D1) in Saigon’s backpackers area . The new drinking and dining destination still offers Tex-Mex specialties like nachos, fajitas and burritos, among others, with additional items like soup, seafood, kebabs, salads, burgers, sandwiches, steaks, chicken dishes, and more. Visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LegendsBarHCMC/ for more info.
Free Breakfast
The Snap Café’s (32 Tran Ngoc Dien, D2) Free Breakfast With a Coffee promotion was so popular in June that they’ve decided to extend it to July and August. From Monday to Friday, 7:30am-9:30am when you order any coffee (espresso, cappuccino, latte or black americano/long white), you can enjoy a free Oven Baked Cajun Clay Pot (diced potatoes and egg with bacon, bell peppers and onion) or Mexican Heuvos Rancheros (crispy tortillas topped with a sunny side up egg, warm tomato salsa, cilantro and garnished with a lime wedge). The promotion is limited to one order per person per day. Call 3519 4532 or email cafe@ snap.com.vn for details.