No apology for extravagance
THE Reverie Saigon is a shining example of Ho Chi Minh City’s booming economy and wealth. From the first encounter on the ground floor to its opulent dining venues and guest rooms, every single corner oozes a sense of extravagance and opulence.
The hotel belongs to a local wealthy family. The hotel proved that a wiser, mindful hotelier has the supreme ability to incorporate Vietnamese attributes of courtesy and friendliness into their guest services at the same time as providing the very best modern Italian aesthetics, comforts and amenities.
The Times Square Building and The Reverie Saigon housed within it is a project designer Kent Lui most proud of to-date. “The building’s exterior reflects a modernist design with colorful LED lights embedded into its facade to put on spectacular light shows, while its interior is decorated with the grandeur of an Italian palazzo,” he said.
The building — with its worldclass hotel, luxury apartments, grade-A office space, premium retail outposts, impressive dining outlets and Saigon’s most exclusive spa — symbolizes the best multi-function destination in Ho Chi Minh City. The Reverie Saigon in the building is the crowning achievement of a project which took nearly seven years to bring to life.
The basement and superstructure alone took approximately three years to put in place, and then work on the interiors began in 2011, starting with a worldwide search for the best in furniture design and craftsmanship.
Massive investment has been poured into building this extravagant hotel crafted to perfection. Italian became the predominant choice because when it comes to the best in design and manufacturing, Italy is known throughout the world for its long history of impeccable craftsmanship. Thus the best of the best Italian interior designers furnished The Reverie Saigon’s 286 rooms and suites and function spaces.
Splendid and dreamy, whimsical and fanciful, constant amazement and surprise is meant to happen when a guest wanders around the hotel. That’s why so many of the decorative pieces and design elements come with such a “wow” factor, because that was the intended effect — to give guests the opportunity to experience and enjoy some of the most interesting, most unique interior decor they’ve ever come across — including masterpieces and eccentricities that they would otherwise not necessarily have in their homes.
A grandiose, 5-meter sofa from Colombostile’s Baroque-meets-Rococo “Esmeralda” line, custom-made with purple ostrich leather and a gilded trim and bejeweled with a singular, precious amethyst stone draw much attention at the lobby. It’s the only one of its kind in the world.
Vibrant mosaics by Sicis of Italy, reminiscent of those found in grand Venetian palazzos, can be found throughout the hotel, from the towering walls of flowers adorning the seventh floor lobby to the white-and-gold mosaic which lines the winding staircase of The Spa. A Bechstein grand piano, dating to 1895, that has been reinterpreted by Baldi as art is on display outside the La Scala ballroom.
And then there’s the backlit golden gate fossil stone that lines the guest elevators, flanked by sleek, stenciled steel. Nothing is ordinary here and that was the idea.
Guests can choose from the 12 types of opulent suites and rooms. The master creations from Colombostile, Provasi, Giorgetti, Venini and Visionnaire have been generously displayed and used throughout the hotel.
Giulio Cappellini, art director of the Milan-based Poltrona Frau Group and an iconic trendsetter in the industry, said of the hotel: “I can’t think of any other property anywhere in the world that has brought together so many of Italy’s leading furnishing design brands. Except perhaps a museum.”
According to Lui, the overarching design approach was to create spaces that would exude a contemporary luxury defined by unreserved grandeur — generous in splendor every which way you turn. “A fanciful, classically inspired splendor unlike any that even the worldliest travelers have ever encountered.”
The design is bold and its approach sophisticated. Its extravagance and splendor captivates because the hotel really does present a design experience like no other. “Unlike conventional hotel blueprints, ours was never limited by preconceived designs and concepts. The idea was to deliver a delightfully outside-of-the-box experience. It’s meant to be opulent and extravagant — and unapologetically so,” Lui said.
The space inside The Reveries Saigon is considered “couture” in the world of interior design.