Sun Group opens stunning Bill Bensley-designed, five-star hotel in Sapa

By Phat Dat   December 17, 2018 | 05:00 am PT
Sun Group last week opened Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel in Sa Pa, the gateway to mountainous northern Vietnam.

Designed by Bill Bensley, "the king of exoticluxury resorts" as he was dubbed by Time magazine, and managed by Sun Group’s strategic partner, AccorHotels, under its MGallery brand, this superlative boutique hotel has set a new benchmark for luxury tourism in Sa Pa, which offers access to Mount Fansipan, "the roof of Indochina" at 3,143m.

The MGallery collection features numerous iconic, artfully designed hotels, many of which have hosted world famous leaders, celebrities and authors.

By taking inspiration from each hotel’s distinctive surroundings, every MGallery hotel tells its own unique story. The Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel is no exception.

Private firm Sun Group is a leading investor in hotels, resorts, and recreation and amusement places in Vietnam.

Hotel de la Coupole is the first international first five-star hotel to debut in Sa Pa town

Hotel de la Coupole is the first international first five-star hotel to debut in Sa Pa town.

As the first international five-star hotel to open in Sa Pa town in Lao Cai Province, Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel fulfills the Sun Group’s dream of restoring Sa Pa back to its heyday, when the town was a retreat for French people in the ‘Tonkinese Alps’.

Featuring 249 modern and elegant rooms and suites in six categories, Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel offers guests breathtaking views of Sa Pa valley, the mountains and the nearby town square.

Inspired by French motifs du jour, while always looking to add a ‘Sapa twist’, Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel is both a fabulous tribute to a bygone era and its mountain setting.

While its evocative facade and nostalgia-tinged ambience revive the splendors of 1920s French Indochina, the vibrant colors, patterns and textures of its interiors are inspired by the hill tribes, who live all around the mountains of Sapa, and the lush sophistication of French haute couture.

Thousands of vintage collectibles and hill tribe accessories were collected by Bill Bensley to create what will be a truly unique guest experience in one of the most heavenly destinations in Asia.

With this exquisite detail and sumptuous overall design from Bensley, and the superlative AccorHotels services under the MGallery Brand, Hotel de la Coupole re-affirms Sun Group’s ambition to "stand on the shoulders of giants" by always partnering with world-renowned architects and premier hospitality brands.

Guests will also discover that F&B is at the heart and soul of Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel. At Chic, a French restaurant with haute couture inspired decor, customers can dine in a grand yet intimate setting with refined French dishes infused with local ingredients and a carefully-curated wine list, comprising specially procured French labels.

Featuring both a cozy interior and an open rooftop with a fireplace and offering views of the mountains, Absinthe offers a selection of tapas, wines and locally inspired cocktails. Downstairs, Cacao features a variety of freshly baked patisseries, handmade macaroons and specialty coffees, teas and a signature hot chocolate, the perfect treat in the cool mountain air.

Rooms with wide open doors that overlook the legendary Sa Pa valley, mountain views and town square.

Rooms with wide open doors that overlook Sa Pa valley, mountain views and town square.

Leisure facilities include a heated indoor pool called Le Grand Bassin, a fitness center, Nuages Spa and Bobbins kids club. As the only international luxury hotel in Sapa, the resort offers a 435sqm ballroom that can host up to 570 guests in theatre style with four meeting rooms and two board rooms that can host small meetings and conferences.

The hotel’s guests are just a few short steps from the hustle and bustle of Sapa Market with its range of handicrafts and souvenirs. They will also be able to explore the mountains, visiting the Sapa Love Market where Mong and Dao ethnic groups go courting on Saturdays.

As part of a network of luxury accommodation, amusement and recreation facilities that Sun Group is developing in Sa Pa, Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel also offers guests a unique, VIP journey to the very top of Sa Pa.

From the hotel, guests will be ferried to Muong Hoa cable car station from where they can make a seven-minute trip to the Fansipan cable car station, enjoying the spectacular beauty of Hoang Lien Son range with its rolling mountains, forests and valleys from a great height.

At the top of Fansipan, dubbed "the Roof of Indochina", guests will be bowled over not only by the spellbinding scenery but also a complex of Buddha statues and pagodas.

At the grand opening ceremony, Jean-Pierre Joncas, general manager of Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel, said: "I am excited to launch the first international luxury hotel in Sapa that fuses high-fashion glamour with colorful hill tribe-style. Renowned for its picturesque beauty, Sapa is famous for its rugged scenery and rich cultural diversity.

"Guests staying at the hotel can bask in the picturesque beauty of Fansipan Mountain with a ride up the Fansipan cable car, which offers enthralling views of Muong Hoa Valley and the Hoang Lien Son Mountain range."

Dang Minh Truong, vice president, CEO of Sun Group, agreed wholeheartedly, adding: "Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel marks a new beginning for Sun Group on this journey to accompany Lao Cai Province and bring Sa Pa tourism to a new standard of development.

Heated pool named Le Grand Bassin at Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel.

Heated pool named Le Grand Bassin at Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel.

"We believe that the impressive design of the hotel, together with its one-of-a-kind services will bring guests unforgettable experiences, and lead Sa Pa tourism to new heights of development, showcasing its attractiveness and position in the region and the world."

With Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel, truly a masterpiece of hotel design, Sun Group has taken another major step toward restoring Sa Pa as a leading global tourism destination. Along with the Fansipan cable car system and a series of unique tourism products accessible by the Muong Hoa cable car system, such as the Sun World Fansipan Legend complex and the pagodas built on top of Fansipan mountain, Sun Group has quite literally taken tourism in Sapa to new heights.

In the near future Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery by Sofitel will help put Sapa, and Lao Cai Province, on the map as a luxurious destination known throughout the world, just as the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort and JW Marriot Phu Quoc Emerald Bay, also developed by Sun Group, have helped fly the flag for luxury tourism in Danang and Phu Quoc.

 
 
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