Offering top customers smoother experiences at more than 1,000 airports. SkyTeam became the first global airline alliance to offer aligned priority benefits for top customers when it launched SkyPriority five years ago.
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Designed to make travel more seamless for First, Business and Elite Plus passengers flying on all SkyTeam member airlines, today SkyPriority is offered at more than 1,000 airports across the globe. SkyPriority was initially developed by Delta Air Lines, which launched the service in 2010. It proved successful in delivering a superior airport experience for top travellers. In 2012, SkyPriority became the first customer-facing initiative to be implemented by all SkyTeam member airlines.
“Over five years, SkyPriority has set SkyTeam apart as an industry leader on priority service innovations,” said Perry Cantarutti, SkyTeam’s CEO and Managing Director. “It’s our most popular customer initiative to-date, and because we are committed to delivering excellence, we are using real-time feedback from customers on-the-go via our award-winning SkyPriority Audit app to maintain a consistently high standard of service around the globe.”
SkyPriority offers eligible travellers a suite of priority airport benefits. The highlights include the following benefits: Priority (at check-in, baggage drop off, security and immigration, ticket and transfer desks, boarding and baggage collection); Clear branding (easily-identifiable signs at each location and indicators on boarding passes ensure seamless access to services); SkyPriority Finder (available on SkyTeam.com and SkyTeam APP it allows customers to discover which services are available in airports they are flying to/from); SkyPriority Customer Audit APP (Eligible customers wishing to join the SkyPriority Panel program can enrol via SkyTeam.com).
SkyTeam continues to invest in SkyPriority, adding fast-track security and immigration access at an increasing number of global airports.
From 14th to 20th July 2017, the Royal Thai Embassy in Vietnam, in collaboration with Thai Airways International and Melia Hanoi Hotel will organize a food festival named “A week of Thai cuisine” at El Patio Restaurant.
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Thailand has gained its own fame for the delightful culinary art. Meticulously fusing the elements of several Southeast Asian tastes, this gastronomic culture embraces harmonious blends of herbs, spices and fresh ingredients with well-balanced combination of spicy, sour, sweet and bitter flavors.
Exclusively from 14th to 20th July 2017, the Royal Thai Embassy in Vietnam, Thai Airways International and Melia Hanoi Hotel will hold a food festival: “A week of Thai cuisine” at El Patio Restaurant (Buffet Lunch from 11:30am – 2pm & Buffet Dinner from 6pm to 10pm). Well-known Thai Chef Professor Chayanit Prampate with her hand-picked ingredients and finest recipes will visit Hanoi to tantalize the taste buds of the most demanding palates. Through this awaited gastronomy experience, guests will discover the Country of Smiles by its traditional specialties such as Tom Kha Gai, Tom Yam Goong, and the list goes on.
Melia Hanoi has been victorious in three categories at the International Hotel Awards, including ‘Best City Hotel Vietnam, ‘Best Large Hotel Vietnam and ‘International Five Star Hotel 2017 – 2018’, demonstrating the hotel’s consistent excellence on a global scale.
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The International Hotel Awards exclusively provide 5-star accolades at an international level, determining the finest hotels and hospitality companies in the world. The awards take in consideration of location, service, facilities, exterior as well as interior design, safety and security.
Melia Hanoi’s General Manager, Guillermo Pantoja happily shares: “This is a huge achievement for us and we are very proud to have received not one, but three, prestigious accolades along with the well-known international 5 star hotel standard. Of course none of this would be possible without the dedication and hard work of all the hotel’s associates, each of whom is passionate about providing guests with the very best Melia experience”.
Since opening in 1999, Melia Hanoi has been a leading hotel in Hanoi with the unrivalled location in the center of the city, luxurious rooms and a wide array of facilities, from a state-of-the-art business center to an outdoor swimming pool. The hotel is the perfect choice for business or leisure. The hotel has been recognized as “Top 10 5-star hotel of Vietnam” by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, “Best MICE Hotel of Hanoi” by Vietnam Economic Times, “Best Revenue Management Hotel”, “Best Quality Hotel” of Melia Hotels International Asia Pacific and the list goes on.
SkyTeam, the global airline alliance has launched a branded product to meet the specific travel requirements of the Marine and Offshore (M&O) industry. SkyTeam Marine and Offshore offers tailored travel solutions for seafarers and offshore workers alike.
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SkyTeam Marine and Offshore is managed by IAS Global (International Airline Services Limited) and will initially include travel on six SkyTeam members – Aeroflot, Air France, Delta, KLM, Kenya Airways and Saudia – with more airlines set to participate in the coming months. The airlines of SkyTeam’s Marine and Offshore product offer one way and round-trip special fares to more than 1,000 global destinations with bespoke conditions for baggage allowance and ticket flexibility to meet the travel needs of ship crews and offshore workers.
“Launching a dedicated Marine and Offshore product combines our members’ M&O expertise with SkyTeam’s track record of delivering a seamless travel experience,” said Perry Cantarutti, SkyTeam’s CEO and managing director. “Meanwhile, working with IAS Global will ensure SkyTeam’s product is widely available to M&O specialist travel agencies worldwide through one convenient point of contact that includes multiple member airlines.”
Bernard Rafferty, Managing Director of IAS Global stated “With over 20 years’ experience in the Marine and Offshore crew travel sector IAS is delighted to now offer our expertise to Skyteam airlines to provide an enhanced service to their travel trade partners and in turn, to their industry clients.”
SkyTeam Marine and Offshore is one of a number of branded, alliance-wide travel products developed to deliver value to member airlines and global customers. These include SkyTeam Global Meetings – designed for the Meetings (MICE) industry to simplify travel to small and large-scale international events, SkyTeam Corporate Agreements – streamlined travel management offering a tailor-made, competition-law compliant solution for corporate contracting and SkyTeam China Corporate Connection – simple, competition-law compliant corporate airline agreements for companies in China.
Guests offered savings of up to 30 per cent on room rates at more than 80 hotels and resorts across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe for stays until 31st August.
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Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has launched its global ‘It’s your Summer’ campaign, inviting guests to take advantage of discounts of up to 30 per cent on room rates at more than 80 hotels and resorts globally. The Swiss hospitality firm’s Summer 2017 promotion, which applies to bookings of two nights or more, also offers guests who book their stay online a complimentary US$20 voucher to spend at any participating hotel restaurant. With a vast selection of upscale properties spanning Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is encouraging travellers to make the most of their summer and the 30 per cent savings offer by booking multiple stays.
“Our portfolio spoils guests for choice, with properties ranging from chic city hotels to beachside resorts in destinations that cover four exciting and diverse continents,” said Paul Mulcahy, Senior Vice President Commercial of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. “We operate multiple hotels in many countries and with our Summer 2017 campaign offering value-for-money room rates, it provides travellers with the perfect excuse to book more than one property or holiday to experience all that a destination – or even a region – has to offer.”
The ‘It’s your Summer’ campaign is valid for stays between 1st June and 31st August, 2017. Guests staying with Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts this summer will also have the chance to sample two new initiatives launched by the hospitality firm this year – its global family programme and, at some European properties, an innovative sleep concept.
The ‘Mövenpick Family’ programme offers guests travelling with youngsters a range of complimentary benefits including ‘on demand’ baby essentials such as strollers, change tables and bottle warmers; healthy children’s menus; family-friendly services; local activities; and special room discounts. These added extras are available at Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts globally.
Guests staying at properties in Germany, The Netherlands and Switzerland, can opt for a pioneering personalized sleep experience by booking a new ‘SLEEP individually different’ room. The new rooms feature Mövenpick’s YouBed – hailed as the world’s first spring-system bed with adjustable firmness to suit personal comfort preferences – as well as complimentary amenities including sleep masks, ear plugs, lavender pads and black-out stickers that cover lights on electronic devices.
Mövenpick Hotel & Resorts
Laura Perez Diaz
Shatha Tower Floor 39, Office 3903 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Eastin Grand Hotel Saigon has attractive promotion package 3 days and 2 nights for guests to enjoy a magical trip to the vibrant city streets of Vietnam’s Pearl.
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Indulge in luxurious accommodation in the truly cosmopolitan atmosphere of Saigon accompanied by a gastronomic journey ranging from the finest Cantonese delicacies to sumptuous international fare, fine wines and avant-garde cocktails. All these are waiting to pamper guests in an absolutely wonderful weekend extravaganza.
This package price is only from VND3,760,000++/ two persons / night (rates do not include VAT and service charge) for stays on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and it will be available until 31st Dec 2017. The package includes 2-night stay in a luxurious Club room, 2-way airport transfer, a meal voucher (VND500,000 to be used at any F&B outlet such as Tung Garden, Café Saigon, Mot Hai Bar, Café Cay Da), Dim Sum voucher for two at Tung Garden (Lunch only), check-in and check-out at the state-of-the-art Executive Lounge with a selection of welcome beverages, unlimited access to the Executive Lounge, daily breakfast and beverages at the Executive Lounge or Café Saigon, evening Happy Hours at the Executive Lounge, afternoon tea and snacks, guaranteed late check-out, daily in-room seasonal fresh fruits, free Wi-Fi internet.
In addition, one child of 16 years or under sharing their parents’ room will receive a complimentary extra bed and breakfast. And guests also receive 35% discount on food & beverages at Mot Hai Bar from 5.00 pm, 30% discount on food & beverages at Café Saigon from 5.00pm and 15% discount on food & beverages at Café Saigon, Cay Da Café and Tung Garden.
On the other hand, this pakage does not apply to group bookings, and its minimum booking requirement is that guests must book two consecutive nights.
On 4th July, Vietnam House Restaurant will mark its impressive rebirth with Vietnamese cuisine taste in a luxury interior space.
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With a grand opening on 4th July 2017, Vietnam House Restaurant is set to introduce Vietnamese cuisine with a modern twist at the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Through a unique partnership between celebrity chef Luke Nguyen and Windsor Property Management Group Corporation (WMC Group), the restaurant returns to its former location with a fully renovated interior design and façade accenting the historic building on the corner of Dong Khoi and Mac Thi Buoi.
The restored colonial building once housed the famed Café L’Imperial in the early 1900s, and was a popular destination for the city’s affluent business class. The new Vietnam House Restaurant is set to bring back the nostalgia and charm of the storied street corner. Waiters and waitresses serve classic and modern Vietnamese dishes in a setting featuring hues of vibrant blues and greens complemented by wood accents adorning walls and ceilings.
The menu of Vietnam House Restaurant spans the country with classic dishes selected from North to South delivering a traditional style while reflecting modern trends with culinary impressions from Chef Luke Nguyen. With experiences and knowledge gained by travelling throughout Vietnam, Chef Luke invites diners on a rich gastronomic journey with unique presentations of classic recipes.
Open for lunch and dinner, Vietnam House Restaurant presents a curated menu of the country’s favorite dishes. The signature flavors of Vietnam House revolve around the high quality, fresh produce elegantly prepared and presented in a modern style. Chef Luke and his culinary team source local markets daily to ensure only the freshest fruits and vegetables are used in the kitchen, and use cooking methods that retain and enhance the flavors of the ingredients and spices.
Watch the city’s traffic bustle quietly by through classic arched windows while sipping premium coffees and classic ca phe sua da brewed from the finest Arabica and Robusta beans. To complement your lunch or dinner, select from the expansive wine list featuring 500 varietals including award-winning brands from vineyards around the globe.
The rebirth of Vietnam House takes inspiration from the storied corner of Dong Khoi and Mac Thi Buoi, but inspires guests with a dining experience that complements their unique lifestyle, dining at the highest level with world-class service delivering the best of Vietnamese gastronomy. With the launch of Vietnam House Restaurant, WMC Group and Luke Nguyen have carefully crafted a uniquely “Vietnamese” dining experience worthy of promoting Ho Chi Minh City as a budding destination for global gourmands and tourists to Vietnam.
Vietnam House Restaurant
Add: 93-97 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Located in the heart of Nha Trang, The Costa Nha Trang Hotel & Residences is a symbol of modern living at luxury oceanfront residences, overlooking the beautiful beaches of Nha Trang Bay.
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The Costa Nha Trang Hotel & Residences overlooks the beautiful beaches of Nha Trang Bay. Adjacent to The InterContinental, the 5-star hotel, The Costa Nha Trang Hotel & Residences is the first 5-star luxurious hotel apartment complex in Nha Trang city.
Ideally located on Tran Phu street in Nha Trang Beach City, The Costa has set new luxurious standards with its beach-front apartments, comprising 9 different types of penthouses, sky villas, four-bedroom residences, three-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom apartments, and studio & one-bedroom apartments.
The Costa Nha Trang Residences is a place that offers the highest quality of living with the collaboration of International management Alston Hospitality Group. Overlooking the ocean at the 19th floor or higher, Designed in a modern living style from 2 to 4 bedrooms, Sky villas and Penthouses, offering you a choice that best fits you and an experience of a whole new lifestyle
The Costa Nha Trang Executive Residences is a special place for you to gaze your eyes into the wide scenery and enjoy the precious beauty that nature bestows in the city of Nha Trang.
Vietnamese food is distinct and unforgettable. The cuisine relies on a balance of salty, sweet, sour and hot flavours, achieved through use of nuoc mam, a fermented fish sauce, cane sugar, the juice of kalamansi citrus fruit or tamarind and chilli peppers. Dishes use plenty of fresh herbs but tend not to be overly spicy, as chilli sauces are served separately.
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1. Pho – Noodle
Vietnam’s national dish a the country’s great staple is pho, a noodle soup eaten at any time of day but primarily at breakfast. The basic bowl of pho consists of a light beef or chicken broth flavoured with ginger and coriander, to which are added broad, flat rice noodles, spring onions and slivers of chicken, pork or beef.
2. Xoi – Sticky Rice
“Xoi”, or “glutinous rice”, “sticky rice” in English, can be found in many South East Asia food stalls or luxurious local restaurant. In Vietnam, Sticky rice is commonly popular breakfast item and give you a boost of added energy.
The glutinous rice comes with any number of mix-ins (from slithers of chicken, or pork to fried or preserved eggs), but almost always with a scattering of dried shallots on top. The most common combination is included chicken meat, sausage and scallion oil.
You can find this wonderful dish on several vendors around Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi City or try it at
3. Banh mi – Vietnamese baguette Sandwich
Commonly well-known along with Pho, Vietnamese baguette sandwiches, called Banh Mi, have attracted a growing fan base around the word. The uniqueness of Banh mi not only lies within the light and crispy baguette, but also the variation of flavors Vietnam fillings bring out the most amazing flavor.
This baguette sandwich filled with greens and a choice of fillings, including pâté and freshly made omelet, is so delicious that it’s been imitated around the world. In the north chefs stick to the basic elements of carbohydrate, fat and protein—bread, margarine and pate—but head south and your banh mi may contain a more colorful combination of cheese, cold cuts, pickled vegetables, sausage, fried egg, fresh cilantro and chili sauce.
Be prepared for long waiting lines of this popular Banh Mi store for both locals and tourists.
4. Bun cha
A Hanoi specialty, you’ll find bun cha at food stalls and street kitchens across the city. Essentially a small hamburger, the pork patties are barbecued on an open charcoal brazier and served on a bed of cold rice noodles with assorted foliage and a slightly sweetish sauce.
5. Nem ran – Fried Spring Rolls
Vietnam’s bite-sized crunchy spring rolls might not enjoy the same popularity as their healthier fresh equivalent, but they deserve a special mention.
The crispy shell with a soft veggie and meat filling dunked in a tangy sauce gets the gastronomic juices flowing before a main course. In the north these parcels go by the name Nem ran while southerners call them Cha Gio. They are most commonly stuffed with minced pork and diced vegetables, though some places use crab, tofu, or even mashed jicama or taro root.
6. Bun Bo Hue
If you are a soup lover then you will be pleased to learn that Bun Bo Hue is another classic Vietnamese dish. Whether North, South or Central, “Bun” also creates unique and specific dishes in each region. However, in Hue, they like “bun” rather than other one because of style of “bun Hue”. Hue style not only is the elegant, sophisticated, precise dishes but also feel the spirit of the processor. Coming to Hue, either morning or afternoon, walking along the small streets, people can find easily “bun bo Hue”. This thick slippery rice noodle can be found countrywide.
7. Goi cuon (Raw spring Roll)
Salad roll ranks among Vietnam’s most famous foods and is very agreeable to the taste. Each translucent spring rolls packed with greens, coriander and various combinations of minced pork, shrimp or crab. In some places they’re served with a bowl of lettuce and/or mint. A southern variation has barbecued strips of pork wrapped up with green banana and star fruit, and then dunked in a rich peanut sauce – every bit as tasty as it sounds.
8. Banh Cuon – Steamed Rice Cake
Taste the French influence in this famous and delicious recipe made of wheat, egg and dairy products. Vietnamese especially from the North, take pride in their steamed crepe made from rice flour and water. Ground pork, wood-ear, onion and seasoning are stuffed inside this savory meal. Most of the chefs make it right at the entrance door using the steaming method. Banh cuon is served with a mixture of fish sauce including sugar and lime.
9. Banh xeo – Sizzling cake
Banh Xeo are giant savory pancakes that literally translate to sizzling cake because of the noise they make when they are being cooked. A good sizzling cake is a crispy crepe bulging with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, plus the garnish of fresh herbs that are characteristic of most authentic Vietnamese dishes.
To enjoy one like a local, cut it into manageable slices, roll it up in rice paper or lettuce leaves and dunk it in whatever special sauce the chef has mixed up for you.
10. Com tam – Broken rice
This simple meal, is one of the most popular dishes from South Vietnam at any time of the day, but particular in the morning. It is usually served grilled marinated pork chops, plus a mixture of thinly shredded pork and pork skin over broken rice. On top of the meat, there are several customary ingredients such as: finely sliced cucumber, tomato and pickled vegetables, along with prawn paste cake also known as steamed pork and egg custard or pork meatloaf with egg, fried egg, and grilled prawns.
As a dry dish, it would normally be served with a small bowl of fish sauces on the side.
Strong and flavourful Vietnamese coffee makes converts as quickly as it raises pulses. French colonists might have introduced coffee to Vietnam, but the morning cup of ca phe soon became a local habit. With variations that make use of yoghurt, eggs and even fruit, Vietnamese coffee has developed a style of its own.
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Same but different
The preparation process, as well as the blend of beans, helps give Vietnamese coffee its particular style. Coarsely ground beans go into a French drip filter (called a phin), which sits on top of the cup. The beans are weighted down with a thin lid, hot water is added to the phin, and then the water slowly trickles through into the cup. Most people drink the resulting dark, strong brew with sweetened condensed milk, a practice that began because the French couldn’t easily acquire fresh milk. In the north of Vietnam, this mixture is referred to as ca phe nau (brown coffee), while in the south it’s called ca phe sua (milk coffee).
Types of coffee
Vietnam has far more to offer in the caffeine department than just coffee with milk. Below are a few more unique variations to look out for.
1. Yoghurt coffee (sua chua ca phe)
Like coffee, yoghurt was originally brought to Vietnam by the French and has been adopted into local culinary tradition. Rich and creamy, it’s served with various toppings, from fresh mango to fermented rice – and even coffee. This might sound like an odd combination, but the rich yoghurt pairs amazingly well with a drizzle of black coffee – just stir and sip.
2. Egg coffee (ca phe trung)
Egg yolk whipped with condensed milk into an airy froth meets dark coffee in this rich concoction: think of it as a Vietnamese take on tiramisu. Egg coffee first made the scene in the 1940s, when milk was scarce and egg yolks provided a convenient replacement.
3. Coffee smoothie (sinh to ca phe)
In recent years, coffee has even found its way into smoothies. Popular juice shops perk up creamy blends of fresh fruit with a touch of Vietnamese coffee, sometimes tossing in yoghurt or cashews. In Hanoi, try sinh to ca phe chuoi bo (coffee blended with banana and avocado). In Ho Chi Minh City, go for sinh to ca phe sapoche (coffee blended with sapodilla, a tropical fruit with a custard-like taste). Both are delicious ways to get your caffeine fix and your vitamins at the same time.
Where to drink
Hanoi remains the undisputed centre of cafe culture in Vietnam. While modern-style coffee shops have grown in popularity, traditional sidewalk cafes still fill up from morning to night with drinkers of all ages, who linger for hours over a single glass. However, you can find quality coffee all over Vietnam. In Ho Chi Minh City, coffee is usually served in taller glasses and is slightly cheaper.
♦ For the experience: Trieu Viet Vuong
Known as ‘Coffee Street’, this stretch of Hanoi’s historic Hai Ba Trung District might contain more cafes per block than anywhere else in Vietnam, ranging from family-run shops to more fashionable places popular with teenagers. Hanoian favourite Cafe Tho (117 Trieu Viet Vuong), which has been here for three decades, brews a powerful cup that still draws consistent crowds.
♦ For dessert: Cafe Giang
No trip to Hanoi is complete without a taste of egg coffee at the place it was invented. Cafe Giang (39 Nguyen Huu Huan), on the edge of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, was the first to begin whipping up this drink/dessert in the 1940s. Since then the atmosphere has changed as little as the recipe. While the tiny stools here might not be the most comfortable, the drink itself is top notch. Those who don’t drink coffee can sample the egg foam with sweetened mung beans or cocoa.
♦ For the view: Cafe Pho Co
Accessed via an entrance concealed in the back of a shop, a spiral staircase leads up to Hanoi’s Cafe Pho Co and a stunning view of Hoan Kiem Lake. From the quiet balcony overlooking the lake and surrounding streets, you can enjoy a coffee while watching the seemingly never-ending stream of traffic pass by.
♦ For a blast from the past: Cafe La Tamia
A retro cafe in Ho Chi Minh City, La Tamia (38/05 Tran Khac Chan) offers visitors a glimpse into old Saigon. Relax on a vintage sofa or browse the cafe owner’s collection of antique TVs and gramophones while enjoying your iced coffee.
Drink like a local
A few coffee-drinking tips for your Vietnam trip:
Milky way Don’t even try to ask for decaf. If you prefer your coffee mild, do as the Vietnamese do and order ca phe bac xiu, coffee with lots of extra condensed milk.
Sweet spot As condensed milk is sweetened, there is no white coffee without sugar. True coffee connoisseurs should opt for ca phe den (black coffee). A touch of sugar will bring out the complex flavours, just as it does with dark chocolate. However, if you want to ensure that your drink isn’t too sweet, ask for it duong (less sugar).
Avoid hunger Cafes in Vietnam don’t typically serve food. Some newer cafes do offer quick eats, but you’re better off following the local custom of eating first and then heading to a cafe to relax. In a pinch, you can always nibble on hat huong duong (sunflower seeds).
