Inside Pullman Ninh Binh, Vietnam's Newest Luxury Hotel
The first internationally branded hotel has landed in the shadow of Vietnam's most dramatic limestone landscape.
Image: Pullman Ninh Binh/Accor
Ninh Binh’s scenery is finally get a hotel to match, in the new Pullman Ninh Binh. Hitherto a landscape where low-level boutique properties, guesthouses and hostels took in the view, it was inevitable that a luxury high-rise would eventually open to allow guests to drink in one of Vietnam’s most beautiful landscapes from above.
About 90 minutes south of Hanoi, the province is truly unmissbale, home to the UNESCO-listed Trang An Landscape Complex, where limestone karsts rise sharply from river valleys and rice fields in a setting regularly compared to Ha Long Bay on land. Visitors have been coming here for years, but until now, accommodation has meant small guesthouses, homestays or the modest hotels scattered around Tam Coc. That changed in April with the opening of Pullman Ninh Binh, a 29-storey property that is, by some distance, the tallest building in the region and its first internationally branded hotel.
Despite standing out in the landscape, the hotel has been designed with its surroundings in mind, using locally sourced materials, natural textures and smart energy systems throughout. The 283 rooms and suites all come with private balconies, and if you can, request a higher floor facing the karsts, as that’s the main draw.
Rooms include generous workspaces, rainfall showers, luxurious bedding and smart TVs, as guests have come to expect from Pullman, with the larger suites offering separate living areas and access to the Executive Lounge on the 26th floor. At the top end, the Presidential Suite comes with two balconies, a private kitchen and its own dining area.
The dining is also more varied than you might expect for a region still finding its feet as an international destination. Food ConneXion (pictured) is where breakfast and all-day dining takes place, with a strong showing of Vietnamese regional dishes alongside international options. Up on the 28th floor, Bublx is a champagne bar with tapas-style plates and panoramic views across the karsts - just make sure to grab an early seat for sunset. A steakhouse, Mad Cow Wine and Grill, and a Cantonese restaurant, Hoa Thuy Tien, are also both due to open later this year.
Image: Pullman Ninh Binh/Accor
The wellness side is far from lacking either: there are three swimming pools, including a rooftop option, a spa and a 24-hour fitness centre. For repeat travellers familiar with heading back to a basic room after a day climbing the 500 steps to Hang Mua or drifting through Trang An's caves by sampan, the contrast a welcome update.
Getting here is straightforward, thanks to direct transfers bookable through Pullman from Hanoi's Noi Bai airport, or you can take the train from Hanoi Railway Station, which takes around two hours. There are also the tried and tested sleeper buses loved by backpackers, which are an even more fun and affordable way to reach Ninh Binh and beyond.
