The Life Resorts Management Company
has signed a joint venture agreement to build a 110-unit Life Heritage
Resort in Sapa, a picturesque market town nestled high in the mountains
of northwestern Vietnam.The Sept. 11 signing event formalized the partnership between the Life
Resorts Company, the Son Kim Development Company and the Vietnam
Investment and Project Development Group (VIPD).

“Our resort is going to mirror the appeal of Sapa itself - a cultural
and ethnic rarity that has incredible appeal for local and international
visitors,” said Chris Duffy, general director of Life Resorts
Management. “This will be the first resort of its kind here, and will be
a place where guests can enjoy the incredible natural beauty of this
mountain village in a singular Life Resorts environment.”

 

Scheduled to open in early 2009, the resort’s design will marry the
aesthetics of colonial French villas with elements of the highlanders’s
traditional stone buildings. The unique traditions of Sapa history and
culture will inspire the accommodation, the spa, heated pool and
restaurant, all of which will be built on the resort’s 15 hectares of
hills, valleys and plateaus.

 

“Like each of our resorts, the Sapa property will be one-of-a-kind,”
said Duffy. “We’re not interested in cookie-cutter properties but in an
individualized approach that pays homage to a particular region without
sacrificing the creature comforts of a hotel with international
standing.”

 

The resort will feature 110 rooms and suites located in a mix of
free-standing bungalows and two-storey lodges. Each of the resort’s
French villa suites will encompass 45 square meters, as well as a six
square-meter terrace that provides stunning valley views. In the deluxe
hillside chalets, the rooms take in 60 square meters, including living
area, with a 10 square-meter terrace. The four two-storey mountain
lodges are 90 square meters each, with fireplaces, panoramic views and
private terraces.

 

At the center of the resort, the Life Spa will be set amid a garden of
rhododendrons, overlooking the valley below.

 

“Like our resort in Quy Nhon, the Life Spa in Sapa will provide
incredible visuals to guests in the midst of a treatment,” said Duffy.
“And because we celebrate a local touch whenever and wherever possible,
we’ll be using the rhododendrons in our tea, our oils and massage
treatments.”

 

Beyond the immediate appeal of the landscape, the region’s cultural
attractions are myriad. Twenty-seven of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minorities
live in the environs of Sapa, in traditional mountain villages where
stilt homes are not built as tourist attractions but for everyday
living.

 

Moreover, Sapa is renowned for its elaborately costumed denizens and its
unique cottage handicrafts. The market town of Sapa is one of a
half-dozen one-time colonial French hill-stations and a vibrant
commercial center for the region’s highland people.

 

The area’s unusual beauty is a primary draw for visitors. The
cloud-bathed mountains, luxuriant greenery and the regal splendor of
Mount Fansipan, Vietnam’s highest peak, all make this one of the
country’s premier destinations.

 

“Sapa is one of the most romantic spots in Vietnam,” said Duffy. “With
its mountains, valleys and distinctive terraced rice fields, Sapa has an
atmosphere of serenity and purity found nowhere else in the country. Our
resort is going to incorporate the incredible views into its design, and
bring that natural beauty indoors.”

 

The resort’s amenities will include a full complement of technologies
and services, including high-speed internet access, business centre
services, foreign exchange, postal services, newspapers and magazines,
same-day laundry service, a tour desk, transportation arrangements and
child-minding services.

 

Perched on the hilltop overlooking the valley, Senses Restaurant will
serve the Life Resort’s signature Life Cuisine. Fresh, local ingredients
will be integrated into the restaurant’s fusion dishes, and the view
will add spice to any meal.
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