Prepare to be mesmerised in the heart of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism with Legacy Yen Tu, MGallery by Sofitel. Located in Uong Bi City City, within just one hour’s driving from Ha Long Bay and Cat Bi Airport, its 13th-century design sets the scene for your holiday, meditation or incentive trip. The hotel is at the foot of Yen Tu Mountain, opposite Yen Tu Village with trekking and spiritual activities available.

The entire hotel is designed with breath-taking elegance, featuring the historical, cultural and spiritual heritage of Tran Dynasty through traditional craftsmanship. Guests can indulge in a delightful selection of Vietnamese and international cuisine at Tho Quang Restaurant and Thien Quan Bar, or relax within the charming ambiance of Am Tue Tinh Wellness.

The scared Yen Tu Mountain is the cradle of Truc Lam Zen Buddhism in Vietnam inherited the rich culture and historical spirit since Tran’s dynasty. This is a ideal place for trekking as well as spiritual tourism with natural forest and beautiful landscape

Recently the property won World Travel Award for ‘Vietnam’s Leading Boutique Hotel 2022 and so BTN caught up with them to find out more.
BTN: Tell us about your company and the kind of services you offer.
LYT:  Legacy Yen Tu – MGallery is located in a unique location lying at the foothill of Yen Tu Mountain, which is 40 kilometers far from the World Heritage – Halong Bay and 130 kilometers far from Hanoi. The hotel is designed with breath-taking elegance, featuring the historical, cultural, and spiritual heritage of the 13th-century Tran Dynasty and the peaceful Zen culture through traditional craftsmanship, a masterpiece of the famous architecture – Mr. Bill Bensley. Here, you can indulge in a delightful selection of Vietnamese and international cuisine at Tho Quang Restaurant and Thien Quan Bar, relax within the charming ambiance of Am Tue Tinh Wellness Center or experience the natural Yen Tu energy with our Yoga and Meditation classes.

BTN:  Which areas of your sector do you see the most potential for growth and why?
LYT:  At Legacy Yen Tu – MGallery, we focus on every part of guests’ journey, especially their mental health. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, people are paying more and more attention to healthcare, and Wellness Tourism is the best option to gain back your energy after hours of stress and work. Though Legacy Yen Tu – Mgallery has been known as an ideal retreat for Wellness Tourism, however, we believe that we still have the potential to develop in this field.

BTN:  What does it mean to you to have won the World Travel Award for ‘Vietnam’s Leading Boutique Hotel 2022?
LYT:  We are honored to receive the precious title of the Oscar of the hotel industry – the World Travel Award. This is such recognition for our efforts during the pandemic and also the motivation for us to continuously improve our quality in the future.

BTN:  What makes your property stand out from the others?
LYT:  In particular, Legacy Yen Tu – Mgallery itself has already made a unique position. As I have mentioned above, our hotel is the only place located at the foothill of Yen Tu Mountain, the spiritual ground of Vietnamese Buddhism. There’s no doubt that this is the perfect destination to discover Vietnamese history and culture during your retreat.

Furthermore, we are proud to have Am Tue Tinh Wellness Center, which is inspired by Master Tue Tinh, the founding father of Vietnamese Medicine. Specializing in herbal baths, treatments, and wellness consulting, Am Tue Tinh aims to harmonize body, mind, and soul into total wellness. We offer authentic treatment experiences revolving around three key pillars: Tue Tinh physical wellness practices, meditation as a life-nourishing method, and royal standard of therapy rituals.

BTN:  Are your clients seeking more from you regarding sustainability and if so how are you going to approach this?
LYT:  Sustainable development is a common trend that all businesses are aiming for, including us. As a part of Accors Hotel, we believe that sustainable development is a strategic vision in the main process of “center our clients”. Since 2010, Accor has officially launched the new program “Planet 21” with distinctive targets in the social, environmental, and society supporting fields and we have been actively involved in this program. Besides all the programs, we also focus on improving local human resources and letting the locals do what they are made for.

BTN:  How do you see the groups and meetings market evolving in your area and at your property?
LYT:    After a long time restricted due to the pandemic, MICE tourism has shown positive signs of recovery recently. For us, Legacy Yen Tu - MGallery is the ideal destination for MICE tourism with many venue options: Dien Hong Ballroom (852m2 - 900 seats), Minh Tam Square (11000m2), etc… Together with our featured products and professional team, many MICE partners have trusted in Legacy Yen Tu - MGallery for their events and we want to continue to spread these values even more. 

BTN:  Do you have any plans for 2023, which will provide increased facilities and services for your guests?
LYT:  A lot of new ideas have been planned by our team for 2023, a year we believe in a strong recovery of the tourism industry. We will continue to create and develop the values that the hotel is pursuing. Most typical plans among those that can be mentioned are focusing on the addition of organic foods, macrobiotic menu options in the restaurant, as well as the continued diversification of favorite meditation and yoga experiences at our hotel. Last year, we launched Paddle Board yoga and received a lot of positive feedback from customers, next year 2023 we hope to achieve the same.
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BTN:  How important are international visitors for your property, as against the domestic market from Asia, and will this award help market your property’s unique appeal to both?
LYT:    Yen Tu Destination, along with Legacy Yen Tu – Mgallery is still new to the international market. Therefore, this award, given the prestige of WTA, is a very good way for us to promote our hotel in the international tourist market, especially when this market is expected to recover strongly next year.