Xin chào! Today we went to UEF about smart and sustainable service in businesses, where we played a kahoot and I got second place! As a prize, I got nori flavored chips which I am excited to try eventually. We then did presentations about business models that have been successful in the U.S. that haven’t reached Vietnam yet, and even though we didn’t win my group still got a mug. This was followed by us trying traditional mooncakes and a Vietnamese class! I learned new words, such as how to introduce yourself in Vietnamese, “Xin chào, tôi tên là Rachel” and other phrases, along with how to address those older than you. We had an amazing (but quick) lunch, and then immediately headed to our site visit at the Park Hyatt Saigon.
During the visit to the Hyatt, what stood out to me the most was the luxury in and outside the building. We took a tour throughout the hotel and everything was carefully curated and beautiful. The close attention that they pay to the guests and their needs really interested me. They explained how they remember guests names and their specific preferences, such as where to sit in one of their various restaurants. I believe that this is how Hyatt holds onto their brand potential, along with the specific decorations they use and how they present themselves. They make the guest feel at home by making their sign small and not stand-offish, which may differ from other luxury hotels which try to stand out with large logos. Hyatt instead keeps to more private luxury, focusing specifically on the guests comfort instead of trying to impress everybody else. They kept bedtime stories in the bedside table drawer of each room, along with fruit that changes based on the season.
The Hyatt was my group’s assigned company, so we looked further into how the hotel stays sustainable within their business practices and services. They explained how they are transitioning from plastic room cards to wooden, along with automatic lights that turn on and off when someone walks in/out, and security cameras that turn off when something is not detected in the room. Along with this, they keep actual towels in the lobby restrooms rather than paper towels, which helps reduce waste, along with keeping sunscreen bottles out by the pool, instead of individual samples. Overall, the site visit was fun and interesting to learn about how one of the most luxurious hotels in Vietnam operates.
Once back from the hotel, I took a nice long nap (jet lag is still hitting me), before a lot of us headed out with a couple of the UEF students to have street food and go to karaoke together! We tried balut egg for the first time, followed by pho. We all had a lot of fun taking photos together before heading to karaoke, where we all took turns singing with each other. I’m so excited for tomorrow and I am ready for another fun day!
