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THE NEWSMAKER
I
nspired by the Rhine Valley region
in Germany, where Vietnamese-Ger-
man Tieu Nhu Phuong lived, Edensee
is every bit as fabulous and sophisti-
cated as the area it is modeled on. The
decoration, from guest accommodation
to the stately lounge and glamorous
rooftop terrace, is distinctively Europe-
an, with chandeliers sparkling, beauti-
fully crafted furniture, marble fireplaces
and sweeping staircases, all set against
the backdrop of the emerald lake and
lush pine forest that takes your breath
away the first time you see it.
A recent review on Tripadvisor by
Carole, an English lady living in Viet-
nam, reads: “I have been lucky enough
to stay in some beautiful hotels around
the world but I don’t think I have ever
stayed in a place that was so spotlessly
clean, or where the staff were so pro-
fessional, friendly, courteous, attentive,
and eager to please. It was obvious how
proud they were to work in such a mag-
nificent setting, and I know from talk-
ing to them that they love their jobs.
I’m not going to describe the resort
in detail, or add photographs, because
everything really is exactly how it ap-
pears on the website. What the website
doesn’t show, however, is the profes-
sionalism of the staff or the quality of
the food and the way it is so beautifully
presented and served. The breakfasts
were fantastic with a wide choice to
suit all tastes, including the most deli-
cious breads and pastries I’ve ever had
in Vietnam. We had dinner in the resort
on our second night, and wished we’d
done so on the first instead of eating
in the city. The service and quality was
unbelievable, and we felt like royalty.
At one point I said to the waiter “I feel
like a VIP!” He replied that all guests at
Edensee are VIPs. How lovely is that?”
“We are always happy to receive
such great reviews,” said Tieu Nhu
Phuong. “But we never rest on our lau-
rels; the team at Edensee always strives
to make us one of the top resorts not
only in Vietnam, but in Southeast Asia.
We always hope that those who have
not had a chance to visit us will do so
this summer, to experience the ulti-
mate highland luxury at Edensee.”
BUILDING DREAMS
Phuong was bewitched by the
beauty of Tuyen Lam Lake when he first
visited the romantic city of Dalat. “When
I come here, it seems that all my senses
wake up suddenly after a long and tired
sleep of usual life. I can feel the pure
and fresh breath of air, can see vitality
from luxuriant trees and young grass,
can enjoy the joy in the sweet voices
of birds and find the peace in my mind
when viewing the tranquil Tuyen Lam
Lake at sunset. I think I finally found
heaven on earth here,” said Phuong.
When Phuong decided to set up
a heavenly resort, many people said it
was not a good area because it is less
attractive than Nha Trang, Phu Quoc
or Hoi An.
“Tuyen Lam Lake is not very impos-
ing like Lake Como in Italy and it does
not meet all the international tourism
functions like Bodensee Lake in the
south of Germany, but I love it most be-
cause it is in Vietnam, my fatherland,”
said Phuong.
He believes it is rare that a peaceful
lake can maintain all its natural, wild
beauty in a temperate climate so close
to a bustling city. “I had a dream of
Tuyen Lam lake as a wonderful painting
depicting a fairy land with sparkling ar-
chitecture amidst verdant pinetree for-
ests, colourful flower valleys, tranquil
water and a cool climate all year round.
It urged me to turn the dream into real-
ity, though there were a lot of obstacles
and difficulties to be faced.”
PERSISTENCE IS KEY
When he wrote his proposal for a
five-star resort on Tuyen Lam, every
single piece of land beside the lake
that was suitable for development was
already accounted for. It seemed that
the mission was impossible for him
when the Tourism Management Board
of Tuyen Lam Lake asked him to regis-
ter and wait until an investor dropped
their project.
FULFILLING
a dream
Dalat Edensee Resort &
Spa has fast become the
go-to place for discern-
ing travellers visiting
Dalat. Timeout talks
to
Tieu Nhu Phuong
,
owner of the resort,
about how he overcame
obstacles to construct
his dream property.