SELENE
On the afternoon of 24 November, the drive east from Hanoi reached Ha Long Bay just after two. The InterContinental resort had opened on 9 July 2025, barely four months before this stay, and stands right on the bay. The first thing through the car window was its entrance sign, half-hidden in tropical planting.
The Lobby: Framing the Bay
The lobby makes its point immediately: a full wall of glass faces the bay, the karst islets unrolling like a scroll, and expectations are set before you even sit down. Woven lantern chandeliers hang from the high ceiling, the marble floor mirrors the daylight, and a wall installation of golden pieces swirls like a school of fish.
The Club Lounge's Own Indoor Pool
This is the Club InterContinental lounge's own pool, indoors yet anything but enclosed: glass on three sides pulls the bay in, and the infinity edge runs into the water outside until pool and sea are hard to tell apart. A sofa gallery runs along one side, loungers line the windows, and one corner is fitted with hydrotherapy jets. In late November Ha Long Bay turns cool, and an indoor pool that ignores the weather is exactly right.
The Room: A Suite Split in Two
The stay was five days, in a Junior Suite — living room and bedroom properly separated, both facing the bay and each opening onto the balcony. The king bed looks straight at the view beneath a wave-motif artwork; the living room has a full sofa corner and TV console, and by afternoon the whole space glows warm.
The minibar hides inside the cabinetry: espresso machine, kettle and glassware all present. The nicest touch waits on the marble round table — a plate of fruit, a bottle of red wine and three petit fours, a welcome laid out before you even arrive.
Bathroom and Details
The bathroom is the room's second act: a freestanding tub at its centre, double vanities and mirrors, black-and-white geometric tiles underfoot. Slide the panels open and bathroom and bedroom become one space, with the sea still in view from the bath. In the wardrobe, robes, slippers and hangers are neatly kept; side tables, lamps and pendants all hold the same quiet tone.
Sunset on the Balcony
After half past four the sun begins to sink toward the water. Watch it sheet the bay in gold from the balcony, then turn back to see twilight settling over the living room — the room's finest half hour. The day ends there; the club lounge and its afternoon tea earned too many photographs, and get an article of their own. Five days in, my verdict is 93 — that was the resort in its opening days, arguably the ceiling of the InterContinental brand. Word is it has slipped since; let this piece stand as a record of it at its best.
