No reception, no invoices, no “forcing” customers to use the hotel’s food and beverage services, Wink Hotel does not seem to follow a typical hotel model. So what does Wink have to conquer Vietnam’s rapidly changing tourism market?

I made an appointment to meet David Kaye, Brand Director of Wink, on a rainy and sunny afternoon in Saigon. Located at the intersection of the bustling Nguyen Van Thu - Nguyen Binh Khiem street, it is easy to see a colorful architectural block with red - green - yellow colors. The hot tones that seem dazzling are surprisingly in harmony with the typical hustle and bustle of Saigon. That is Wink Hotel, a fresh "wink" in the hotel service industry in Ho Chi Minh City.

I exclaimed to David that I had thought that the colorful structure was a newly opened modern karaoke bar. “Unexpectedly, we chose those colors because they represent the rhythm of life in Ho Chi Minh City at night,” David said with a smile.

As a smart hotel, Wink Hotel does not have a reception. Guests directly use a dedicated phone application for self-check-in and check-out. Therefore, the check-in and check-out process is greatly simplified. Guests who book a room before arriving will scan the QR code provided in the application. In just a few minutes, guests will be checked in immediately.

The Wink Hotel app also integrates the payment feature for items in the hotel, connects to the airport shuttle service and is also a communication channel for questions and answers with hotel staff. More interestingly, the app is also a "guide" to authentic local places to eat and play around the city.

Unlike traditional hotels, Wink's lobby - called Wink Space - is not divided into specific areas. Wink Space is a high-ceilinged, moderately spacious space that feels cozy but not too stuffy.

Wink has plenty of sofas, high tables and improvised chess tables, so that visitors can work and relax at the same time. At one end of Wink Space is a compact bar, where guests or visitors can enjoy a glass of authentic iced coffee or a unique cocktail.

Bring conceptsmart hotel(smart hotel) with many modern technologies but Wink does not create a feeling of distance and coldness. The hotel makes the most of local materials to breathe life into the space such as the 3D painting hanging on the wall recreating Tan An communal house opposite Wink or the Grab & Go area with street vendors converted into a place to sell snacks and necessary items such as batteries, chargers, masks...

The innermost shelf also introduces products from local brands such as Deme beer, Lady Buddha Kombucha tea to the nearest location selling that item via QR code.

“We don’t want customers to regret spending too much money on small things. Customers can also buy food outside because we encourage them to explore the city,” David shared.

Wink Hotel currently has 12 floors and 237 rooms. When I entered the room, I was surprised because the room was not too large. But Wink Hotel makes good use of the empty space in the rooms to arrange the interior in a harmonious and minimalist way. In return, the quality of the items in the room are carefully selected and high-class. David said that Wink Hotel is very interested in the sleeping and relaxing experience of customers.

“We target young, business travelers. They don’t spend a lot of time in their rooms. They spend a lot of time working and exploring,” David said. In addition to the younger demographic, Wink wants everyone to feel comfortable and welcome here.

“We try not to alienate the older customer segment. Wink’s service satisfies the younger traveler, but also makes a 70-year-old man feel at home,” David laughs.

Wink’s smart laundry room is located on the M floor. This area is designed with bold, bold color blocks. Customers can bring their own laundry at affordable prices. On the same floor as the laundry room is a gym. The space has a small capacity, but is fully equipped with modern machines and yoga mats to fully meet daily exercise needs.

Not only providing accommodation and entertainment space, Wink Hotel also cooperates with Toong to create a coworking space for tourists who need to hold meetings, give presentations, or work during their staycation.

At Wink Hotel, guests are not limited by the usual check-in and check-out time frame. After checking in, guests can check out at any time within 24 hours. In particular, the room card will automatically deactivate according to the above time. I was busy walking around the city, so I returned to Wink past the check-out time. However, the hotel was flexible in reopening the room for about 1-2 hours for me to arrange my belongings without any additional charges.

Wink Hotels has achieved LEED certification – an international standard for environmentally friendly design, construction and operation at the Gold level. Specifically, the hotel minimizes the use of single-use plastics. In the rooms, instead of using plastic water bottles, Wink chooses BeWater canned water. Even drinks and products on the Grab & Go counter are recycled in the same way. At the same time, a series of recycling bins – made from recycled plastic by PLASTICPeople – are placed everywhere in the hotel.

“Our definition of sustainable tourism is always changing and evolving. You can’t be 100% green. And we don’t use green as a tool to make money,” David said.

Therefore, transactions at Wink are mainly paid by swiping cards or through electronic wallets, and there are absolutely no receipts to reduce the amount of paper waste. In addition, the glass panels in the rooms are made of special heat-resistant materials, which help to prevent the temperature in the room from escaping. Wink Hotel also equips triangular pieces of material with many holes punched in the body of the hotel to let the wind blow through, cooling the heat-resistant glass. Guests do not need to adjust the air conditioner temperature too low, but the room is always cool.

In Vietnam, Wink Hotel is currently the first smart hotel with a green living concept. Helping customers change their habits is extremely difficult. However, "when customers respect, feel satisfied and understand the values ​​that Wink is aiming for, all of Wink's efforts are rewarded," David shared.

“I like to travel to places where there is always a local friend who can show me where the locals go,” David says, recalling his time traveling in Bangkok and Indonesia. However, his experience was less than ideal. The receptionists barely listened to his interests, instead directing him to places “that a white guy would go to,” David laughs.

Learning from that experience, Wink trains Wink Guides to act as “local friends” to help visitors connect deeply with the city they visit. Unlike traditional hotels, Wink staff are not labeled into specific positions such as receptionist, waiter, bartender, chef, etc. All Wink Guides are equipped with the skills of the above positions. Visitors can see a Wink Guide at the check-in counter, and in a moment, that person is making drinks, carrying goods, or standing quietly observing whether customers need help or not.

In addition to the uniform T-shirts, Wink Guides are free to express their individuality. They are not constrained by a certain dress code. People can have tattoos, long, short, curly, straight, or colorful hair. David believes that a strict rule cannot judge an employee's ability. Instead, Wink looks at what they can do.

“My principle is 100% freedom and 200% responsibility. Whether you come to work on time or not reflects nothing. I judge by the quality of your work and the feedback from the customers,” David said.

In the near future, Wink Hotel plans to expand its influence throughout Vietnam. Currently, Wink is building two new projects on the coast of Da Nang city. Not only is it a place to provide regular accommodation services, Wink also plays the role of a community connecting local brands with domestic and foreign tourists. Going beyond the "safe box", Wink may be the "dark horse" of Vietnam's tourism industry in the near future.