EHG History
The Elegance Hospitality Group (EHG) has come a long way since the original members’ humble beginnings running a 10 room mini hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter at the end of the 1990s.
Ours is an inspirational story. Founding owner and group Chairman, Do Van Dan, and his team, dreamt of building a professional boutique hotel group founded on superb customer service. Working hard, knowing how to take risks, natural instinct and a sheer love of creating wonderful luxurious memories exceeding expectations were, and are, our trademark.
Dan, born into a poor working class family in a Hanoi suburb, was financially unable to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. Instead, he went to teacher training college, funding his studies through many part time jobs including computer engineer, mini-hotel night receptionist and even a pesticide seller. Fate intervened when he got a receptionist job in a 4-star hotel, which gave invaluable insight into hotel management, HR, guest expectations and customer service.
A plan formed in his mind. He took the plunge at the end of the 1990s investing all his savings in a small 10 room mini hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Some of the original staff are still with him today. At the time, the Old Quarter hotel industry was a competitive “jungle” where quality and customer service were not priorities. Many hoteliers just wanted to make money by any means possible.
With Dan we rose above this. Good customer service and high standards would define and differentiate our business. Right from the start, and still now, we focus on every single detail, caring for guests and exceeding every expectation. Our team is made up of genuinely friendly professional staff living the “guest comes first” vision.
The challenging early days were made harder due to limited funds. Plus, our team was very young, trying hard to introduce a new concept into a competitive hotel market. But, our passion, open-minded approach and an unfailing determination paid off. Working 24/7 we laid EHG’s foundations and set a new trend for Hanoi’s boutique hotel industry.
In the first decade of 2000 the Elegance brand developed - the forerunner of today’s La Siesta. A series of new boutique hotels under this brand, most named after jewels, opened. The team became a serious player in Hanoi’s hotel market.
In the second decade the business went to the next level. Some older hotels closed to refocus investment while the vision matured. In 2013, our group’s first four-star resort-based hotel opened in Hoi An, while the La Siesta brand was born in 2014.
At the end of 2017 the Hoi An property rebranded as the five star La Siesta Resort & Spa with 4 pools, 2 restaurants and townhouse villa accommodation.
The EHG portfolio diversified to include the Red Bean & Cloud Nine Restaurant brand and leading spa chain ’La Spa’, as well as hip rooftop bars in Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City – the Lighthouse, Moonlight and Twilight sky bars.
Our goal is to consistently give every guest an outstanding personal service from the heart focusing on sophistication, luxury and great memories. Dedication, passion and hard work by our hotel family has made EHG one of Vietnam’s most respected boutique hotel groups. With a reputation for impeccable quality and a five-star ethos, we invite you to experience our unrivalled service.
Our journey continues and so will our story as we start our third decade.