How a veteran hotelier is shaping Vietnam’s first Fairmont around the history, warmth and changing rhythm of Hanoi.
The first time Jean-François Brun visited the Fairmont Hanoi site, the hotel was still taking shape. Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter were close by, placing the property within one of the most storied parts of the Vietnamese capital.
For Brun, the setting brought both an opportunity and a responsibility.
“It became clear that this could never be a hotel that simply happened to be in Hanoi,” he recalls. “It had to feel as though it belonged here.”
That idea guided the opening of Vietnam’s first Fairmont, a 241-room hotel designed to introduce the century-old hospitality brand while remaining unmistakably connected to its surroundings.
For Brun, who has spent more than 25 years in hospitality, opening Fairmont Hanoi also marked a return to a country he had come to know during earlier assignments in Phu Quoc and Da Nang.
People, Purpose and a Return to Vietnam
Brun chose hospitality because it brought together two things that mattered to him from the beginning: people and purpose.
“Hotels are places where people celebrate milestones, reconnect with loved ones, discover new cultures and create memories that stay with them for years,” he says. “For me, hospitality has never simply been a profession. It is a privilege, and a responsibility, to create meaningful moments for others.”
His career has taken him through markedly different destinations. At Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech, he saw how craftsmanship and storytelling could give a hotel its identity. SO/ Bangkok showed him that luxury could be energetic, contemporary and rooted in local life. At 25hours Hotel One Central in Dubai, the emphasis was on innovation and understanding the needs of international travelers.
“The common thread across all these experiences is that exceptional luxury is never the same everywhere,” he says. “The destination must shape the experience.”
Vietnam left a particularly strong impression. Brun speaks of the country’s warmth, optimism and pride in its heritage, along with the energy of a nation changing quickly without losing sight of where it came from.
“Returning to Vietnam to lead Fairmont Hanoi felt less like starting a new chapter and more like coming back to a place that had already become meaningful to me.”
A Hotel That Speaks Hanoi
Fairmont hotels have often grown into meeting places for their cities, hosting celebrations, dinners, conversations and everyday rituals alongside international guests. Brun wants the Hanoi property to play a similar role.
That means giving the hotel a clear sense of place rather than relying only on the Fairmont name.
The Red River influences the warm earth tones used through the Lobby, 10 Central and the Fairmont Gold Lounge. A Bohemian crystal chandelier draws on the dragon and phoenix, symbols of harmony and prosperity that also connect to Hanoi’s former name, Thăng Long.
Elsewhere, references to Hanoi’s 12 seasonal flowers mark the passage of the year. A collection of 100 handcrafted eggs recalls the legend of Âu Cơ and Lạc Long Quân, one of Vietnam’s best-known origin stories.
“These are not simply decorative features,” Brun explains. “They allow the hotel to tell a story about Hanoi, its past, its symbolism and its evolving identity.”
The intention is for overseas guests to learn something about the city through their stay, while local residents recognize details that feel familiar and meaningful. Brun hopes Fairmont Hanoi will become somewhere Hanoians choose for dinners, celebrations and time with friends, as well as a hotel for visitors.
Building Culture Before Opening the Doors
For a pre-opening general manager, completing the physical hotel is only part of the work. The more lasting task is forming the team and establishing how guests will be treated.
“Buildings can open on schedule, but culture takes much longer to build,” Brun says.
When recruiting, he looks for curiosity, humility and empathy. Technical skills can be taught, but a natural desire to care for others is harder to instill. He also believes the way employees experience the hotel will eventually be reflected in the way they care for guests.
“My philosophy has always been that the guest experience will never exceed the employee experience,” he says. “If our colleagues feel valued, supported and inspired, that will naturally translate into how they care for our guests.”
At Fairmont, this approach is expressed through the phrase “Make Special Happen.” In practice, it often comes down to small observations: remembering how someone takes their coffee, arranging an early breakfast before a tee time, recognizing a celebration or helping adjust a schedule after a long day.
Luxury, in Brun’s view, is increasingly defined by this kind of personal attention rather than formality.
“If a guest leaves thinking, ‘They really understood me,’ then we have succeeded.”
A Golfer’s Perfect Return to the City
Brun is a golfer himself, which gives him a clear understanding of what matters before and after a round.
Hanoi’s leading golf courses sit beyond the center, allowing visitors to spend the morning among mountains, lakes and open landscapes before returning to the character and energy of the capital. From Fairmont Hanoi, golfers can combine rounds at courses such as Kings Island, Sky Lake, Legend Hill and Phoenix Golf Resort with evenings in the Old Quarter and wider city.
“A golf holiday is rarely only about the round itself,” Brun says. “It is about how the entire day flows.”
The hotel can assist with early breakfasts, equipment arrangements and flexible checkout times where possible. After a round, the CIRUA Spa, Fitness & Wellness Club offers a natural place to recover. Its facilities include a bathhouse with hydrotherapy and heat experiences, ten treatment rooms and a CIRUA Lounge serving lighter dishes and wellness drinks.
The evening can then move in several directions without leaving the hotel. Tran Dynasty presents Vietnamese cuisine through a contemporary lens, while Hiryu specializes in Japanese dining, including sushi and omakase. Bacco offers Italian food, and YY Bar brings live music to the hotel from Wednesday through Saturday.
For Brun, the ideal golf day begins with the excitement of the round and ends with proper recovery, a good meal and time to enjoy the company of fellow travelers.
A Gateway to Northern Vietnam
Fairmont Hanoi is intended to be more than a comfortable base for the capital. Brun sees it as a starting point for discovering northern Vietnam.
Guests can combine Hanoi’s golf courses with the limestone landscapes of Ninh Binh, an overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay or a longer journey into the northern highlands. Within the city, history, food, wellness and contemporary Vietnamese culture give travelers plenty of reasons to stay beyond their final round.
“We see ourselves as both a gateway and a trusted base,” Brun says. “Guests can explore the region and return to a place that feels familiar, comfortable and refined.”
He believes northern Vietnam is entering an important period in its development as a luxury destination. The region already has the golf, scenery and cultural depth. As access and hospitality continue to improve, its international profile should grow with them.
What still excites Brun after more than 25 years is that hospitality never stands still. Every destination teaches something new, and every guest creates another opportunity to make a positive difference.
At Fairmont Hanoi, he wants the result to be a stay that feels connected to the city rather than separated from it.
“I hope they leave feeling cared for, inspired and already thinking about their return,” he says. “The greatest compliment any hotel can receive is not simply ‘I enjoyed my stay,’ but ‘I can’t wait to come back.’”
Experience Vietnam’s capital from Fairmont Hanoi as part of a tailor-made northern Vietnam golf holiday. Golfasian can combine the hotel with Hanoi’s leading courses and extensions to Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay and beyond. Contact our team to create an itinerary around your preferred courses, dates and pace.
