Inside the InterContinental Halong Bay Resort in Vietnam

InterContinental is giving you a five-star launch point to explore a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vietnam.

The hotelier has just opened the doors of its new hotel nestled with Ha Long Bay, known for its stunning emerald waters and towering limestone islands that make for a gorgeous backdrop for any adventure. The aptly named Ha Long Bay Resort, located in northeast Vietnam’s Quang Ninh Province, offers up 275 guest rooms, suites, private villas, and residences for you to rest your head just two hours outside of Hanoi.

And those accommodations—including a sprawling three-bedroom villa—pay homage to their surroundings, using turquoise blue, brass accents and fish scales and pearl–inspired textures throughout. The interiors, which were brought to life by the team at Bangkok’s P49Deesign, take design inspiration from Vietnam’s traditional bamboo basket boats. Elsewhere, the resort offers up its Hidden Lagoon spa, which provides facials and sensory therapies using products from British beauty brand Margaret Dabbs London and Australian beauty brand Sodashi. The property also offers three swimming pools, one with incredible views overlooking the bay, and another heated option located inside.

The real standouts, though, are Ha Long Bay Resort’s restaurants. Here, you’ll have six options to choose from, depending on your cravings. The property’s signature Roku & Star bar (opening later this year) will be home to plenty of Japanese cuisine that shows off classic techniques such as nukazuke, sashimi and sushi, and yakimono. The rooftop spot will also have a sake library up for grabs. Meanwhile, the Yulong Mansion restaurant will feature modern Cantonese cuisine; Marina Kitchen will focus on seafood; and La Baguette is a fusion of French and Vietnamese offerings. Poolside, you can indulge at the Del Mar lounge bar, or pop to the lobby for a spot of afternoon tea at Vue.

And, as we mentioned, there’s plenty to explore around the new resort. You could venture off to Bai Tho Mountain to take in sweeping bay views, or head to the largest limestone grotto in the area to explore its chambers. For architecture fans, the hotel can help set up journeys to pagods and temples over 700 years old; other excursions on offer include trips to floating fishing villages such as Cửa Vạn and Vung Viêng and ethical pearl cultivation. Better get planning your next vacation, then.

Click here for more images of the InterContinental Halong Bay Resort.