In this era, when amazing Instagram posts posted from all over the world can easily be scrolled on our finger tips, it is hard to be impressed by something new. You feel that you have seen and know it all. Stepping into this newest Marriott property (which dubbed itself as Lamarck University), however, is like entering another world and another era; and it is hard not to immerse yourself into ‘history’ of the place.
To celebrate our first wedding anniversary (so fast, I knowww), Dennis and I made a promise – and a new tradition, that we will explore one new island (preferably small) to celebrate it. And this time, we chose this island in southern Vietnam, called Phu Quoc. And we were excited to explore this hotel with colonial ambiance. Little did we know, JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay offers a lot more than that.
Getting down from the taxi that drove us from the airport to the hotel, we entered the world of Lamarck University (that was named after French naturalist Jean-Bapstite Lamarck), a concept of a mythical university that was ‘rebuilt’ as a hotel. Lam-U (the nickname of Lamarck University), is said to be a successful academic institute in its era – it housed wealthy locals and colonials from early 1900s to 1940s. The university had to be suddenly closed down due to WWII, leaving some of the remains of students and lecturers. This story was narrated very well into quirky hotel decor and ambiance – by none other than Bill Bensley of BENSLEY Studio, designer of some of the world’s most iconic luxury hotels, spas, and even palaces.
I was astonished by the details of the building – they are LASER SHARP!
Some of the details that can be found are: Sports trophies from winning ‘alumni’ in the lobby, the hall of fame complete with photos and sport uniforms, ceilings of faded chemistry formulas in the Department of Chemistry (aka Bar), Phu Quoc ridgeback dog as university mascot is everywhere as entrance statues, in ornaments, painting, wallpapers; staff uniforms which are differentiated based on which department they are working at, ruler brass pull on the grand entrance of Tempus Fugit – Department of Architecture, and it was said that even all the music played in the resort are curated by Bill Bensley himself.
In the middle of the resort, there is a running track that also blended well into the story. They have this rustic scoring board and that, with a bit stretch of imagination, can easily be where Harry Potter’s Quidditch’s game happened. The main road, called Rue de Lamarck is where most of the activities happen, such as lantern making classes, gym, cafes, retail stores, and fine dining restaurants.
To celebrate local culture, the hotel hosts a Vietnamese night market in Rue de Lamarck every Friday; you can find ice cream rolls, ban-mi, fruit juices, coconut puddings, and so on.
The area of the hotel is divided by departments, such as Department of Zoology, Department of Astronomy, and so on. The General Manager of the hotel is dubbed as the Dean – and his great-great-great grandfather was the first Dean on Lamarck University.
THE LOCATION
The resort is located at the southeastern side of Phu Quoc island, which is a 30-40 minutes car ride away from the city. The private beach (which btw, is one of the best beaches in Phu Quoc) in the property is very clear and clean. There might be several sea urchin encounters, so the manager advised us to swim with beach shoes to avoid stepping on them. The beach might not be a sunset beach (it is facing South-West) however, it has the most beautiful hue of pink that I have ever witnessed. If the sky is clear, I would advise that this rose golden hour is not to be missed. Best seat would be on the beach, by the water.
THE ROOMS AND SERVICE
We were lucky to get a room that has direct access to the swimming pool and beach (ground floor). The decoration of the room is definitely unlike the standard deluxe hotel room, because it got so much character and is well-designed. We love the spacious bathroom, which has a view to an indoor garden.
If possible, and even if you need to pay for it, the breakfast at Tempus Fugit is worth it. They have many great selections from Vietnamese (pho!), Korean, Japanese, pastries, and so on.
Noticing that most of the staff (except the managers) are mostly young – we guess in their 20s, we cannot help but thin if they are interning in this university and came from all over the world. They have such good energy and are very much into the resort’s background story.
THE GUESTS
The experiential resort is a romantic getaway for couples, and also for those who are looking for a refreshing and inspiring getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city and routine. It is also perfect for a family beach vacation.
MORE INFORMATION
Hotel Name: JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa
Location: Phu Quoc, Vietnam
