JW Marriott, Phu Quoc
Discover The Story of Lamarck University
Under the guise of ‘Lamarck University’, JW Marriott Emerald Bay has been designed to look and feel like a restored university campus; the staff even role play as lecturers and professors.
What was once the old departments of the university have been lovingly converted into the guest room suites and facilities, including a chemistry lab cocktail bar and a striking library lobby.
Contemporary yet classic with a charming fairytale-like feel says it all about JW Marriott Emerald Bay. The genius that is Bill Bensley’s imagination is at its best once again, his eye for teaming candy-coloured facades with French colonial architecture representative of yesteryear Vietnam, transports you into both old town Hoi An and a dream like state concurrently.
Believed to be the first-ever hotel built entirely around a fictional story, the hotel, the staff and the locations are so tastefully done that the whimsical journey you are about to enter into seems almost like reality. You are completely absorbed into the story. From sleeping in the assigned Art Department or perhaps the Zoology Department, to dining in one of the 4 enchanting restaurants. From French & Co’s laid back delicatessen patisserie to dinner in the exuberant Pink Pearl, where your tastebuds are put to the test with an indulgent personalised menu. Each course perfectly matched by the house sommelier who’s wine cellar and cigar lounge sits below where you dine.
Upon check in you are giving a timetable as you are now a student at this university, you can choose to attend sunrise surf yoga, mid-day mixology masterclasses or afternoons spent learning how to make local Lanterns. If you’d rather skip class and wind away the hours at your leisure, the hotel is set against sparkling emerald waters and stretches of private white sand for your pleasure. There are also 2 pools and an adult-only shell shaped pool, for ultimate relaxation head to the spa. Playfully decorated and themed as if you’re in Alice in Wonderland, the walls are etched with quotes of Lewis Carrol and illusional corridors lead off to delightfully eccentric treatment rooms.
The hotel features only hand-painted walls throughout, just a nod to the level of attention given to every single part of this hotel. There are quotes round every corner, lanterns swinging from above and an array of vintage tiles to lead the way. Everything from the staff wearing throw back uniforms to vintage gym equipment as furniture. This hotel has pushed the boundaries in the realm of fantasy vs reality, and to be honest we wish we could live in it too.
Thanks for our stay JW Marriott, Emerald Bay you sure brought out the child in us again.
To find out more about Phu Quoc Island check out fellow travel bloggers northabroad’s extensive guide to the island here.