The Bill Bensley Digital Design Tour
Welcome to the InterContinental Danang. Let’s explore the creative mind of our architect and designer, Bill Bensley.
Head over to our Reception, where the tour will begin. Having our resort map with you will be handy! Don’t worry, we will provide directions along the way.
Black & White
Before the walking begins, in our resort you will notice a main recurring theme of black and white. Bill used this simple palette in reference to Yin and Yang, the ancient Asian philosophy. Keep this in mind during your stroll.
Entwined with Nature
Standing at the entrance to our Lobby, you’re greeted by two huge Banyan trees. Another dominant element in Bill’s design is the integration of nature; he was determined to cut as few trees as possible during construction.
A Royal Welcome
Another main theme in our design is historic Vietnamese temples, palaces, and grand residences. Opposite the Lobby entrance, you’ll notice a gate with three doors known as a “Tam Quan” gate.
These gates were commonly found in culturally significant buildings, where the middle door was reserved for the most important people.
The Elemental Recipe
Bill includes all five elements of nature in his design, even fire. You’ll see this reflected in the striking flame pots at the Arrival Court.
Look up and down
Let’s step through our Lobby. Look up, and you’ll see a curving turtle shell hanging above you. Look down, the Tree of Life on the floor invites you into the resort.
As you cross through the lobby, look at the ceiling, the beams, and the large pillars. This architecture draws inspiration from Vietnamese temples and grand residences. You’ll see this high-ceilinged, peaked design in many locations.
As you cross through the Lobby, look at the ceiling, the beams, and the large pillars. This architecture draws inspiration from Vietnamese temples and grand residences. You’ll see this high-ceilinged, peaked design in many locations.
Eye of the Sky
Just before you reach the stunning views of the balcony, you’ll see the “oculus,” a circular skylight over a reflecting pond that reflects the changing mood of the day.
The marble desks pay homage to the local Marble Mountains, making Danang a valuable treasure trove of marble.
The Star of the Show
Walk out to the Lobby balcony and discover the view. Bill wanted all rooms to have a view of the true ‘heart’ of the resort – the rainforest, beach, and ocean.
Heaven’s Bridge
Looking out at the view, let’s turn left and stroll across the elevated lobby that leads us to Citron.
Have you Sat in a Non La Hat?
As you walk down the staircase, you’ll notice the floating outdoor tables at the restaurant. These are the famed seats of Citron, inspired by upside-down traditional Vietnamese Non-La hats.
A Cheeky Entrance
As you walk past the very cheeky monkey fountain, you’ll find the entrance to Citron on your right, guarded by Non-La-wearing monkeys at the doorway (equally as cheeky under their loincloths). As you enter, you’ll immediately see how the design of Citron lives up to its name.
Citron’s Zesty Green & Yellow Scene
You will see the colors of lemon and lime take center stage, representing the citrus fruit. As you walk through, you will notice peculiar graphics (white on black) on many of the walls as well as the base of the Non-La tables. These designs were inspired by ancient northern Vietnamese cave paintings.
Non La Lamps
You will see that the Non La hats also inspire the lighting designs as well.
Dine Among the Clouds
Being located on our highest level, Citron offers incredible views from the outdoor Non-La tables. Inside, Bill has continued the theme by shaping cloud-shaped tables and ceiling mirrors.
Bird & Breakfast
If open, head inside the buffet area, or remember to look up during your breakfast! You will see the ceiling adorned with 40 etchings and paintings of native birds, once again showing how nature plays a big part in Bill’s designs, both inside and out.
Pottery Adorned Bathroom Breaks
Let’s head to the bathroom! Yes, that’s right, one of Bill’s favourite rooms to design is the bathroom. He wants everyone to go “Wow!” when they step inside. At the back of Citron, you’ll find a secret staircase that leads down to what feels like a hidden cave.
Look up! As you reach the bottom, you’ll see a chimney inspired by the nearby Bat Trang Pottery Village. The entryway is designed like a brick kiln, and the bathrooms are decorated with ceramic bowls and murals created by the artisans from the village.
The Funicular Railway
Let’s head out of Citron the way we came and proceed to the Funicular Railway station known as the Nam Tram.
Look out at the view. Bill built the resort across four levels: Heaven, Sky, Earth, and Sea. Spanning 80 meters, the Nam Tram makes traversing these four levels a breeze. Bill ensured the preservation of nature on either side, so as you ride, you feel enveloped by the natural surroundings.
Look out at the view. Bill built the resort across four levels: Heaven, Sky, Earth, and Sea. Spanning 80 meters, the Nam Tram makes traversing these four levels a breeze. Bill ensured the preservation of nature on either side, so as you ride, you feel enveloped by the natural surroundings.
All aboard the boat that floats!
Call the Nam Tram and watch it rise—a floating boat-shaped carriage inspired by traditional Vietnamese basket boats is on the way! Ask the Nam Tram operator to guide you to the Sky level—this is our next stop!
The OUTSIDER Gallery
Walk out of the Nam Tram station, and you’ll find yourself in the Heritage Village of Sky Level. The first building on your right is the Bensley Outsider Gallery. Here, you can see many of Bill’s original artworks inspired by nature and his travels around the world. Speak to our gallery representatives, and they’ll guide you even further into his mind.
Ethical Fashion that bites
After you’ve enjoyed the art, head over to the next building, ‘Sammy’s Boutique.’ Here, you’ll find the latest trends in ethical fashion, from award-winning designs made from recycled materials to items that, upon purchase, donate to save the gorillas. All of this helps protect the environment and supports causes Bill cares deeply about.
La Maison 1888
Time to see Earth! Head back to the Nam Tram station and catch a ride down to Earth Level, where you’ll immediately stop outside what seems like a French colonial-style mansion.
Fictional Families
Head inside, where you’ll be greeted by a long corridor that exits out the other side of the mansion. Bill Bensley envisioned La Maison 1888 as the residence of a fictional French-Eurasian family, hence the black and white palette throughout.
As you walk along the corridor, you’ll find the Verandah dining room on the right, designed like a quiet conservatory.
Adjacent is a courtyard that connects to Buffalo Bar, featuring horn-inspired light sconces and a decorative buffalo “head” mounted high on the wall, looking out to the beautiful terrace outside. This terrace is a popular choice for wedding ceremonies.
Across from the Buffalo Bar is the Chef’s Table, a private dining area designed like a French country kitchen. Look up to see dozens of meat cleavers embedded in the recessed ceiling. The adjacent Wine Cellar is straight out of “Phantom of the Opera” and maintains its cool environment as it’s actually built into the hillside. You might need to seek guidance from our La Maison team to access these spaces.
Continue down the corridor and head out the back to see the Buffalo Garden, adorned with marble animal statues. From here, we will head outside and take a leisurely stroll down to Sea Level.
Three Wise Monkeys
Take a right down the hill and stroll past a long line of monkey statues. Notice how some are covering their eyes, ears, or mouth, hinting at the three wise monkeys’ proverbial principle: “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” You’ll find these monkeys across the resort.
Once you reach the courtyard at the bottom, you’ll see the Sea Level Nam Tram on the right. Turn left, go down the steps, and head towards the beach.
Onboard Dining
On your left, you will see our Barefoot restaurant. Inside, you’ll find the theme inspired by indigenous Vietnamese seaside settlements with wooden structure and thatches roofs. Architecture from these fishing villages is evident throughout, with traditional fishing nets and four tables aboard fishing boats.
Rainforest Living
Let’s turn around and head back outside, continuing to walk straight and you’ll pass our Nail and Hair Studio, with some hanging boats on your right. Follow the swimming pool around, and you’ll come to the entrance of our L_O_N_G Bar!
A very Long island iced tea
The longest bar in Vietnam, at 50 meters long, draws inspiration from a panoply of cultures. Colonial Singaporean architecture surrounds a dozen enormous daybeds that are cooled by Indian “punkah” fans.
Mythical Protectors
Upon the bar, you might find a familiar sight: a marble statue of a mythical animal. You will see them at the entrance of many buildings, including each room block. It is a “nghê,” a mythical Vietnamese combination of a lion and a dog, commonly found in temples and shrines. It protects against evil spirits and demons.
Drink like a fish
At the other side of the bar from the daybeds, you will find tall hanging chairs inspired by Asian fishing baskets, a quirky alternative to the traditional bar stools. In line with these, you’ll see a spiral staircase leading up to the L_O_N_G Pool—let’s go!
Designs alight with lanterns
A favorite Instagram picture spot, look up, and you’ll discover some uniquely styled lanterns. Across the resort, you’ll find lanterns in various shapes and sizes, mirroring the array of beautiful ones you can spot in Hoi An Ancient Town, where many beautiful colours and different designs can be found.
Views that go a Long way
Once you reach the top, you’ll find yourself at a central position in the resort, feeling as if you are on top of the world. You have a view of the resort rooms on one side, the beach and open ocean on the other, and the vast jungle mountains behind.
The L_O_N_G Pool mirrors the L_O_N_G bar by being an impressive 50 meters in length, the same as an Olympic pool. Bill wanted to ensure that guests relaxing by the pool had privacy, so you’ll find unique enclaves with couples’ beds, providing their own space away from other guests, allowing for some peace and tranquility.
Looking out for furry friends
Continue walking straight across from the spiral staircase and down the opposite steps to the path behind that runs parallel to the L_O_N_G Pool. You’ll find yourself under a long row of tropical almond trees, a favourite for the local wildlife at the resort. If you’re lucky, you might spot some of the rare Douc Langur monkeys feasting on the leaves.
Head left and keep walking under the shade of the almond trees. You’ll find the beach on your left and our Organic Garden amidst the jungle on your right. You’ll pass our Yoga Pavillion and eventually, you’ll reach a lawn spread out in front of our Spirit House, where our team hosts prayers and religious traditions. Continue walking, and you’ll reach a wooden bridge that crosses our Mi Sol Spa’s lagoon. Stop here and let’s admire the architecture.
Different from the rest
The Mi Sol Spa treatment rooms and spa villas are striking in colour. Bill wanted them to stand out and be different from the rest of the resort. The roofs, made from pure copper, offer a distinct colour palette not found in other areas. Most interestingly is their unique shape.
Hangars for Health
Bill believed his designs couldn’t omit the important years of the Vietnamese war, even if the spa seems like an odd setting for this inspiration. Ingeniously, each treatment room is inspired by the old aircraft hangars that were converted into miniature hospitals during the war. Bill thought having the spa treatment rooms mirror this was a good way to pay homage to the centre of healing that occurred in Danang during the war.
That’s not all folks
Amazingly, Bill Bensley created so many hidden stories around the resort that many of our team are still uncovering some to this day. It seems every corner was designed with something interesting in mind. Today, on this tour, we have only just touched the tip of the iceberg.
This bridge marks the end of our tour. Continuing along this path will lead you up our nature trail, a long uphill walk with nature on either side, eventually leading you out of our resort. Heading back the way you came will take you to the Nam Tram station, allowing you to traverse to any level you wish.
Keep your eyes peeled, from the Summit that is our conference centre, or the time machine of our Moulin Rouge karaoke club, and not forgetting the banana-themed cinema. The stories go on and on making Bill’s designs seem never-ending. Explore and let us know if you discover anything special – and thank you for taking the Deisgn Walking Tour with us today!
