Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) programme members and fans of the Chelsea Football Club (CFC) were brought into the same space as Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink through a two-day exclusive engagement event in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The international fan engagement event hosted by Ascott on April 17 and 18 is the fourth such activity to have materialised from the lodging specialist’s partnership with the English Premier League club, first inked in 2024.

The latest CFC’s international fan engagement programme is held across Ascott Tay Ho Hanoi, Oakwood Residence Hanoi, and Somerset West Point Hanoi. The highlight is A Night with the Blues, an exclusive event on April 18 for Chelsea fans – also members of The Famous CFC –  hosted by the club and Ascott.

Hasselbaink’s participation in the engagement marks his first official club visit to Vietnam.

The high-profile A Night with the Blues also provides an opportunity for the newly-opened Ascott Tay Ho Hanoi to showcase its new function spaces, and the property’s ability to welcome both corporate and social events.

Tan Bee Leng, chief commercial officer, Ascott, said: “From Singapore and Bangkok in the first season, to Jakarta and now Hanoi in the second season, our Famous CFC tour follows a purposeful arc across South-east Asia – Ascott’s home region and an energetic hub for Chelsea fandom.

“This edition is particularly special. Fans will not only get the rare opportunity to meet Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, but will also be among the first to step inside Ascott Tay Ho Hanoi, a large-scale project that brings together premium accommodation and a purpose-built event destination. It is the perfect venue to showcase Ascott’s all-rounded hospitality expertise in one integrated setting.”

Tan emphasised that partnerships, such as the one with CFC, “are very much a core strategy for us, especially in the loyalty space for our ASR members”.

Such partnerships allow Ascott to curate “exclusive, money-can’t-buy” experiences for loyal guests.

She noted that the ASR membership had about 4.5 million members two years ago, and the count now stands at close to 8.3 million.

“Of course, I won’t attribute (the growth in membership entirely) to CFC but it definitely played a part in creating that desire among travellers to be part of our loyalty ecosystem so as to get a chance to experience all these fan engagement packages that we curate,” explained Tan.

Tan Gan Hup, Ascott’s vice president (marketing, loyalty & partnerships), who joined a media interaction with striker Hasselbaink on April 17, said the partnership helps CFC to better engage with its South-east Asian fans.

“Ninety to 95 per cent of CFC fans have not been to Stamford Bridge (football stadium and home of the club in West London). But with Ascott and Chelsea coming together, we are able to bring fans together for an opportunity to meet their legends and heroes,” he elaborated.

John Rogers, head of partnerships at CFC, said in a press statement: “Our partnership with Ascott continues to raise the bar for how we engage supporters around the world. After successful editions across South-east Asia, we are thrilled to bring The Famous CFC to Hanoi, a vibrant city with a loyal Chelsea following.”