BEST WESTERN SIGNS DEAL FOR ISLAND RESORT OFF VIETNAM

The Best Western Premier Sonasea Phu Quoc resort is expected to open on the south coast of Phu Quoc Island in January 2019

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has signed a license agreement on a new beachfront resort in Phu Quoc, the island off Vietnam’s south coast. In July, Best Western signed a license agreement with Vietnam’s CEO Group for the new Best Western Premier Sonasea Phu Quoc on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The 565-guestroom hotel and resort is scheduled to open in January 2019.

According to Olivier Berrivin, Best Western’s MD of international operations, Asia, the new beachfront resort is opening in what is considered one of Asia’s most desirable up-and-coming resort destinations. “Vietnam’s tourism industry is experiencing incredible growth. Having welcomed a record ten million international arrivals in 2016, the country continues to surge in popularity among tourists from across the world. With its unspoiled beaches, fast-developing infrastructure and relaxed visa regulations, Phu Quoc is at the forefront of this growth,” Berrivin said in a statement. Vietnam’s answer to Bali, Hawaii or Phuket, Phu Quoc Island attracted over 550,000 visitors in the first quarter of 2017, which represents a remarkable increase of over 80 percent compared to the same period last year. This included 139,000 overseas visitors, up 53 percent year-on-year.

The island has numerous attractions, including the Vinpearl safari and amusement parks, Cua Temple, Ho Quoc Pagoda. Meanwhile, a new cable car attraction is also being developed, connecting Phu Quoc with its neighboring island, Hon Thom. It also has a series of natural sites, such as beaches, forests and waterfalls.

With 250 investment projects worth approximately $14 billion earmarked for the island, including an expanded international airport, Phu Quoc’s popularity will continue rising in the coming years. One project is expected to launch in 2019 under Regent Hotels & Resorts. Opening at Bai Truong on the west coast of the island near the airport, the 400-guestroom Regent Phu Quoc hotel and residences will be managed by Regent Hotels & Resorts as Vietnam-based property developer BIM Group will own the property.