Phu Quoc’s 93 miles of white-sand coastline in southern Vietnam, along with its surrounding warm waters, have made it a highly sought vacation destination within the country. Yet, save for a few places like Seoul and Bangkok that have direct flights, Vietnam’s largest island is relatively unknown among international travelers.
Much of the island remains rustic and undeveloped. Traditional fishing villages dot the island — you’ll see schools of bright aqua fishing boats bobbing the water — and more than half of Phu Quoc was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2006. The island only joined the national power grid in 2014; before that, generators provided electricity.
The 2022 debut of the sumptuous Regent Phu Quoc is helping to transform the sleepy island into an international luxury destination. The secluded all-suite-and-villa beach resort brings extravagant accommodations, a must-visit sushi restaurant and a bevy of perks that makes every guest a VIP.
A game-changer for the island, Regent Phu Quoc also marks the first new-build hotel for the reimagined IHG Hotels and Resorts ultra-luxury brand. Regent opened in Hong Kong in March and it plans to expand in Asia to Kuala Lumpur, Kyoto and Sanya, among other cities. The brand will make its stateside return later this year in Santa Monica.
Here’s why you need to visit Regent Phu Quoc right now:
The Design
The sprawling resort’s entry almost feels like a spa — it’s peaceful, sleek and hushed. Black stone covers the lobby’s floors and columns, allowing art like Charming Deeps and its vibrant coral-like hand-blown crystal from Lasvi to pop. That’s the case almost everywhere you look at the Phu Quoc hotel. Singapore’s Blink Design Group (whose work includes Raffles Maldives Meradhoo Resort and the revamped Conrad Bora Bora Nui) carefully considered each space, even hallways, finding clever ways to frame a stunning artwork or view.
As you move beyond the lobby and koi-packed ponds, the immaculately landscaped resort slowly reveals itself. Paths lined with palms of every shape and size and bright hibiscus blossoms lead you past a lotus-strewn lagoon and villas ensconced in foliage to the beach. There on the sand, gold oversized letters spelling “Regent” frame the waves behind them.
The Pools
You’ll discover the most dramatic vista at the Family Pool. Flanked by daybeds and palms, the expansive pool resides under towering ivory canopies that guide your gaze to the ocean in the distance. Although the Regent is a beach resort, guests flock to this breathtaking pool to cool off.
Another enticing option is the Regent Club Rooftop Pool. Head to the 10th-floor infinity pool in the early evening for gin cocktails like Citrus of the East (a refreshing libation with Tanqueray Malacca, Cointreau and The London Essence bitter orange and elderflower tonic) from the adjacent Fu Bar and watch Phu Quoc’s brilliant sunsets from the water.
The hotel offers five pools in total. But you’ll be hard-pressed to need any of them since every accommodation comes with its own sizable infinity pool. You can swim laps in your pool or even have a floating breakfast with champagne delivered there.
The Suites and Villas
Blink drew inspiration from traditional Vietnamese homes with courtyards called gian nha to create the idyllic indoor-outdoor spaces. Sky Pool Villas are the farthest from the beach, but the 10-story building affords mesmerizing panoramas of the property and the Gulf of Thailand, which you can admire from your infinity pool and outdoor daybed. In fact, every accommodation faces the ocean.
Popular with families and larger groups, the Lagoon Pool and Beach Pool villas sit closer to the gulf and offer more privacy. Some of the villas have smaller pools, but they provide leafy gardens and decks and surprise patches of outdoor greenery.
The 176 suites and 126 villas all share the same contemporary aesthetic with gleaming black floors and a warm, beachy palette of blues, beige and taupe. You’ll also notice a recurring scallop pattern modeled from bovi, a wooden truss, in the bronze screens, white sheets, carpets and more.
The creamy marble bathrooms feature a spacious standalone tub and separate shower; electronic Toto toilets; and luxe Acqua di Parma toiletries. They also come with kitchens equipped with a full fridge, wine cooler, microwave and oven.
The Amenities
The Regent piles on many complimentary extras. In your room, open your kitchen refrigerator to find soft drinks, juices, water, beer and chocolate bars. A pantry provides more snacks with cookies, gummy bears, chips, dried mango and papaya, almonds and walnuts. The beverages and bites are restocked daily. Every stay comes with the hotel’s buffet breakfast (more on that below). And if you need something else that you don’t spot in the room, the Regent also provides a list of free “comfort essentials” — everything from insect repellent to reading glasses to wheelchairs to yoga mats — available with the press of a button. You also can choose up to three items for daily pressing or laundry.
The hotel’s pool and beach cabanas also are open to all guests — no reservation needed. In addition to the Technogym-outfitted fitness room, you have access to complimentary wellness classes like sunset yoga, crystal sound bath, reset meditation and stretching.
For even more perks, upgrade to the Regent Club. You will receive round-trip airport transfers, access to the airport lounge and entry to the stylish Regent Club Lounge, which forgoes typical buffets and serves food, drinks and afternoon tea via menus.
The Dining and Drinking
Among the hotel’s six restaurants and bars, start the day with Rice Market’s impressive breakfast buffet spanning multiple rooms. Get a prime table overlooking the picturesque Family Pool and fuel up with strong Vietnamese coffee and flaky croissants stuffed with a delightful minty mojito cream. Of course, there’s heartier fare as well, including a pho bar, custardy French toast made to order, a banh mi station, exotic fruit like rambutan, and much more.
Standout restaurant Oku boasts the island’s only omakase counter. Behind it, you’ll find Andy Huynh, a Vietnam-born, San Diego-raised chef who spent 14 years at Nobu restaurants. He peppers his six-course omakase menu with local ingredients: dollops of crème fraîche, fried capers, Vietnamese wild almonds and baby arugula top the fresh toro sashimi, while the French branzino comes with miso rice, tomatoes and bông thiên lý, an edible flower from the south that has the texture of broccolini but a basil-like taste.
Since the French-Japanese restaurant includes a “salon de boeuf” (you’ll see the cuts on display in the glass-fronted chiller), Huynh also incorporated meat into the menu to delectable results: caviar rests on Japanese wagyu beef tartare and a crispy umami cracker. Another course features several cooked slices of well-marbled Australian wagyu ribeye —aged for at least 35 days in-house — accompanied by a mushroom-stuffed bone marrow, brussels sprouts and a heavenly black garlic tosazu sauce.
Be sure to order the wine pairings. Oku carries more than 200 bottles of wine and sake, but save room for a nightcap at Bar Jade, a speakeasy with a secret entrance (ask your Oku server to escort you). You will want to linger in the striking, atmospheric space that resembles an old-fashioned luxury train car with jade walls and a coffered mirrored ceiling. Try one of the Gemstone Cocktails, all named after precious stones, like the Heliodoor, a tropical mix of Suntory Haku white rice vodka, mango-infused Kagatobi junmai organic sake, Giffard Crème de Fruit de la Passion liqueur, citric acid solution and passion fruit juice.
The Activities
Put The Spa at Regent Phu Quoc at the top of your activities list. You’ll relax the moment you sip the cinnamon-scented red rice welcome tea, but the real pampering happens in the enormous treatment suites (book the couples suite with a Jacuzzi, a sauna, a shower for two and a reflexology path).
If you want a massage, the energizing Tam Quat Reviver takes cues from Vietnamese techniques, working with aromatherapy and pressure points. For a facial, undergo the high-tech Biologique Recherche Instant Skin Lab to get a full analysis of your skin that allows your therapist to tailor the treatment accordingly (you’ll receive the report via email). For something different, try a manicure or pedicure at celebrity podiatrist Bastien Gonzalez’s Pedi:Mani:Cure Studios. Only available outside of the U.S., the salon puts you in your own room and uses a special buffing technique to restore your natural nails and make them shine without an ounce of polish, gel or powder.
One of the best ways to experience the island is aboard the hotel’s Serenity yacht. Charter the two-bedroom vessel to explore the coast and peek at some of Phu Quoc’s 21 islets. Make stops for fishing, stand-up paddleboarding, snorkeling or swimming. The staff will shake up cocktails and serve a bento box lunch. Another option: time a cruise so you can catch the vivid sunsets.
As a foodie destination, Vietnam is a great place to take a cooking class. That holds true in Phu Quoc, known countrywide for its premium fish sauce and black pepper. Learn how to make bánh xèo with the Regent’s chef at Rice Market. The crispy chive rice pancake is easy and versatile — you can stuff it with shrimp, pork belly, vegetables or anything in your fridge — and it can serve as breakfast, lunch or dinner.
While you may feel like you’re in peak vacation mode as you luxuriate at the spa or cruise around the ocean, your children may have an even better time than you. The kids club is a colorful wonderland — there’s a cinema with costumes; a library with animal-shaped stools; a stable of rocking horses; playgrounds with tire swings and suspended houses; and a computer and video game area. Whether you’re a child or an adult, you will have an unforgettable stay in an island destination not yet overtaken by the tourist masses.
