Adding 12,000 premium rooms, Sun Group moves to “exceed the standard” for APEC 2027 in Phu Quoc

A hotel city as the answer to APEC’s accommodation challenge

Experience from previous APEC summits shows that accommodation is consistently the most difficult challenge. At APEC 2025 in Gyeongju, South Korea, shortages of rooms for more than 20,000 delegates and supporting personnel forced the host to adopt temporary measures such as dispersing accommodation across multiple regions or using cruise ships. These stopgap solutions had a tangible impact on both organizational quality and delegate experience.

Phu Quoc, the emerging global destination set to host APEC 2027, has itself been grappling with recurring “sold-out” situations during peak tourism seasons. Vietnam’s island destination is addressing this challenge in a fundamentally different way. Two mixed-use developments, Bai Dat Do (Ruby Beach) and the Nui Ong Quan eco-tourism urban area, officially launched by Sun Group on January 28, 2025, will together form a large-scale, fully integrated accommodation complex built to international standards. Management will be undertaken by leading global hospitality groups including Marriott International, Hilton, Accor and Lotte.

Bai Dat Do (Ruby Beach) will serve as the island’s main reception and diplomatic gateway. The area will feature 6,500 five-star hotel rooms under 13 high-end brands, many of which are making their debut in Vietnam. Crucially, the hotel cluster will sit adjacent to the APEC Convention and Exhibition Center and along the APEC Boulevard, transforming Bai Dat Do into a true “hotel city” where accommodation, meetings, commerce and public spaces are seamlessly integrated. This is a model rarely seen at previous APEC host destinations.

The Nui Ong Quan eco-tourism urban area will add 5,200 serviced apartments designed for long-stay needs. These will cater to delegates, experts, international media and high-end travelers, while also helping to ease the acute accommodation shortage that Phu Quoc has faced in recent years.

Conference infrastructure designed with a post-APEC horizon

Phu Quoc is developing a comprehensive suite of conference and event infrastructure, including the APEC Convention and Exhibition Center, a multi-purpose performance venue and APEC Park, with total investment reaching 21.86 trillion VND. The convention center will feature a column-free ballroom spanning 81 meters, covering more than 11,050 square meters. This space will be capable of hosting events with tens of thousands of participants and is set to become the largest ballroom of its kind in the world. The center will also integrate a globally distinctive dinner-show space, where artistic performances and culinary experiences are combined into a single, immersive format.

The multi-purpose performance venue is envisioned as a hub for international-scale arts programs, shows, festivals and cultural and entertainment events. Designed for maximum flexibility, it will meet the demands of APEC 2027 while continuing to operate effectively in the years that follow, forming the backbone of a high-caliber ecosystem for events, culture and tourism on the island.

A comprehensive upgrade of air, sea and road infrastructure

In meetings with the National Committee for APEC 2027, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for Phu Quoc to plan a coastal ring road with a long-term vision, optimizing development space and fully leveraging the island’s maritime advantages. This direction is tied to the implementation of the “five transformations”: greening, digitalization, smart systems, optimization and harmonization of interests. The goal is to guide Phu Quoc toward becoming a modern, internationally integrated island city, connected not only domestically but also directly to the region and the world, with a 100-year outlook.

Aligned with this vision, Phu Quoc’s transport infrastructure is being prepared in a coordinated manner across air, sea and land, following the development logic of leading international service and tourism hubs such as Singapore and Dubai, where transport infrastructure is always built one step ahead to drive growth.

Phu Quoc International Airport is currently undergoing expansion to raise capacity to around 20 million passengers per year from 2027. The upgrade incorporates advanced, world-leading technologies and will be capable of handling special aircraft, commercial flights and international charters serving APEC.