Heaven Is A Place Called The Regent Phu Quoc

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If there is a paradise on earth, it must surely be The Regent Phu Quoc where the food is sublime, the ambience is one of understated luxury, the staff anticipate their guests’ every need, and everything is taken care of down to the very last detail. Even when we were lounging on the beach, a waiter appeared from nowhere with bottles of water and a complimentary drink.

What’s not to love about a hotel that has gorgeous books placed casually around its guest rooms – a Vietnamese cookbook, a book on cocktails with recipes and accessories to mix our own drinks, a book of photographs by renowned photographer Réhahn – all perfect for kicking back with on the daybed overlooking our private infinity pool.

When Maurie unexpectedly fell ill during our stay, the care and concern shown to him was second to none. Indeed, it was the outstanding level of genuine hospitality shown by every member of staff that, in our view, puts this property in the realm of the world’s best hotels and resorts. Designing and building a beautiful hotel is one thing, but making every guest feel special without being intrusive is something else again.

The Regent opened just shy of two years ago on Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island. Located in the Gulf of Thailand, this verdant island is one of south-east Asia’s best-kept secrets. Blessed with beautiful beaches and with more than half of the island a protected national park, it is easily reached in a one-hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City. It is also regularly serviced by international flights (although, sadly, still no direct flights from Australia).

The location of the Regent couldn’t be better, really. It’s an easy 15-minute drive from the airport and has direct frontage to Long Beach, a 20-kilometre stretch of white sand and turquoise water. Here, on the long, western side of the island, the overwater sunsets are spellbinding.

A resort of this calibre calls for a stylish arrival. The resort’s airport transfer service ensured our stay was off to a good start. On entering the arrivals hall, we were whisked off to the Regent’s small lounge where we were invited to wait until our bags arrived. Then it was off to the hotel in a chauffeur-driven, shiny black Range Rover Sport.

If we had any cares at all, they soon dissipated in the tranquil lobby with its clean, modern lines and neutral tones, peppered with splashes of colour in stunning floral arrangements and striking artworks. The floral theme continues throughout the resort, in art books lying open on tables in the lobby, right through to the hotel stationery.

Most eye-catching of all is the large wall mural of hand-blown crystal pieces that draw you towards the lobby. A bespoke design by Lasvit, Charming Deeps resembles brightly coloured coral, a nod to the island’s famous coral reefs. All the artworks throughout the resort are inspired by local themes, providing a strong sense of place.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby frame a view of lush tropical gardens and koi-filled lagoons. Winding paths lead past fragrant frangipani, colourful bougainvillea, hibiscus, and manicured lawns, to a pristine white sandy beach. It’s a serene picture punctuated by regular greetings of xin chào (hello) from the unfailingly polite and friendly staff. Nestling unobtrusively into this landscape are 176 suites and 126 villas, many at ground level, others (like the lavish Sky Pool villa we stayed in) in a 10-storey building with panoramic views over the property and the ocean.

The Accommodation

All accommodation faces the ocean and nearly all the suites and villas have their own plunge pool or infinity pool – remarkable when you consider that the resort itself has five beautiful pools. If you enjoy a dip – and especially one away from prying eyes – the Regent Phu Quoc is the place to be.

We found it hard to take ourselves away from the balcony of our seventh-floor villa where the infinity pool had magical sunset views and the king-sized outdoor daybed invited indefinite lounging with a glass of bubbles in hand. A half-bottle of Beaumont des Crayeres Grand Reserve Brut was conveniently waiting for us on arrival, along with a plate of fruit, a hand-written welcome note, and some delicious small pastries.

The Sky Pool villas like the one we stayed in are the furthest from the beach (but still an easy walk) while the Lagoon Pool and Beach Pool villas put you closer to the sand (but don’t have the incredible views that the Sky Pool villas have). A range of bedroom configurations means that couples, families and groups are easily accommodated, and regardless of the accommodation chosen, it’s all luxurious.

All the suites and villas share the same contemporary aesthetic. Floors of black marble are complemented by a colour scheme of beige and taupe, with subtle notes of blue lending a beachy feel. Singapore-based Blink Design Group found inspiration in gian nha, traditional Vietnamese homes with small courtyards, translating this into the resort’s stunning indoor-outdoor spaces. The designers also came up with a scallop pattern, inspired by the bovi (a wooden truss), that recurs everywhere from bronze screens to carpets, sheets, towels and candle holders.

Our One Bedroom Sky Pool Villa not only had its own infinity pool, it had a spacious open-plan living/dining room and kitchen fitted with full-size fridge, oven, dishwasher, microwave, and all the crockery, glassware and implements needed to cook your own meal. (I’m wondering who would actually cook, given the property has amazing restaurants – which we’ll get to shortly.)

Both the living room and bedroom had big flat-screen TVs with satellite channels. Both also had button-operated blockout curtains that opened to the stunning ocean views. The pillow menu was extensive and the safety deposit box was in a pull-out drawer, with the safe door lifting upwards (addressing one of my pet hates: hotel safes that you have to get down on your hands and knees to access). The safe was big enough to take a laptop and came with a jewellery insert to take all the rings and bling that I’d like to own but don’t.

Regardless of which villa or suite you choose, they all have a standalone bathtub and separate shower, along with electronic Toto toilets. Our shower recess had a rain shower, hand-held shower, and built-in shower seat. I enjoyed a long soak in the deep tub, with beautiful bath salts provided (and readily replenished). With two wooden stools in the bathroom, two separate handbasins, luxe Acqua di Parma toiletries, special bathroom slippers and beautiful robes, the bathroom was pure indulgence.

Across the property, guests are showered with complimentary extras, including pressing or laundry for up to three pieces per bedroom per day. The range of complimentary toiletries and refreshments is astounding. The ‘refreshment gallery’, replenished daily, includes Ronnefeldt teas, artisanal coffee, cookies, crisps, chocolates, dried fruit, nuts, and a fridge stocked with Saigon beer, juices, softdrinks and water.

What’s particularly pleasing is that cards in the bathroom and kitchen clearly outline which items are complimentary and which can be borrowed. (Yes, you can take the batteries, the insect repellent and the tweezers; No, you can’t take the yoga mat, the thermometer or the garment bag home with you).

And wait, even the cabanas are complimentary … Such luxury obviously comes with a price tag, but I like this concept much better than the American model of separate resort fees just to use the wifi or swimming pool. Apart from the food, the pools at the Regent are the star attraction. The Ocean Club pool has a great view of the beach, the family pool is fringed by palms and daybeds and looks like it is straight off Instagram, and the rooftop infinity pool is the perfect spot to catch the sunset.

The rooftop Fu Bar was our introduction to Phu Quoc’s amazing sunsets, the sky turning pink, orange and then almost purple as we sipped on cocktails from the gin- and herb-focused drinks menu. Bar Jade has an intimate, cosier ambience and is the perfect spot to enjoy a nightcap. A speakeasy designed with brown leather and jade green to resemble a luxury train carriage, Bar Jade even has a secret entrance. Knock three times and the door opens, a la Hernando’s Hideaway.

Mixologist Andrew whips up cocktails inspired by gemstones and made with artisanal spirits and fresh local ingredients. I dived into Amethyst, a blend of sous-vide pear, gin infused with purple butterfly pea flower, vermouth, and Madagascar vanilla liqueur, but Maurie was less enamoured with his Garnet cocktail, a blend of chamomile-infused Lady Trieu, Dalat flowerbomb gin, Aperol, and Quinta do Noval white port.

With around 300 wines on the list, the Regent has what is almost certainly the most extensive wine cellar on Phu Quoc, if not the whole of Vietnam. Sommelier Anh Do — not the Vietnamese-Australian ‘happiest refugee’ but his Vietnamese namesake – honed his palate while working in some top restaurants in Dubai. The hotel hosts some fabulous food and wine events at various times throughout the year.

The Food

Prepare to be amazed by the food. We found each of the resort’s three restaurants to be exceptional. The complimentary breakfast in Rice Market offers both an attractive a la carte menu and an expansive breakfast buffet that stretches across several rooms. There’s everything from a pho bar to a fruit and juice station to a bakery section doing doughnut balls with pipettes of orange juice, and croissants in unexpected flavors like mojito.

These bakery treats are adorned with dainty pansies, as are many of the dishes in the Regent’s various restaurants – the resort must go through truckloads of little pansies. There’s even a dedicated kids’ station at breakfast (as well as an awesome kids’ club but I’ll get to that later). To top it off, you can even have a complimentary head and neck massage while at breakfast. So cool.

Rice Market offers a Vietnamese-style afternoon tea and curated coffee experiences throughout the day, transforming into a Vietnamese/Asian restaurant at lunch and dinner, when it specialises in rice and noodle dishes. A special Seafood Hotpot is available every Friday evening. Even the mocktails take on Asian flavours: I loved the Da Me cocktail blended from tamarind syrup, lemongrass, kumquat, and cloves.

Executive sous chef Huan Tran loves to innovate with local ingredients and spices to bring out the characteristic flavours of Vietnamese cuisine. Chargrilled beef marinated with sate sauce and skewered with lemongrass sticks is caramelised and sticky on the outside, tender on the inside, and utterly delicious. Duck La Lot also hits the spot, with grilled minced duck and French foie gras wrapped in betel leaves, with kaffir lime, lemongrass, fruit salsa, and sweet and sour chilli sauce for dipping. Mango pudding with coconut sago and mango chips is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Ocean Club has a more modern feel with an enviable beach setting and a casual chic ambience that wouldn’t be out of place on the Riviera. The menu is more Mediterranean in style, although it is a real melting pot. Chef de cuisine, Daniel Huynh, loves playing with overseas inspirations and local favourites.

Justly proud of his creations, he makes everything sing, whether it be oysters from France beautifully presented in a shell-like bowl; chargrilled Phu Quoc sand lobster with smoked chilli sabayon and blue scampi caviar; or the prettiest-ever Yuzu tart with orange sable, mango sorbet and lemon meringue (complete with flecks of gold leaf and a little pansy of course).

With mellow beats, craft beers, rum-inspired cocktails and glorious views, Ocean Club is a great place for lunch or dinner. Even the woodfired pizza is something to write home about, topped as it is with a long list of favourites: burrata cheese, anchovies, rocket, fresh mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, figs and San Daniele ham.

The Regent’s signature dining restaurant, Oku, serves contemporary Japanese-French cuisine. We can highly recommend the Omakase Atelier Experience (sitting at the counter enjoying the chef’s choice of dishes). Vietnamese-born chef de cuisine, Andy Huynh, was raised in San Diego and honed his skills at Nobu, experience that he draws on to produce a truly sensory dining experience.

Every dish we tasted here was a surprise and a delight, from Zenzai (beetroot cracker with shrimp, scallop tartare, and ginger onion aioli); Tuna sashimi (with tofu crème fraiche); through a series of courses to Dry-aged Australian Wagyu shortrib with sweet garlic soy; and finally Matcha crème brulee with white chocolate icecream, lemon curd, and strawberry eton mess.

One of the most interesting dishes is Huynh’s interpretation of Nicoise Salad, made with baby romain lettuce, Japanese onsen egg, capers, anchovy dressing, and an olive oil powder which dissolves into oil on the tongue. (He let us into the secret of how he makes it, but we’ll stay mum on the secret ingredient.)

Oku has a sophisticated art deco ambience and a great list of Japanese, French and Scotch whiskies. Its other special offering is Salon de Boeuf where you can enjoy premium beef cuts. The Regent occasionally holds pop-up events that are worth keeping an eye out for. Last November, it held An Odyssey To Vietnam, bringing top chefs, mixologists and local artisans together in what by all accounts was a wonderful four days of gastronomy and storytelling.

What is there to do?

Well, you could just do nothing. Personally, I can’t think of a better place to blob. But if you feel the need to work off all the calories, there are free bikes to hire and a 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness centre with personal trainers on request. There’s also rooftop yoga and meditation, wellness classes, and a daily schedule of free activities.

The Spa at The Regent Phu Quoc offers premium treatments in blissful surrounds with garden views. With seven suites for singles and three for couples, it offers a wide range of treatments including body scrubs, body wraps, facial treatments, wellness therapies, and even some special kids’ treatments. Lucky kids! Massages include the energizing Tam Quat Reviver, which takes its cues from traditional Vietnamese healing techniques, and the soothing Aromatherapy Reviver, which combines eastern and western manipulative movements.

We really enjoyed the Vietnamese Crafted Coffee Experience in the Rice Market deli. Using small-batch roasted Silvi coffee beans, barista Duy showed how it takes six to seven minutes of beating to create the smooth, creamy froth for a Hanoi egg coffee. (If you haven’t tried this Vietnamese delicacy, you must! It sounds weird but it tastes divine.) Duy also demonstrated how to make Coconut Coffee, an iced drink blending coffee with coconut cream, coconut syrup, condensed milk, dried coconut and fresh milk. One day we’ll have a go at making it at home.

If you have little ones in tow, keep an eye out for the Little Chef cooking classes where kids can make adorable cookies and puddings. The resort has a dedicated children’s pool, and a fantastic Kids Club which the kids won’t want to leave — believe me. It has an imagination zone, an interactive zone with computer and video games, naptime area with teepees, a movie room with beanbag chairs, a playground, a library with animal-shaped stools, kids’ bikes, ride-on toys, and dress-ups. You can also buy games like Uno here, along with shovel and bucket sets for the beach.

The beach is a beautiful clean white sandy beach with plenty of sun lounges, and next to them are small tables with QR codes to scan for service. Activities you can do include snorkelling, windsurfing, stand-up paddle boarding, sailing a dinghy, and kayaking. If you’d like a bespoke experience, the resort has an ‘Experience Agent’ who can organize anything from a day trip to a private beach or romantic hideaway, to dinner under the stars, a walk to a waterfall, or a family excursion.

You can also charter the Regent’s beautiful yacht, Serenity, fishing and snorkelling and even staying on board overnight if you wish (it has two bedrooms). The sleek white yacht offers organized cruises too, including daytime coastline cruises, Champagne breakfast cruises, Champagne sunset cruises, and an evening cruise where you can go on a squid fishing expedition, watching (and testing your own skills) as the captain uses fluorescent lights to attract the squid.

Serenity caters for up to 12 guests and is a relaxing way of seeing the Phu Quoc coastline. Clinking glasses of Champagne Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve as we sailed to the island’s southern tip, we wondered what the island will be like once it is discovered by the tourist masses. For now, the strangely out of place Mediterranean-looking Sunset Town has streets that are nearly empty, although the 8km-long cable car linking it with Pineapple Island is very popular with holidaymakers. The new Kissing Point bridge (so named because of the way the bridges lock together) is also a photo opportunity.

As we returned to the Regent from the Sunset Cruise, the moon was already rising just as the sun was dipping below the horizon. Truly magical. Three days in this glorious resort wasn’t nearly enough – if I could move in tomorrow, I would.

If you go:

Regent Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc Marina Integrated Complex
Bai Truong, Duong To, Phu Quoc,
Kien Giang, 92509 Vietnam
Tel: +84 297 388 0000
phuquoc.regenthotels.com

With thanks to the Regent Phu Quoc for generously hosting us for two of our three nights, along with meals, spa treatments and the sunset cruise. It was a pleasure and a privilege to experience this beautiful resort.

We stayed in Sky Pool Villa 265 / 1.

To find out all the great things there are to do on Phu Quoc, take a look at our post, Top Things To Do In Phu Quoc, Vietnam.