BANYAN TREE and Laguna Phuket, two brands that had their beginnings on Phuket, are spreading rapidly, especially in Vietnam.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held last week for Laguna Hue, a ''replica'' Laguna Phuket on a 280-hectare beachfront site. It is now expected to open before 2012.
The first phase, costing about US$200 million, will include Banyan Tree Hue and Angsana Hue, totalling some 350 keys, an 18-hole golf course designed by Nick Faldo, and branded resort residences.
Laguna Hue will have eventually about 2000 rooms and suites under the management of seven international branded hotel and resort operators, spas, a championship golf course, resort residences, convention facilities and a town centre with retail and recreational facilities.
If that sounds familiar, it's because the model is Laguna Phuket, where Banyan Tree was launched as a brand in 1994. The Vietnam project is expected to draw on expertise at Laguna Phuket.
''We have always believed that Vietnam holds the greatest potential of replicating the success of our flagship Laguna Phuket destination resort within Asia,'' says KP Ho, Banyan Tree's Chief Executive.
He rates the project ''a significant milestone for Banyan Tree'' with the Banyan Tree Indochina Hospitality Fund fhaving raised $US283 million.
The fund was created to focus on the development of Laguna Hue and other hospitality investment projects in the Indochina region.
Laguna Hue is within an hour's drive of Danang and Hue international airports. Apart from providing its hotel and spa management services to the hotels in the development, Banyan Tree is also the master planner and designer for the development.
In July this year, the group secured a contract to manage a 1300-key development under its sister brand, Angsana Hotels and Resorts. Angsana Fu Xian Lake is expected to open in Kunming in 2010.
The group will be pushing ahead with expansion plans, with resort and hotel openings expected in Hangzhou, China; Bali, Indonesia; Ras Al Khaimah, UAE and Acapulco, Mexico.
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A ground-breaking ceremony was held last week for Laguna Hue, a ''replica'' Laguna Phuket on a 280-hectare beachfront site. It is now expected to open before 2012.
The first phase, costing about US$200 million, will include Banyan Tree Hue and Angsana Hue, totalling some 350 keys, an 18-hole golf course designed by Nick Faldo, and branded resort residences.
Laguna Hue will have eventually about 2000 rooms and suites under the management of seven international branded hotel and resort operators, spas, a championship golf course, resort residences, convention facilities and a town centre with retail and recreational facilities.
If that sounds familiar, it's because the model is Laguna Phuket, where Banyan Tree was launched as a brand in 1994. The Vietnam project is expected to draw on expertise at Laguna Phuket.
''We have always believed that Vietnam holds the greatest potential of replicating the success of our flagship Laguna Phuket destination resort within Asia,'' says KP Ho, Banyan Tree's Chief Executive.
He rates the project ''a significant milestone for Banyan Tree'' with the Banyan Tree Indochina Hospitality Fund fhaving raised $US283 million.
The fund was created to focus on the development of Laguna Hue and other hospitality investment projects in the Indochina region.
Laguna Hue is within an hour's drive of Danang and Hue international airports. Apart from providing its hotel and spa management services to the hotels in the development, Banyan Tree is also the master planner and designer for the development.
In July this year, the group secured a contract to manage a 1300-key development under its sister brand, Angsana Hotels and Resorts. Angsana Fu Xian Lake is expected to open in Kunming in 2010.
The group will be pushing ahead with expansion plans, with resort and hotel openings expected in Hangzhou, China; Bali, Indonesia; Ras Al Khaimah, UAE and Acapulco, Mexico.
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