Where to Stay in Vietnam, Part 3b: The Islands & South — Phu Quoc, Con Dao & Halong Cruises (2026)
Part 3b of our area-by-area Vietnam series. The south's island escapes — beachy, family-friendly Phu Quoc and remote, barefoot Con Dao — plus the one experience no Vietnam trip should miss: an overnight luxury cruise on Halong and Lan Ha bays. Here's where to stay and sail.
The final coastal instalment of our guide to where to stay in Vietnam, area by area (see Part 3a for the central coast). These are the places you go to do nothing well — and the bays you sail rather than check into. Each stay opens with its place in our four-tier framework, from Elevated Luxury down to Premium. Here's how that framework works →
Rates are indicative nightly figures for a lead room/villa in mid-season, in US dollars (cruise rates are per cabin including meals and excursions). Phu Quoc is driest roughly November–April; see our best months to visit Asia guide for timing, and Halong follows the northern seasons.
Insider verdicts throughout are our own, informed by the long-running FlyerTalk luxury-travel threads — the praise and the caveats.
Phu Quoc
The Regent for the most polished all-round luxury; the JW Marriott Emerald Bay for design and character. The InterContinental and La Veranda round out the field.
Regent Phu Quoc IHG Luxury & Lifestyle
Luxury. An all-suite-and-villa beachfront resort on Long Beach, the Regent is Phu Quoc's most polished address — vast suites, a champagne-pouring club lounge, a string of well-spaced pools and a serious dining line-up. IHG's luxury flagship on the island. From ~US$400–700.
JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Marriott Luminous
Luxury. Bill Bensley's wittiest resort: a fictional 19th-century "Lamarck University" turned beachfront fantasy on Emerald Bay, with faculty-themed buildings, the Department of Chemistry bar, and one of the most photographed pool-and-beach scenes in Vietnam. A design destination in its own right. From ~US$350–600.
InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach IHG Luxury & Lifestyle
Upper Premium. A big, polished beachfront resort in the buzzy Long Beach/Sunset Town area, the InterContinental pairs a great sunset-facing pool and the sky-high INK 360 bar with reliable IHG comfort and good family facilities. Livelier and more connected than the secluded names. From ~US$200–350.
La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc, MGallery Accor Preferred
Upper Premium. The island's original boutique charmer, La Veranda is a colonial-style beachfront resort with lush gardens, a lovely stretch of Long Beach sand and a genuinely intimate feel the megaresorts can't match. The character pick at a gentle price. From ~US$180–280.
Con Dao
Six Senses Con Dao — one of the great barefoot-luxury beach resorts in Asia, and the reason to make the trip. The Secret Con Dao for a characterful, lower-key alternative.
Six Senses Con Dao IHG Luxury & Lifestyle
Luxury. On a wild, protected stretch of the remote Con Dao archipelago (a 45-minute flight from Saigon), Six Senses Con Dao is barefoot luxury at its most complete — spacious beachfront pool villas, superb food, a fine spa and a genuine away-from-it-all calm. From ~US$700–1,100.
The Secret Con Dao, MGallery Accor Preferred
Premium. A smaller, design-led MGallery on the Con Son waterfront, The Secret is the characterful, lower-key alternative to the Six Senses — closer to the island's pretty French-colonial town, with a good pool and a fraction of the rate. From ~US$150–250.
Halong & Lan Ha Bay cruises
The limestone seascape of Halong and the quieter, less-crowded Lan Ha Bay are best experienced not from a hotel but from an overnight cruise — and the gap between an average boat and a great one is enormous. These are sailings, not stays, so rates are per cabin and include meals and excursions. A two-night sailing buys far more of the bay (and the quieter corners) than a one-night dash.
Heritage Line's Ylang on the quieter Lan Ha Bay — the standout for food, design and itinerary. Paradise Elegance is the polished, better-value all-rounder; Stellar of the Seas for larger-ship luxury.
Heritage Line Ylang (Lan Ha Bay) Book with us
Heritage Line's flagship sails the less-crowded Lan Ha Bay rather than the busier main Halong route — an opulent, wellness-leaning ship with a spa and sauna aboard, generous suites and one of the best kitchens afloat in Vietnam. The most complete luxury cruise experience in the bays. From ~US$600–1,000 per cabin per night, all-in.
Paradise Elegance (Halong Bay) Book with us
A polished, reliable mid-luxury ship on the classic Halong route, Paradise Elegance offers balcony cabins, a good restaurant and a smooth operation at a gentler price than the top boats — the sensible all-rounder for a first Halong sailing. From ~US$350–550 per cabin per night, all-in.
Stellar of the Seas (Halong Bay) Book with us
One of the larger luxury cruisers on the bay, Stellar pairs spacious suites and a big sundeck with the stability and facilities of a bigger ship — a good choice for travellers who want space and amenities over intimacy. From ~US$450–700 per cabin per night, all-in.
Prefer total privacy? We can also arrange a private charter — a junk or yacht for your group alone, with a bespoke route through the quieter karsts. Just ask.
Quick reference
| Stay / sailing | Tier | Area / best for | Programme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phu Quoc | |||
| ★ Regent Phu Quoc | Luxury | Most polished all-round luxury | IHG Luxury & Lifestyle |
| ★ JW Marriott Emerald Bay | Luxury | Design and character; Bensley beach fantasy | Marriott Luminous |
| InterContinental Phu Quoc | Upper Premium | Lively beachfront; families | IHG Luxury & Lifestyle |
| La Veranda, MGallery | Upper Premium | Colonial-style beachfront charm | Accor Preferred |
| Con Dao | |||
| ★ Six Senses Con Dao | Luxury | Barefoot-luxury beach villas | IHG Luxury & Lifestyle |
| The Secret Con Dao, MGallery | Premium | Lower-key town-side base | Accor Preferred |
| Halong & Lan Ha cruises | |||
| ★ Heritage Line Ylang | Cruise | The standout luxury cruise (Lan Ha) | Book with us |
| Paradise Elegance | Cruise | Polished, well-priced first Halong cruise | Book with us |
| Stellar of the Seas | Cruise | Larger-ship luxury | Book with us |
★ Our recommended picks in each area.
How to choose
For an island beach week, Phu Quoc is the easy, well-connected choice — the Regent for polish, the JW Marriott for design and character. Con Dao is for travellers who want remote and wild, and Six Senses is the reason to go. And wherever your route runs through the north, build in an overnight on Lan Ha Bay aboard the Heritage Line Ylang — it's one of the highlights of any Vietnam trip. See the Vietnam series hub to tie the whole country together.
Insider tips
Recent intelligence from frequent-traveller forums, reviewed July 2026. We refresh these as members report back.
Regent Phu Quoc. Earned a Michelin Key in late 2025, but value is drifting — rates have risen sharply and the club-lounge food and drink has been scaled back; a Park Hyatt Phu Quoc is expected to open in 2026 (Feb 2026).
JW Marriott Phu Quoc. The value alternative to the Regent — one guest reported paying roughly US$1,600 for five nights against about US$4,000 for a comparable Regent stay, so it's worth comparing cash rates when we quote both (Apr 2026).
Timing. Members repeatedly warn that late November brings heavy rain to Phu Quoc and the central coast — aim for the December–April dry window for the islands (2025–26).
More from the Vietnam series: the hub · Part 1 — the major cities · Part 2 — the smaller cities · Part 3a — the central coast
Same hotel, same rate — with the perks on top.
Breakfast, credits and upgrades through our preferred partnerships. We reply within about two hours.