Sheraton Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort

From Vinpearl to Sheraton

In early January 2023, the resort called Vinpearl Resort & Golf Phu Quoc at Gành Dầu changed its sign to Sheraton Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort. It was part of a deal between Marriott International and Vinpearl to convert and develop about two thousand two hundred rooms across six hotels in Vietnam. The new name borrows the name of the beach in front: Long Beach, that is Bãi Dài.

The resort lies on the northern stretch of Bãi Dài, facing the sea to the west. The main building is white and neoclassical, with a grey roof and a row of arched doors, standing right behind the sand. Behind it are the Ferris wheel and the rooftops of VinWonders, just a few steps away; Vinpearl Safari and Grand World are close by too. Sheraton calls the place "Sunset Dreams On Pearl Island", a dream of sunsets on the Pearl Island.

Sea-view rooms, sunrise suites, villas with private pools

The resort has 459 places to stay: 353 hotel rooms, 28 suites and 78 villas. Deluxe rooms measure about forty-two square metres, in a neoclassical style, with a balcony, a choice of a large double bed or two single beds, and a garden or sea view. There is also a two-bedroom family room with a sea view.

The Senior Suite measures about eighty square metres and has its own living room. The sea-view version has a soaking tub and a balcony for watching the sun set. The garden-view version is on the sunrise side, with a terrace among greenery, for those who like to rise early.

Villas have two to four bedrooms, measuring from about one hundred and ninety to three hundred and sixty square metres, each with a private pool and a full kitchen. Many cluster around a lake in the grounds; at dusk, the lights in the villas fall on the water. Villa guests can book a barbecue at their own villa, with four menus: Vietnamese, European, Indian and international.

Sand, pools and sunset

The beach in front of the resort is the resort's own, with umbrellas and cabanas for rent. Right behind the sand is the main pool in the middle of a lawn, with small round pools on either side; next to it are a children's pool, an outdoor jacuzzi and a poolside bar. Coconut palms are planted right at the edge of the sand, with places to hang a hammock looking straight out to sea.

Because it faces west, on any clear afternoon you see the sun go down straight into the sea. The resort even sets up dinner on the beach at sunset for couples or small families.

Sheraton Spa uses organic ingredients and four signature essential oils of its own: Harmony, Island Spice, Mandara and Tranquility. There is a gym, a kids' club with indoor and outdoor games, yoga classes by the pool, and beach volleyball. The resort has been awarded the Green Key eco-label, after meeting more than one hundred requirements across thirteen areas, from energy and water to waste.

Seven restaurants, three bars

Daily Social is the international buffet restaurant, laid out like a food market. Il Tramonto is an Italian restaurant near the sea, with fresh pasta made on the spot and pizza. Wok & Curry mixes three cuisines, Vietnamese, Korean and Indian. The Sands Bar & Grill is a seafood restaurant looking out to sea at sunset. Sunset Beach Deck is a place to sit and watch the sun go down with wine and cocktails. Flavor Fair is a row of seaside kiosks selling fresh seafood, Vietnamese dishes and even Turkish food. &More by Sheraton is open twenty-four hours, selling Starbucks coffee and light bites.

The three bars are the Pool Bar by the pool, Unspoken Bar with cocktails in the middle of the resort, and The Library Bar, which specialises in gin and whisky. At Unspoken Bar there are cocktail classes and Vietnamese drip-coffee classes, from black coffee to salt coffee and milk coffee. The kitchen also runs classes in cooking Vietnamese, Indian and Korean dishes with native chefs, and a pizza-making class for children.