As tourism interest in Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island spikes, Regent Phu Quoc has chosen to capture the attention of guests with a series of expert-led art, wellness and culinary programmes that promise meaningful engagements.
These residency programmes feature different visiting artists, health care practitioners, and chefs throughout the year. A recent residency was led by Angie Tourani, a distinguished holistic health care practitioner, from March to April, coinciding with the International Women’s Month. Her menu of bespoke one-to-one healing experience was designed to offer guests the opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and honour both inner balance and the inspiring stories of women leading with purpose.
Ongoing now is an art residency, Discover The Memory of Flowers, a solo exhibition by Vietnamese visual artist Pham Tuan Ngoc. Guests are invited to explore the natural cycle of a flower’s life through the lens of the ancient lumen print technique. This art engagement ends on October 31, 2026.
Bastien Pucheu, area director of commercial, IHG BIM Estate Vietnam, whose portfolio includes the luxury Regent Phu Quoc, said the specialist residency programmes were newly launched this year to “bring inspiring moments to our guests during their stay”.
The residency programmes also provide an opportunity to connect guests with local specialists in their craft, be it art or food, and discover Vietnam through different points of view.
“The travel and tourism industry talks a lot about experiential travel, and we agree that there is a trend of high-end clientele wanting to stay on longer in a hotel while exploring or living out a variety of experiences,” said Pucheu.
These residency programmes join Regent Phu Quoc’s immersive seasonal activities that are tailored to the island’s tropical climate. For example, during the June to October wet season – a time when the island gets “renewed through rain and beautiful weather”, according to Pucheu – guests activities adopt an unhurried pace and feature indoor experiences that range from guest chef showcases, printing workshops, and serene spa treatments.
When the dry season settles from June to October, activities take guests outdoors through Embrace the Sun programmes, such as morning cruises aboard its Serenity yacht.
Bruno Anon, resort manager at Regent Phu Quoc, told TTG Asia that guests typically stay for 3.5 days during the rainy season and five days during the dry, high season.
“Regent Phu Quoc is considered a destination resort, where our guests stay in almost all their time in Phu Quoc. We offer a lot of activities that are designed for all ages. Our restaurants boast a highest capture rate because our guests who stay in all day also dine a lot with us,” Anon shared.
When asked if Regent Phu Quoc’s ever-changing calendar of activities had helped to build high repeat visits, Pucheu replied in the affirmative, but declined to cite numbers that define the proportion of repeat guests.
While the seasonal and limited edition activities are a strong magnet for repeat guests, Pucheu said “genuine and elevated service elements, the sense of space, and the sense of belonging” are what mattered most.
“We’ve got lots of team members and associates who are constantly named by our guests (for their outstanding service), and I know these are proud moments for Juan Losada, the general manager, as well as Bruno,” Pucheu said.
Regent Phu Quoc was recently honoured with a regional Virtuoso award in Greater China for having shown the highest annual growth.
