Lodging specialist Ascott is working with real estate owners to develop properties across Vietnam that are equipped for meetings and events, as it sees escalating international corporate traffic into the country on the back of heightened global investments.
Kevin Goh, CEO of Ascott and lodging, Capitaland Investment, noted that the China Plus One strategy, which focuses on diversifying supply chains from China to enhance trade resilience, “has definitely helped to attract strong business travel traffic into Vietnam”.
“We get a lot of corporate guests from Japan, South Korea and the US who are with companies that are expanding their capabilities in Vietnam,” said Goh.
The most prominent element in Ascott’s strategy to sharpen its positioning in the business events market is the International Convention Centre at Ascott Tay Ho Hanoi. The centre packs in 13 meeting venues and what is said to be Hanoi’s largest pillarless ballroom that can accommodate more than 2,000 guests.
Ascott Tay Ho Hanoi, billed as Ascott’s largest integrated complex worldwide, boasts 389 hotel rooms, 776 serviced apartments, 10 F&B destinations – many of which will be led by Michelin-star chefs, and a mix of recreational facilities.
Ascott Tay Ho Hanoi will open in phases, according to Wong Kar Ling, chief strategy officer and managing director, South-east Asia, Ascott. Some 700 guestrooms will open by the end of 2026, while the rest will be ready by the first half of 2027.
For now, Ascott Tay Ho Hanoi will service meeting and event planners through its International Convention Centre. Overseas event attendees will be accommodated by Ascott’s properties close by – Oakwood Residence Hanoi, Somerset West Point Hanoi, Somerset Grand Hanoi, Somerset Hoa Binh Hanoi.
According to Wong, the centre’s first event was a Singapore National Day celebration in August 2025, and several social events and corporate functions soon followed.
Last week, the International Convention Centre hosted the Ascott Global Conference for almost 400 business partners and team members from all over the world. It also held A Night with the Blues, an exclusive event on April 18 organised by Ascott and Chelsea Football Club for more than 300 Ascott Star Rewards programme members and football fans.
Many of Ascott’s operating and pipeline properties in Vietnam are geared up for business events. Oakwood Ha Long, which opened in 2024, offers a ballroom with a spacious foyer for 250-pax banquets along with flexible dining venues, and a private section of the beach for creative outdoor functions. Citadines Marina Ha Long, which also opened in 2024, is armed with two stylish meeting rooms.
In addition, Lasong Hotel & Villas Sam Son by The Unlimited Collection will fully open this year and bring a ballroom to market. Pipeline openings, Harris Cam Ranh (2026), Citadines Selavia Phu Quoc (2027), and Somerset Nha Trang (2028) will each offer a selection of event venues.
David Cumming, regional general manager for Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, told TTGmice that Ascott’s developments in Vietnam will not only look at destinations popular for leisure travel, but also those with business events potential.
Cumming said: “Many big insurance companies out of Malaysia and Singapore are always in search of alternative destinations for their events. Vietnam is attractive in that sense, as it is continuously opening up new and additional flights into destinations like Hanoi, Phu Quoc, Ho Chi Minh City and more, which positively impacts business arrivals.”
He added that the “rest of South-east Asia presents great potential to grow arrivals into Vietnam”, and it is important that the venue supply continues to expand to support demand.
Vietnam’s APEC 2027 chairmanship is also expected to lift the country’s business events fortunes, opined Cumming.
He shared that the owner of Citadines Selavia Phu Quoc is committed to opening the hotel on schedule in June 2027, as arrangements have been made to welcome an APEC delegation when the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week arrives in Phu Quoc.
Discussions at other properties are also underway to support meetings leading up to and during the APEC meetings.
