Abandoned Sheraton resort project in Phu Quoc to be demolished

The unfinished Sheraton resort project on Vietnam's largest island, Phu Quoc, has been ordered to be demolished by authorities. The developer must clear the site and remove all partially completed structures within four months. Nguyen Thanh Tung, head of the Phu Quoc Economic Zone Management Board, announced on Thursday that the resort is among over 20 projects in the island's special administrative zone whose investment approvals have been revoked due to prolonged delays. This revocation is part of a broader effort to reduce land waste, improve the urban landscape, and prepare Phu Quoc to host the 2027 APEC Economic Leaders' Week. The Sheraton Phu Quoc Resort project, developed by Vien Dong Phu Quoc Co., Ltd., was first approved in 2013, with its investment policy revised in 2023. The development is currently more than two years behind its committed construction schedule. According to Tung, the developer began building several beachfront components in 2019 but halted work shortly afterward. The company cited disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and was granted a one-time extension. However, they still failed to meet the revised deadline and were unable to continue implementing the project. The abandoned resort occupies a prime, nearly three-hectare beachfront site in the former Cua Lap area of Duong To Commune. The property fronts Tran Hung Dao Street—the island's main thoroughfare linking Duong Dong Town with Phu Quoc International Airport and the southern Bai Truong resort area—while its opposite side faces the sea. Because of its strategic location at the gateway to central Phu Quoc, the site was once considered one of the island's most valuable tourism properties. Under the original plan, the five-star resort was designed to feature more than 35,000 square meters of floor space and approximately 300 guest rooms. Planned facilities included a hotel tower, a convention center, restaurants, a spa, sports facilities, a children's play area, a main swimming pool, and a rooftop pool. Today, only the reinforced concrete frame of the six-story main hotel building is complete. Interior works, finishing, and resort amenities were never built. The site now consists entirely of exposed concrete structures overgrown with weeds, with no active construction underway. Leaders of An Giang Province, home to Phu Quoc, stated in a recent meeting that authorities are strictly reviewing investment projects across the province, particularly within the Phu Quoc special administrative zone. Projects that have remained idle or experienced prolonged delays will be revoked to prevent land waste and free up space for key infrastructure developments.