Rixos Hotels is moving its first Southeast Asian resort into the pre-opening phase on Hon Thom island in Phu Quoc, turning a previously announced market entry into a more immediate hospitality capacity signal for Vietnam.
The company has publicly welcomed Stefano Capaccetti to lead Rixos Phu Quoc Vietnam as the team prepares the property for launch. His appointment matters mainly because it adds operating leadership to a project that has moved beyond the original signing announcement and is now assembling the people and systems needed to open.
Rixos's own property page describes the resort as coming soon and says it will have nearly 1,700 rooms and suites. That scale makes the development more than a boutique brand arrival. It adds a large all-inclusive resort to Phu Quoc's tourism inventory and tests whether the island can absorb another internationally positioned destination property.
The project was first announced in December 2024 by Ennismore and Sun Group. The official announcement identified it as the first Rixos destination in Southeast Asia. Rixos sits within Ennismore, in which Accor holds a majority shareholding, so the expansion connects a global hospitality platform with a Vietnamese destination developer.
For Vietnam, the commercial question is not simply whether another international flag has arrived. The larger test is whether an all-inclusive model can generate repeat demand, extend visitor stays and distribute spending across accommodation, food, entertainment and local services without isolating guests from the wider island economy.
Phu Quoc already competes for travellers seeking beach resorts across Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. A property of this size can strengthen the island's international visibility, but it also raises execution requirements. Air connectivity, staffing, utilities, waste management and consistent service will shape whether new room supply creates durable value.
The pre-opening phase is where those operating questions become concrete. Large resorts need recruitment, training, supplier onboarding, safety systems, technology platforms and coordinated guest operations before the first full season. The leadership appointment is therefore best read as evidence of launch preparation, not as the central story by itself.
There is also a market-entry lesson for international brands. Vietnam offers a growing visitor economy and a pipeline of destination developments, but success depends on a local operating model, an experienced development partner and a proposition that fits the market. Importing a brand format without local delivery capacity would not be enough.
The next evidence to watch is a confirmed opening date, the number of rooms available in the first phase, recruitment progress and the opening mix of dining and entertainment facilities. Those indicators will show how quickly the project converts its regional expansion plan into operating capacity.
For now, Rixos Phu Quoc is a current Southeast Asia expansion signal because the resort is visibly moving through pre-opening. The appointment supports that transition, while the more consequential story is the brand's attempt to establish a large-scale all-inclusive model in one of Vietnam's most competitive tourism markets.
Sources
Sources: Rixos Hotels; Ennismore; Rixos Phu Quoc Vietnam Rixos Phu Quoc official property page Ennismore announcement of Rixos Phu Quoc signing Rixos Phu Quoc Vietnam pre-opening leadership update