Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading international hotel operator, has revealed plans to launch its family-centric brand, Centara Mirage, in Vietnam with the opening of a fully integrated adventure-themed leisure resort just a few hours’ drive from Ho Chi Minh City.
Scheduled to start welcoming guests in the third quarter of 2021, Centara Mirage Resort Mui Ne will mark the return of Centara Hotels & Resorts to Vietnam, one of Asia’s most dynamic destinations. It will also become only the second Centara Mirage resort worldwide, following the popular Lost World-themed Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya, Thailand, and forms part of the company’s long-term plan to become a top 100 global hotel group within five years.
Inspired by nautical adventures and voyages of discovery, this fully integrated Explorer’s Playground-themed family leisure resort offers 984 rooms and pool villas nestled in the hillside, sloping gently down to the seafront. The wide selection of accommodation options includes Standard Rooms (half villa, some with pool access), 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom Pool Villas.
Central to the offerings at this Explorer’s Playground is a fun waterpark, which features a water play area styled like a sailing ship complete with slides, as well as a lazy river, a splash pad, and a cliff-jumping rock and pool, bringing joy of discovery to all ages.
Other facilities include six restaurants and six bars, an entertainment area, family lounge, playgrounds, a bowling alley, karaoke rooms, and an aerial obstacle course that is perfect for corporate team-building. All ages can unwind at SPA Cenvaree and the world’s first Spa Candy, a sweet wellness centre designed specifically for kids, and crowning the resort will be a 100-meter-high Observatory Tower, promising panoramic views of the Vietnamese coast and East Sea.
For the MICE market, Centara Mirage Resort Mui Ne will also house a grand ballroom and outdoor amphitheater, creating outstanding options for corporate and social events, such as large conferences, weddings, award ceremonies, and more.
Situated on the southeast coast of Vietnam, only 220km from Ho Chi Minh City and famous for its white sandy beaches, water sports and stunning sand dunes, Mui Ne is a popular weekend getaway for local residents and expats alike. It will also be easily accessible from the new Long Thanh International Airport, which broke ground in 2021 and will become the major new gateway for southern Vietnam.
“We are delighted to introduce the Centara Mirage brand to Vietnam with this fun, fully-integrated themed leisure resort. The flagship Centara Grand Mirage Resort Pattaya is one of Thailand’s top family destinations, and I am confident that this concept will become similarly treasured by our Vietnamese guests. Vietnam is perhaps Asia’s most exciting and rapidly expanding tourism destination, with significant potential for domestic and international business. This opening is only the beginning; we look forward to introducing Centara’s timeless standards of Thai hospitality to even more parts of the country in future,” commented Thirayuth Chirathivat, Chief Executive Officer, Centara Hotels & Resorts.
Following the opening of Centara Mirage Resort Mui Ne, a third Centara Mirage property will be launched on the shores of Dubai, UAE, later this year, and the world’s first Centara Reserve will start welcoming guests in Koh Samui, Thailand, marking the global debut of a luxurious new collection of refined resorts. Looking ahead, Centara will continue to seek further opportunities to expand its brands in key cities, beach resorts and cultural locations all across Vietnam, Asia Pacific and the world.
Centara is the hospitality arm of Central Group, which first established a presence in Vietnam in 2012 through its retail subsidiary, Central Retail Corporation (CRC). In only nine years, Central Retail Vietnam has built up an extensive network of 35 malls and 230 stores in 39 provinces, and employs almost 15,000 people nationwide. Core brands such as GO!, Lanchi Mart, Robins, Nguyen Kim, Supersports and Hello Beauty have gained the love and trust of Vietnamese customers, and this positive reputation has been enhanced by responsible activities such as local sourcing, SME support, community CSR programmes and weekend farmers’ markets. Today, CRC is the largest multinational retail company in Vietnam, with a customer base of 12 million people, and this success creates a solid platform of brand awareness for Centara’s hotels and resorts.
Both Centara and Central Group have complete confidence in the long-term future of Vietnam. The country’s tourism industry has experienced impressive growth in recent years, with record-breaking international visitor arrivals peaking at 18 million in 2019¹. A strong economy, large and youthful population, rising affluence and infrastructure improvements are also driving domestic tourism. GDP increased 2.9% in 2020², despite the worldwide downturn caused by the global pandemic, and Vietnam is expected to rebound rapidly in the post-pandemic era.
