The Grand Ho Tram

Rosette Media
4 days ago
12 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Asia's Premier Leading Leisure Destination

Introduction

The Grand Ho Tram in Vietnam is a large-scale, beachside integrated resort and casino complex in Ba Ria–Vung Tau province, positioned as one of the country’s flagship leisure, gaming, and MICE destinations.

The Grand Ho Tram sits on approximately 2.2 km of beachfront along the Ho Tram coast, about a two hour and 15 minute drive from Ho Chi Minh City (as we calculated this timing both ways) giving it strong appeal for both domestic weekenders and international tourists. It is widely recognized as Vietnam’s first true integrated resort (IR), combining upscale accommodation, gaming, golf, and family entertainment within a single master‑planned destination.

Ownership

The Grand Ho Tram is a 164‑hectare integrated resort project master‑planned to include multiple five‑star hotel towers, villas, casino, golf, retail, F&B, and convention infrastructure. The legal project vehicle is Ho Tram Project Company (HTP), 100% owned by Asian Coast Development Ltd (ACDL), with current management and investment under Lodgis Hospitality Holdings, a joint venture between Warburg Pincus and VinaCapital.

Gaming, Golf and Entertainment

The resort’s casino is a central draw, delivering a Las Vegas‑style gaming environment with table games and electronic gaming, currently oriented primarily toward foreign passport holders in line with Vietnam’s gaming regulations. The property has been a first mover as Vietnam’s initial international‑standard gaming venue, reinforcing its regional profile among gaming tourists.

Complementing the casino, The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram is an 18‑hole links‑style golf course designed by Greg Norman that provides a championship‑level golf product with dramatic dune and coastal vistas and full clubhouse, F&B, and practice facilities. This golf‑and‑gaming combination, alongside family entertainment like mini‑golf, game centers, 2D/3D cinema, and karaoke, enables the resort to target both high‑value gamers and broader leisure or corporate groups.

The Grand Ho Tram has become a key catalyst for tourism and infrastructure development in the Ba Ria – Vung Tau area, generating substantial employment, supplier opportunities, and secondary investment in the surrounding area. Its integrated model, luxury rooms, casino, golf, extensive F&B, and entertainment, showcases Vietnam’s capability to deliver global‑standard leisure products, helping elevate the country’s profile on the regional hospitality map.

InterContinental Grand Ho Tram

The InterContinental Grand Ho Tram is a 5-star beachfront tower located within The Grand Ho Tram integrated resort. It provides luxury accommodations, direct access to gaming and golf, and comprehensive MICE facilities. This property serves as the flagship tower of the Grand Ho Tram complex, branded under IHG’s InterContinental name. It is positioned as an upscale beach and entertainment retreat for both leisure and corporate guests. The tower spans approximately 2.2 km of Ho Tram coastline and offers direct access to the casino, The Bluffs golf course, spa, dining, and nightlife, acting as the primary luxury hub of the integrated resort.

The InterContinental Grand Ho Tram caters to a diverse audience, including weekend visitors from Ho Chi Minh City, regional fly-in guests, and MICE/incentive groups seeking seaside resort experiences combined with gaming, golf, and extensive dining options. As part of the InterContinental brand, it focuses on international service standards, elegant interiors, and curated experiences such as signature dinners and personalized events.

Rooms and Suites

The hotel features 543 room, all with contemporary design, parquet flooring, and either ocean or golf‑course views over The Bluffs. Standard “Classic/Grand” rooms are about 47 m², available in king or twin configurations, and include down‑filled bedding, separate bathtub and shower, and full in‑room tech (LED/LCD TV, complimentary Wi‑Fi, stocked minibar, coffee/tea).

Higher categories such as Grand Suites are close to 99 m² and add a separate living area, larger bathrooms, and enhanced in‑room amenities aimed at VIPs, families, and longer‑stay guests. We found this, especially satisfying and comforting, given the huge expanse of our lovely Ocean View Grand Suite, truly magnanimous! Across all categories, typical features include pillow menu, blackout drapes, deep soaking tub, rainfall shower, designer toiletries, in‑room safe, work desk, and sound‑proofing, creating a residential‑style comfort level.

Facilities, Leisure and F&B

On the leisure side, guests have access to multiple outdoor pools with cabanas and swim‑up/poolside bars, a private beach area, a full‑service spa, fitness center with classes (including yoga), kids’ facilities, and easy access to The Bluffs championship golf course. A complimentary or packaged shuttle typically connects the hotel with Ho Chi Minh City at fixed times, underscoring its “urban‑escape” positioning, which is hot destination amongst Saigoneers. The entire Grand Ho Tram destination has a total of 3 spas, 3 fitness centres, 9 swimming pools, 1 x 18-hole golf course, 1 casino and 2 retail stores.

Within the wider resort, there are 17 restaurants and bars spanning casual, family, and premium concepts, including Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, grills/BBQ, bistros, cafes, pool and beach bars, a bowling alley and specialty whisky and cigar lounges.

Grand Cafe offers the finest Vietnamese-style coffee and one can indulge in sandwiches, soups, exquisite pastries, and more in a relaxed café setting located near the hotel lobby., an intersection of all their various F&B concepts, at the central meeting point, termed the Dragon Chandelier. Nestled alongside the Grand Cafe is the Buds Ice Cream hailing from San Francisco, that delivers a variety of lovely ice cream flavours, perfect for children and ice cream lovers. We like the food at the Grand Cafe and tried the Lemongrass Fried Pork Ribs with chilli and steamed rice, just heavenly; also, we sampled the Pho at this restaurant, with good generous portions of beefball, shank with noodles and served with condiments.

Renowned for its five-star chefs, extensive gourmet menu, and welcoming ambiance, The Grand Bistro stands as a highlight of the Ho Tram dining scene. Offering a menu that ranges from Australian Prime beef to Korean BBQ, enhanced by the finest local ingredients and paired with world-class wines, The Grand Bistro is an ideal destination for an extraordinary dining experience. We relished at the opportunity at The Grand Bistro, and sampled a variety of dishes, prepared to perfection, including the Nha Trang Oysters, raw delight with condiments; a nicely seared 190 Grams Wagyu Striploin, complete with green peas, potato and lovely beef jus (sauce); a roasted chilean seabass, with bak choy, green peas and soya butter sauce; and a lovely vanilla ice-cream to end off the awesome dinner evening!

Ju Bao Xuan, is the epitome of all the restaurants at the Grand Ho Tram; elegantly adorned in front of expansive windows overlooking Vietnam’s East Sea, Ju Bao Xuan offers a traditional menu of exquisite Cantonese dishes, presented with a modern twist by their acclaimed culinary team. This renowned restaurant boasts signature dishes include Peking duck, abalone, and shark fins. The King prawn wok fried Pi Fong Tong styled dish was immaculate, and so was the amazing Lobster mapo tofu, cooked to perfection with loads of delicious lobster meat chunks, that goes well with steamed fluffy Vietnamese rice, the Double boiled chicken soup with abalone, scallops and bamboo piths filled the stomach with warmth, whilst the poached spinach with crab meat gravy added a nice accompaniment to all the seafood dishes. Dessert came in the form of a sweetened soya milk with peach resin and dried lily buds, very Cantonese! Kudos to the chef for doing a great job!

InterContinental’s own marketing highlights curated “incredible dinner parties,” emphasizing customized menus, distinctive venues (ocean‑view terraces, gardens), and elevated service for private gatherings.

Casino, Entertainment and Integrated Mix

InterContinental Grand Ho Tram connects directly to the resort’s casino floor, which offers table games and electronic gaming primarily for both local Vietnamese and also foreign passport holders. Nightlife includes a Roxy club (on Friday and Saturday evenings), Fuel sports bar, and themed lounges, while family‑oriented entertainment extends to mini‑golf, game zones, cinema, kids club, and seasonal programming.

This integration means guests can move seamlessly from rooms to gaming, golf, spa, beach, and F&B without leaving the property, making it an all‑in‑one destination for weekend breaks, incentives, and small to mid‑sized corporate offsites. The link with The Bluffs is a major differentiator, positioning the hotel strongly in the regional “golf & leisure” niche.

Spa and Wellness

At The Grand Spa's serene haven, one canindulge in life's small joys with a variety of holistic treatments designed to enliven your senses, enabling guests to fully relax. Their beachside treatment option offers a multi-sensory experience accompanied by the soothing sound of gentle waves, and their services include facial and body treatments, hot stone massages, hair styling, and manicures and pedicures. We had the lovely signature body massage and was truly uplifted and rejuvenated by the spa experience.

Over at the Lotus Spa, we also had their signature body massage, and it just made every true reason to visit the Grand Ho Tram a delightful and memorable one! Lotus Spa presents a variety of services designed to refresh, relax, rejuvenate, or re-energize, offering unexpected surprises and delights and their ervices include facial and body treatments, hot stone therapy, manicures, pedicures and beach-side treatments.

Meetings, Events and Conventions

The property incorporates a state‑of‑the‑art convention center that can accommodate up to about 1,300 delegates, including a large ballroom and around five break‑out/

meeting rooms equipped for conferences, banquets, and product launches. Dedicated in‑house technical teams and catering support full event production, while the resort’s beach, golf, spa, and nightlife offerings are packaged as incentive and team‑building options.

For corporate planners, InterContinental Grand Ho Tram’s value proposition combines drive‑to accessibility from Ho Chi Minh City, large‑scale indoor event space, and a broad mix of leisure experiences that can be tailored into multi‑day agendas. This positions it as one of southern Vietnam’s most capable integrated MICE resorts rather than just a standalone beachfront hotel.

Holiday Inn Resort Ho Tram Beach

Holiday Inn Resort Ho Tram Beach is the vibrant, family‑oriented tower within The Grand Ho Tram integrated resort, combining beachfront resort living with access to extensive dining, entertainment, golf, and casino facilities, and the resort is branded under IHG’s Holiday Inn Resort flag and is positioned as a fun, contemporary, family‑friendly beach destination with a youthful look and feel compared with the more formal InterContinental tower. Guests staying here have full access to The Grand Ho Tram’s shared amenities, including casino, The Bluffs golf course, convention centre, multiple pools, restaurants, bars, retail, and entertainment venues.

Rooms and Accommodation

Holiday Inn Resort Ho Tram Beach offers 561 stylishly appointed rooms and suites, all within the Grand Ho Tram complex and many facing the sea. Rooms are designed with marine‑inspired decor and practical family touches, featuring soundproofing, pillow menus, mini‑fridge, free Wi‑Fi, flat‑screen TV, and options for connecting rooms and free infant beds.

Suites and higher categories add separate sitting areas, larger floorplates, balconies or terraces, and upgraded amenities such as coffee machines and more generous bathrooms; two‑bedroom suites with ocean views target families and small groups. Across categories, the emphasis is on comfort and flexibility—catering to couples, families with children, and groups via multiple bed configurations and connecting-layout options.

Facilities, Recreation and Entertainment

Within the expansive Grand Ho Tram complex, guests have access to eight pools, a private beach, a spa, a fitness center with classes, children's activities, and mini-golf. The Holiday Inn tower itself offers family-friendly pool areas, children's amenities like kids' slippers and a playground, and direct walking access to the beach and resort promenades.

Sharing the same integrated environment as the Intercontinental Grand Ho Tram, it allows multi-generational groups to enjoy diverse experiences without leaving the property. This creates a genuine "stay, play, relax" ecosystem, combining beach, golf, spa, family activities, and nightlife all in one place.

Sea Salt, their all-day dining establishment, offers a diverse selection of international dishes. The venue's name highlights the significance of sea salt in local culinary traditions and its influence on the local way of life and industry. At Sea Salt, we tried a variety of dishes for lunch, comprising the Long Son Crab Meat soup with Century Egg and garnished with asparagus; a Wok fried Beef with onions, celery and served with steamed rice, and for dessert, an irresistible bowl of Lotus Seed and Vung Tau Longan Sweet Soup in light syrup.

Holiday Inn Resort Ho Tram caters to families, younger couples, and groups seeking a relaxed, value-focused beach holiday with large-resort amenities, rather than a purely luxury or business atmosphere. It is also suitable for MICE and incentive overflow or break-out accommodation during large events at The Grand Ho Tram's convention facilities, offering planners a more playful, resort-style option within the same complex.

The resort's proposition is a beachfront, activity-rich tower where "kids stay and eat free" benefits, ample entertainment, and easy access to golf and the casino provide a vibrant, family-friendly Ho Tram experience under an international brand standard.

Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion

Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion is a new‑generation beachfront residences‑and‑villas resort within The Grand Ho Tram complex, combining condotel‑style accommodation, private pool villas, and full access to the integrated resort’s golf, entertainment, and dining ecosystem.

Ixora is positioned as a stylish, nature‑led retreat that complements the InterContinental Grand Ho Tram and Holiday Inn Resort Ho Tram Beach, adding a more residential, villa‑driven product to the overall destination. It sits directly along Ho Tram Beach, just steps from The Bluffs golf course and the two IHG‑branded towers, effectively forming a quieter, design‑focused enclave plugged into the larger integrated resort.

Accommodation: Residences and Villas

Ixora comprises 164 condotel‑style residences and 46 luxury villas set in landscaped tropical grounds along approximately 5.6 hectares of beachfront land. Residences are offered in one‑ and two‑bedroom configurations from about 43 to 80 sqm, with categories such as Residence Balcony Garden View and Residence Ocean View featuring private balconies, walk‑in rain showers, and capacity for 4 pax.

Villas range from 2‑bedroom Villa Garden Pool at 230 sqm to 3‑bedroom Duplex Villa Garden Pool and Beach Pool Villas of around 340 sqm, each with private pool, sunbeds, generous indoor‑outdoor living, and space for families or small groups. All units emphasize understated luxury with natural materials, large windows, and views to gardens, pools or the sea, designed to blur the line between interior comfort and the surrounding landscape.

Facilities, Dining and Experiences

On property, Ixora offers large outdoor pools, landscaped gardens, direct beach access, spa services, and a calm, resort‑style atmosphere that reviewers highlight as quiet and relaxing compared with busier city hotels. Dining at Ixora centers on venues such as Sea Salt and Beach Box, which blend Vietnamese flavors and local ingredients with international favorites in relaxed beachfront and garden settings. Sea Salt serves as the main restaurant, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner with both indoor and outdoor seating and views over gardens or pools, while Beach Box provides a more casual, ocean‑inspired grab‑and‑go and snack concept.

Service follows the Fusion brand ethos of wellness‑oriented, laid‑back hospitality: personalized but unpretentious, with touches like spacious layouts, family‑friendly capacity (4 pax or typically 2 adults + 2 children per unit), and easy access to spa and leisure facilities. The large pools, landscaping, quiet environment and convenient shuttle and buggy services feature prominently as strong attributes of the Ixora brand.

Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion is targeted at urban families, couples, and small groups seeking longer‑stay, apartment‑style or villa stays with kitchen‑adjacent layouts and more privacy than standard hotel rooms. It also serves as a higher‑end residential component within The Grand Ho Tram Strip, with sales to private owners and an associated rental pool model handled in partnership with Fusion and the developer. From the destination’s perspective, Ixora is described by project leadership as a “perfect piece” that elevates the overall luxury and attractiveness of The Grand Ho Tram.

Bluffs Grand Ho Tram

The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram is an 18‑hole, championship links‑style golf course on Vietnam’s Ho Tram coastline, designed by Greg Norman to showcase dramatic dunes, ocean views, and challenging coastal winds. We were totally amazed by the design structure of the golf course, and putting green, one fine morning, as we saw golfers starting their day on the Bluffs, a truly remarkable golf course.

The Bluffs consistently ranks among Vietnam’s and the region’s top golf courses and has received accolades such as “Best Luxury Golf Destination in Southeast Asia,” reinforcing its premium positioning. Its target market spans international golf travelers, corporate and incentive groups, and high‑spending resort guests seeking a distinctive links challenge in combination with a luxury stay.

Design Philosophy & Characteristics

The Bluffs is a par‑71 layout that stretches around 6,855 yards (approximately 6,270 meters) from the back tees, with multiple tee options down to about 4,785 yards, making it playable for a wide range of handicaps. Routed over towering natural sand dunes on a coastal plateau with up to 50 meters of elevation change, it offers significant uphill and downhill shots, exposed ridgelines, and valley holes framed by native vegetation.

The course has a combination of sandy loam soil, firm running fairways, and constant sea breezes that means the ground game and trajectory control are central to scoring. Wind direction and strength can change the way each hole plays from day to day, so club selection and shot shape vary dramatically even for repeat visitors.

Greg Norman and his Florida‑based design firm conceived The Bluffs with a “least‑disturbance” approach, prioritizing the site’s existing dunes and contours rather than heavy earthmoving. The routing follows the natural rise and fall of the terrain, weaving through and around sand ridges shaped over thousands of years by wind and sea.

Norman has publicly highlighted The Bluffs as one of his standout designs, emphasizing that the course “plays with the land” to deliver a raw, authentic links experience rather than a manicured resort layout. Visual drama comes from expansive sea views, cliff‑like tee positions, and green complexes that sit naturally in dune bowls or atop plateaus, rewarding precise approach play.

Golf Amenities & Infinity Restaurant

The Bluffs features a multi‑level clubhouse of roughly 2,300 square meters with restaurant, bar, locker rooms, and ocean‑view terraces catering to both golfers and resort guests. Practice facilities include a driving range and PGA‑standard golf academy with more than 3,000 square meters of training and warm‑up areas.

The main restaurant located at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram clubhouse is the Infinity Restaurant. It offers panoramic views of the golf course and coastline, serving a mix of Vietnamese and international cuisine, and we had a lovely evening meal there with their unique draft beer, the Estrella Damn.

Carts and caddies are compulsory, reflecting the elevation changes and service‑led experience; caddies also help navigate wind, lines, and green reads. On‑site services typically include equipment rental, pro shop retail, and tailored “stay & play” packages in collaboration with The Grand Ho Tram’s hotels and casino.

Accolades

We would like to share our heartfelt appreciation to the entire team at Grand Ho Tram for indulging us with such a memorable stay and experience!

The team comprise of