Marriott accelerates expansion in Vietnam as global hotel chains jostle for one of Asia’s most dynamic markets
In recent years, Vietnam has become one of the key battlegrounds of the global hotel industry: growth in international arrivals, strong momentum in domestic travel, infrastructure investment, and the state’s ambition to make tourism an important development sector have created conditions in which the biggest brands compete for the best locations and the strongest local partners. In that race, Marriott International has made a move that shows it no longer treats Vietnam as a secondary market, but as a space where the interests of global hotel giants, domestic developers, and state development policies collide.
In a news item published on 3 February 2026, it was stated that Marriott reached a multi-project development agreement with Vietnam’s Masterise Group. The package includes four hotels and one branded residences project and, according to available data, should add nearly 1,900 rooms to Marriott’s development portfolio in Vietnam. The deal comes at a time when competition is intensifying: European, American, and Asian chains are rapidly expanding their presence, and Vietnam recorded record tourism results in 2025, further whetting investors’ appetites.
Agreement with Masterise Group: premium brands at the most attractive points
According to details published alongside the information about the agreement, the planned projects are concentrated in the two most important urban hubs—Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi—and in the coastal zone of Can Gio, which Vietnam has been strongly positioning in recent years as a new tourism development story near its largest city.
In Ho Chi Minh City, in central District 1, The Ritz-Carlton, Saigon and The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Saigon are planned. This would mark the first appearance of Ritz-Carlton—one of the most prestigious brands in Marriott’s portfolio—in Vietnam’s commercial metropolis through a project that combines a hotel component with a residential segment. Such a combination is often key to the viability of luxury investments: early-stage residence sales ease financing, while the hotel builds reputation and revenue over the long term.
The second major part of the agreement relates to Can Gio, a coastal area linked to Ho Chi Minh City, where the JW Marriott Hotel Saigon Can Gio and Four Points by Sheraton Saigon Can Gio are planned as a dual-brand complex. Can Gio is in the focus of development plans tied to coastal tourism and new infrastructure projects, so this location is testing the “nearby resort” model—a destination that can attract both domestic and international guests, as well as business events, weekend trips, and corporate programs.
The third project in the package is the Co Loa Marriott Hotel near the National Exhibition and Convention Center on the outskirts of Hanoi. In that part of the country, strengthening of the MICE segment (congresses, fairs, business events) is expected, and hotel development tied to major convention complexes is often a signal that the state and the private sector are counting on growth in major international events and business travel.
Tourism numbers as a magnet: 2025 brought record arrivals
Why is pressure on Vietnam intensifying right now? The answer lies in statistics and trends. According to the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism, the total number of international arrivals in 2025 reached 21,168,291, representing a 20.4% increase compared with 2024. December 2025 alone brought an estimated about 2.02 million international visitors, with growth both month-on-month and year-on-year. For hoteliers, that is a clear signal that demand is rising strongly enough to justify new projects, but also that the race for market share is being fought on ever more fronts: who will secure key locations first, lock in a partner, and enter travelers’ minds as the “default choice.”
Tourism growth is also accompanied by a broader macroeconomic picture. Vietnam’s General Statistics Office reported that GDP in the fourth quarter of 2025 rose 8.46% year-on-year, while overall GDP growth in 2025 was estimated at 8.02%. Such data attract capital beyond tourism, but tourism benefits in particular because it is linked to services, transport, real estate, and consumption—sectors that reinforce one another during periods of growth. In other words, when business activity and purchasing power rise, the number of trips rises too, and with them the need for accommodation that can serve different guest profiles, from business people to family tourists and luxury travelers.
Marriott already deep in the market: expanding portfolio and brands
Marriott has been present in Vietnam for some time, but the pace of expansion is changing. According to data cited alongside the latest agreement, by 2025 the company operated 29 hotels across 12 brands, with more than 30 projects in the pipeline. Such a pipeline shows that the strategy is not focused only on luxury, but on a broader spectrum: from premium and lifestyle products to urban hotels for business guests and events. That breadth of portfolio provides flexibility in a market developing unevenly: some cities grow through congresses and industry, others through coastal tourism, and still others through a combination of domestic travel, regional connectivity, and new air routes.
The regional picture further explains why Vietnam is high on the priority list. In early December 2025, Marriott officially marked the opening of its 700th property in the Asia Pacific region (excluding China) precisely in Vietnam—with Legacy Mekong, Can Tho, Autograph Collection—and emphasized that the company is expanding beyond traditional “gateway” cities toward new destinations. In that framework, Vietnam takes on the role of a market that can support both urban and resort growth, as well as expansion into secondary cities, where a new wave of demand is often created before it stabilizes in the main metropolises.
Rivals are pushing just as hard: Accor and Hilton with major announcements
Marriott’s expansion is happening as competitors step up investment. In official announcements for 2026, France’s Accor highlights the opening of Fairmont Hanoi in early 2026, with 241 rooms and an emphasis on a luxury city product, gastronomy, and wellness. Fairmont’s entry into Vietnam shows that the battle is increasingly being fought in the very top segment, where reputation, pricing, and “flagship” locations translate into long-term advantage. In the luxury market, it is not enough to have a hotel; it is important to have a hotel that becomes a reference point for the entire city—whether by design, service, F&B concepts, or high-end event capacity.
America’s Hilton in October 2025 announced an expansion of its strategic partnership with Sun Group, adding nearly 1,800 rooms through five new hotels and bringing new brands to the country, including Conrad and LXR. In its statement, Hilton emphasized that Vietnam is already the group’s third-largest market in Southeast Asia by portfolio and that the goal is to double its presence in the country in the coming years. In practice, this means the race is shifting from “who is present” to “who will secure the key points first”—from coasts and islands to urban centers, as well as destinations preparing for major international gatherings and events.
Such competition also changes the dynamics of the entire sector. Hotels become part of a broader destination strategy: when Marriott, Hilton, Accor, and others enter at the same time, the need for staff, suppliers, service standards, and investment in “soft” infrastructure also grows—from tourism offerings and safety to digitalization and sustainability. For Vietnam, that can be a development opportunity, but also a test of the system’s capacity to withstand rapid growth without a drop in quality.
Local partners as key: real estate, residences, and brand control
For global chains, Vietnam is a market where the local partner is often decisive. Hotel development involves complex permits, land policies, and coordination with infrastructure plans, and in the luxury segment increasingly also residential components. Masterise Group (that is, Masterise Homes as part of the group) had previously publicly communicated a strategic partnership with Marriott in the area of branded residences, which explains why the cooperation is now expanding to hotel projects as well. When a partnership has “history,” execution risk is reduced: both sides know how to align standards, timelines, and the management model.
Branded residences have become one of the main expansion tools in Asia. Buyers pay a premium price for an apartment or unit that carries the name of a luxury brand, while the hotel side gets a project that is easier to finance and that has market positioning from the start. However, that model also brings management challenges: service standards, maintenance, usage rules, and brand reputation must remain consistent over the years, regardless of changes in ownership structure. That is precisely why global brands insist on precise management contracts and clear rules, because luxury in the guest’s perception collapses faster than it is built.
Risks behind growth: supply, prices, and infrastructure
A sudden expansion of hotels typically raises the question of whether the market can absorb new supply without pressure on prices. In a scenario where too many luxury and upper-upscale rooms enter the market in a short period, average daily rates and profitability can fall, and competition shifts to discounts and more aggressive sales campaigns. In such an environment, chains with strong loyalty programs and distribution channels have an advantage, but even that is no guarantee if demand slows due to global shocks, changes in air connectivity, or geopolitical tensions that affect travel.
The second risk is infrastructure, especially in new destinations such as Can Gio. A resort product depends on accessibility, public investment, traffic safety, and the quality of public services. If accommodation development outruns infrastructure, the announced luxury standard can become difficult to sustain in practice, and guest expectations in the top segment are usually high and leave little room for improvisation. Any traffic bottleneck, lack of logistics, or limitations in public services in the luxury segment quickly becomes a reputational problem, especially in the age of reviews and social media.
The third layer is regulation and long-term brand control. In joint projects with local developers, the question is how much an international chain can ensure standards—from design and operations to long-term management. In fast-growing markets, this is often the dividing line between a successful flagship and a property that over time loses market strength. That is why global chains increasingly rely on partners with proven capacity, but also on models that enable greater operational control, from staff training to standardized procurement and maintenance processes.
Policies that encourage arrivals: e-visa up to 90 days and easier travel
Hotel investments depend not only on buildings, but also on how easy it is for travelers to arrive. In recent years, Vietnam has modernized its visa policy. The official national e-visa system states that the e-visa can be valid for up to 90 days, with the possibility of single or multiple entry, which increases flexibility for tourists, business guests, and travelers who combine multiple countries in one itinerary. The official tourism portal Vietnam.travel additionally notes that the extension of the e-visa to 90 days was introduced from 15 August 2023, as a measure aimed at facilitating arrivals and strengthening the destination’s competitiveness.
Such changes have a direct economic dimension. Longer stays and multiple entries create room for extended vacations, workations, conference programs, and repeat travel within the same period. For hotels, that means a broader guest base and better demand stability, especially outside peak seasons. Combined with the growth in the number of flights and the development of new tourism zones, a more flexible visa regime often becomes one of the key catalysts that moves a market from the recovery phase into the expansion phase.
What comes next: the race for positions in Southeast Asia
The Marriott–Masterise agreement shows that an open race among global hotel giants is under way in Vietnam. The entry of Ritz-Carlton into Ho Chi Minh City, a dual-brand resort concept in Can Gio, and a project by a major convention complex near Hanoi together form a strategy that covers luxury, resort, and business segments. At the same time, Accor and Hilton have their own strong announcements, while other chains and regional players are also increasing their presence, often targeting specific niches such as wellness, boutique luxury, or family resorts.
If the trends from 2025 continue, Vietnam could justify a large part of the investment wave. However, the difference between a success story and problems will depend on development discipline: whether new hotels open in line with real demand, whether infrastructure keeps pace with ambitions, and whether brand standards remain consistent in a market that is growing quickly and unevenly. In that equation, Marriott’s move represents a clear bet that Vietnam will be one of the central hotel markets in Asia over the next decade, with the potential to attract luxury guests, global corporations, and an increasing number of travelers who seek a combination of urban rhythm and coastal отдых.
Sources:- eTurboNews – report on the multi-project development agreement between Marriott International and Masterise Group and the list of planned projects (03.02.2026.) (link)- Marriott International News Center – release on the 700th property in the Asia Pacific region (excluding China) and the opening in Vietnam (01.12.2025.) (link)- Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism – official statistics of international arrivals (2025.) (link)- General Statistics Office of Viet Nam (NSO) – “Socio-economic situation in the fourth quarter and 2025” (GDP and quarterly growth rates) (link)- Hilton Stories (News Releases) – expansion of the Hilton–Sun Group partnership in Vietnam (07.10.2025.) (link)- Accor Group – announcements of key openings in 2026, including Fairmont Hanoi (2026 openings) (link)- Vietnam National Electronic Visa system – basic e-visa rules (validity up to 90 days; single/multiple entry) (link)- Vietnam.travel – information about extending the e-visa to 90 days from 15 August 2023 (link)
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