Business leaders, golfers, hospitality experts and media from across Southeast Asia converged on the coastal retreat of Lang Co from September 22-23, to mark Angsana Properties Lang Co’s official unveiling of the property sales launch at Laguna Lang Co.
Developed and managed by the Banyan Tree Group, Laguna Lang Co will, upon completion, be the first fully and legitimately integrated resort in Vietnam. It will also be the largest, with 2000 hotel keys under the management of seven international branded hotel and resort operators, award-winning spas, a championship golf course, resort residences, convention facilities and a town center replete with retail and recreational facilities.
September’s event featured and spotlighted two specific components of the Laguna Lang Co formula:
• Launch of Angsana Properties beachfront resort investment property; and
• Design of the much anticipated resort golf course, whose architect, Sir Nick Faldo, personally delivered a progress report along with thoughts on golf development in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia.
“The gathering in September and, indeed, the entire development here at Laguna Lang Co, is centered around the concept of convergence,” said Michael Ayling, Managing Director, Laguna Resorts & Hotels.
“Laguna Lang Co itself is a convergence of components that together, in a single place, comprise a fully integrated resort: five-star hotels, luxury villas for purchase, retail galleries and recreational amenities like golf, the marina and this beautiful stretch of beach. This is the formula that proved so successful at our flagship development, Laguna Phuket.
“At Lang Co, however, we see the convergence of additional harmonious factors. This location on the East Sea is stunning, and this part of Vietnam is so culturally rich — a former seaside retreat for kings of the Nguyen Dynasty, with UNESCO world heritage sites to the north and south… We are so remote here, hemmed in by the sea on one side and coastal mountains on the other, yet we are just an hour from airports in Hue and Danang. Finally, all across the resort — in its décor and architecture — we have facilitated the convergence of Angsana-style contemporary chic with Vietnamese aesthetic sensibilities that stretch back centuries.
“We are certain that all these factors will, upon completion, combine to make Laguna Lang Co quite irresistible, as a destination and an investment opportunity.”
Designed by Architrave Design & Planning — the award-winning and celebrated design arm of the Banyan Tree Group that is responsible for the architecture and design of all properties under the Group, including Angsana Properties — the villas at Laguna Lang Co embody what you’d expect from the region’s most canny developers of resort properties: an architectural blending of east and west, a convergence of the modern and time-honored that provides luxury and comfort in the here and now — and equity value down the road.
Ayling explained that villa buyers at Laguna Lang Co are entitled to membership in the Angsana Properties Owners Club, wherein members can book stays at other Angsana Properties locations around the world. They can choose to receive a 6% fixed return for six years or opt for a share of the actual room revenue. When owners are offsite, Ayling added, purchased properties can be included in the hotel inventory, where Angsana management takes care of the investment.
While property sales were launched during the September 22-23 event, the resort hotel and golf course are scheduled for grand openings in 2012. Faldo, for his part, made his September visit primarily a working one. He spent most of his time in the field, making sure his design is being built precisely according to plan. With six major championships and numerous award-winning course designs in his portfolio, he appreciates what is taking shape in Lang Co.
“We have been given this unique setting, replete with natural dramatic features,” said Faldo. “It is a gift to have such diversity in trees, sand dunes, rice-paddies, rock formations and a stunning coastline as a framework for a strategic golf course layout.”
“We have always believed that Vietnam holds the greatest potential of replicating the success of our flagship Laguna Phuket destination resort within Asia,” said Banyan Tree’s Executive Chairman, Ho Kwon Ping.
“Central Vietnam, with its unique blend of history and heritage, is a destination like no other in the region. We are confident it has the potential to flourish as an international luxury-tourist destination. This first foray into the Indochina region is a significant milestone for Banyan Tree, and we are delighted to share this momentous occasion with our valuable partners who have helped to make Laguna Lang Co a reality.”
