Expect laid-back luxury and a sleek design that reinterprets Vietnamese vernacular architecture.

The first Regent resort in Southeast Asia has just opened its doors on the southwest coast of Vietnam’s largest island. Fronting the white sands of Long Beach, and just a 15-minute drive from the airport, Regent Phu Quoc provides a stylish base from which to explore the natural wonders of the UNESCO-recognized Ken Giang Biosphere Reserve.

Shaded by swaying coconut trees, the resort’s 176 suites and 126 pool villas combine traditional Vietnamese vernacular style with contemporary interiors in a soothing color palette. The sleek, minimalistic look comes courtesy of Bangkok’s BLINK Design Group; each room incorporates large windows and verandas offering views of landscaped gardens or the Gulf of Thailand. Large-scale art installations that pepper the public spaces include Charming Deeps, the lobby’s custom-made Lasvit chandelier, whose composition was directly inspired by the coral reefs that surround the island.

At Regent Phu Quoc, guests are guaranteed free drinks and snacks from the in-room minibar (refilled on a daily basis), plus daily breakfast buffets at the Rice Market restaurant, complimentary pressing and laundry, and an unpacking service if needed. Those who book a Club villa will enjoy 24-hour butler service and access to the Regent Club atop the resort’s Sky Wing. The intimate retreat contains a library with curated literature and periodicals, a pantry that serves gourmet bites and alcoholic drinks throughout the day, plus a studio space where daily activities and pop-up events are held. There’s also a private Olympic-size rooftop infinity pool lined by cabanas.

On the culinary front, the resort’s six restaurants and bars are overseen by Spanish executive chef Bruno Anon, whose career has spanned luxury hotels in Bangkok, Beijing, the Maldives and the Middle East, on top of a stint at the London outpost of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. All-day dining venue Rice Market dishes up reinvented classics from Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine, while Ocean Club serves an assortment of local and Mediterranean dishes, rum-inspired cocktails, and fine wines. An in-house DJ will set the mood at the latter; after sunset, the beach club hosts seaside barbecues and cinema nights. Travelers can quench their thirst at Regent Phu Quoc’s artwork-filled Lobby Lounge, where the menu encompasses specialty coffees, teas, and international and artisanal local spirits. Beside a rooftop pool, Fu Bar focuses on gin-based cocktails.

Deeper relaxation awaits at the destination spa, whose resident holistic wellness coach will be on hand to create a personalized wellness itinerary for those in need of rebalancing. Aside from 10 treatment suites (including three for couples), the facility has a Health Club that features a gym, a meditation studio, and rooftop yoga pavilions. Guests will also be pampered with top-notch hand, foot, and nail care at the resort’s own branch of Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio by Bastien Gonzalez.

Families are well-catered for too: children receive kid-size bathrobes as well as a selection of toys and games. At Regent Kids club, guests aged four to 12 years old will watch performances in a mini theater, run free at the playground, fuel their imagination at a trio of activity zones, and rest in a nap area. The property also has two dedicated pools for families and children.

In the coming months, two more dining and drinking outlets will be added to the lineup: Franco-Japanese venue Oku, billed as the only restaurant with an omakase counter in Phu Quoc; and Bar Jade, a speakeasy where patrons can sip on artisanal spirits and custom cocktails mixed with fresh local herbs. Also in the pipeline is the resort’s very own catamaran, Serenity.

Doubles from US$361; phuquoc.regenthotels.com