During HoSkar Night HCMC 2025, held in July, leading Vietnamese and international experts explored emerging trends, insightful ideas, and practical strategies defining the hospitality and real estate sectors. Let’s take a look at the key takeaways from the discussion.
Vietnam Hospitality Market: Key Performance Metrics
Velancia Teo – Manager, Southeast Asia, STR CoStar
- Vietnam’s hospitality market is in a strong post-COVID recovery. Occupancy and Average Daily Rate (ADR) are rising, with rates already surpassing 2019 levels.
- Strong tourist demand and relatively flat supply are driving positive growth. Since 2023, Ho Chi Minh City has notably overtaken Hanoi in both demand and ADR performance.
- Vietnam leads the region in hotel development, with approximately 60,000 rooms in the pipeline. As growth normalizes, questions arise about how long rate increases can outpace rising supply.
Redefining “Cool”: The New Face Of Hotel Lifestyle Brands
Carolina Fagnani – Vice President Of Development, Radisson Hotel Group
Radisson RED is a brand focused on fun, flexibility, and design-led experiences. Each property features interactive spaces and creative solutions, like day-to-night room conversions to enhance engagement and optimize revenue.
Technology integration is central to Radisson RED’s strategy, especially for connectivity. Owners must “really believe in the brand” and commit to investing in technology to meet Radisson RED’s operational and experiential standards.
The brand is performing strongly globally, with a Revenue Generation Index (RGI) “well above 100”. With over 100 hotels and a pipeline more than double that, Radisson RED is expanding rapidly, especially across the Asia Pacific region.
The Hostel Business Model And Travel Nomad Trends: Insider Secrets From The Largest Backpacker Network In Southeast Asia
Alex Darroch – Co-Founder, Mad Monkey
Hostels have evolved into stylish, tech-enabled properties with diverse room types and amenities like gyms, attracting guests seeking adventure, cultural immersion, and vibrant social experiences.
Revenue extends well beyond rooms, with F&B, tours, and social events driving strong guest spend and high profitability, reaching 42% gross operating profit (GOP) and 70% global occupancy.
Unlike conventional hotels, the hostel model is low-investment and highly adaptable, supporting both conversions and new builds.
Let’s Talk About Rooftop Business
Mauro Gasparotti – Senior Director, Head Of SE Asia, Savills Hotels, was in discussion with TK Nguyen – Co-Founder & Vice Director, SkyLight Rooftop Nha Trang; and Rohit Sachdev – Owner & Operator, Above Eleven Rooftop Bar Bangkok.
- Modern rooftop businesses go beyond just nightlife, positioning venues like SkyLight and Above Eleven as destination experiences. This concept leverages culinary differentiation, rooftop appeal, and strong tourist-driven demand.
- Noise control is critical for rooftop venues integrated with hotels, requiring investment in soundproofing, speaker placement and operational adjustments, like earlier closing hours, to maintain a suitable environment for in-house guests.
- Ownership and operator alignment is key. In Southeast Asia, franchising remains a challenge due to the gap between execution and expectation. This is why the management agreement approach is more favored as it ensures brand consistency, guest experience, and stronger control over marketing and service delivery.
Developers’ Panel Discussion: Shaping The Future Of Hospitality & Residential
Mauro Gasparotti – Senior Director, Head Of SE Asia, Savills Hotels, led this discussion alongside Than Thuc Quyen – Director of Business Development, TIA Wellness Resort; Bill Vu – Director, SilverLand; Richard Leech – Deputy CEO, Phu Long Group; Hieu Do, CFA – CEO, VinaLiving; Lawrence Peh – CEO, Sonkim Land Development; and Felice Iacobellis – Managing Director, SIRHALO.
- Vietnam’s real estate market is maturing quickly. Developers must stay agile and responsive to fast-changing consumer behavior and shifting market dynamics.
- HCMC is transforming into a multi-core mega-metropolis, fueled by major infrastructure investments, like Ring Roads 3 and 4 and metro lines. New urban corridors and transit-oriented developments (TODs) are unlocking long-term opportunities.
- Four-star hotels thrive on value, while the ultra-luxury segment is gaining traction, driven by a rising population of high-net-worth individuals. Success depends on holistic delivery: prime location, curated experiences, strong brand identity and wellness integration, not just price positioning.
- Several trends are reshaping high-end living. Residences with integrated F&B and wellness offerings bring added value to both residents and guests in terms of experience, convenience and an elevated lifestyle, especially for real estate products in tourist destinations such as Ho Tram and Da Nang.
HoSkar Night brings together developers, hotel owners, operators, investors, designers and brand leaders. Whether you’re exploring new ideas, looking for strategic partners, or simply reconnecting with peers – HoSkar Night has something for everyone.
Check out our past event highlights and attendee moments HERE to get a glimpse of what awaits you!
