While Christmas and New Year celebrations often conjure images of winter, with families huddled around fireplaces, another holiday reality exists in Vietnam - one set on Bãi Dài Beach.

This December, Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay offers the best of festive season possibilities to families - sundrenched mornings and afternoons to enjoy the beach and facilities and, as the sun disappears over the horizon, a Tropical Starlight Wonderland brings Christmas Eve dinner and a New Year’s Eve countdown to this stretch of Phú Quốc’s northwest coast.

Refreshing days on the northwest coast

November and December are known as the best months to visit Phú Quốc as cool breezes off the sea create an ideal outdoor environment for guests to enjoy not only the beach, but the resort’s multitude of swimming pools. The options include the 50-metre lap pool, a lagoon pool that overlooks the ocean, and even a separate pool for children. The variety of pools is only outdone by the choices of Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay’s rooms, suites and villas, which provide flexibility for any group size, but particularly for multigenerational families.

With family travel, everything revolves around the children. At the Tribe Kid’s Club, young guests can try origami or learn to weave coconut leaves, while an afternoon might feature kite-flying on the beach. Parents can then enjoy some time to themselves at Hoa Sim Spa as grandparents dote over their family's youngest members at the pool.

Possibilities for memory-making abound outside of the resort as well. For a day out, the canals at Grand World are about a kilometre away, and VinWonders and Vinpearl Safari are both about three kilometres from the resort. A longer outing takes one to Rạch Vẹm, a fishing village where lunch is served at floating seafood restaurants.

A different dinner each night

At Horizons Restaurant & Bar, the World Culinary Journey buffet has a different theme for each night of the week. Monday starts with Vietnamese cooking, followed by successive French, Japanese and Italian nights. Friday is dedicated to sumptuous grilled meats, Saturday to fresh seafood and Sunday to Korean dishes. Diners can pick seafood or cuts of meat at the counter and have them cooked to order at the live grill. If unlimited lobster speaks to you, it is available as an add-on.

The resort’s two restaurants change their specials monthly. In November, Horizons serves a stone-pot Wagyu phở with beef broth simmered for 24 hours and roasted bone marrow on the side. The regular à la carte Wagyu phở is adorned with braised ribs, tenderloin and brisket. At Amber Sands Beach Club, November’s seafood tower is populated by local oysters and prawns alongside New Zealand green-lipped mussels. The beach club’s five-course Surf & Turf by the Beach dinner, also on the November menu, pairs Nha Trang lobster tail with charcoal-grilled Miyazaki Wagyu.

Carols and a countdown by the sea

The lobby Christmas tree will light up on December 5 to the sound of carols. The resort’s Gingerbread House opens on December 9 for cookies and chocolates, and Santa drops in before Christmas. From December 9 to January 10, families can catch fire shows on the beach or spend a Sunday evening by the campfire. Most evenings over the same period, Amber Sands also serves a festive charcoal-grilled surf and turf dinner.

On Christmas Eve, the beach club serves truffle-buttered turkey, glazed gammon and Canadian lobster at a buffet by the water, with live music and a fire show. Christmas Day brings a six-course dinner, from Hokkaido scallop with caviar to charcoal-grilled A5 Wagyu tenderloin. At Horizons, the Festive Grill Feast runs on December 24, 25 and 31, with lobster Thermidor and a live barbecue station. A kids’ corner with holiday activities gives younger diners somewhere to go between trips to the buffet.

On December 31, Amber Sands will set out Alaskan king crab, beef Wellington and roast suckling pig for its New Year’s Eve feast. The beach club’s Countdown Under the Stars party starts at 10 pm, with a DJ, a fire show and fireworks to welcome 2027.

Guests who reserve festive dining in advance receive a 10% early-bird discount. Through Book Early and Save, IHG One Rewards members can save up to 25% on rooms when they book at least five days ahead. The resort also offers a rate for stays of four nights or more.

For menus and reservations, call +84 297 3683 999 or see the resort’s 2026 festive brochure and room offers.