Room with a Phu

Award-winning Vietnamese family resort is ideal for relaxing after the tourist trail

- BY AMY PACKER

Think White Lotus with a kids' club - last year the resort was named Asia's Leading Luxury Family Resort at the World Travel Awards and it really works hard for the title.

Located on Vietnam's largest island, 227.5 sq mi Phu Quoc, an hour's flight from Ho Chi Minh City, the resort is now the place to flop for families needing some R&R after completing the country's classic tourist trail.

Vast infinity pools stretch endlessly into the Gulf of Thailand, king-size daybeds are shaded by giant palms, and white sands lead to waters warmer than your morning shower. With 459 rooms, residences, suites and villas, you might worry about crowds, but with four expansive pools and six restaurants and bars it manages not to feel like a mega-resort - we could always find a sunlounger.

The hotel's largest restaurant, Sora & Umi, serves modern Japanese and Vietnamese classics such as bun cha pork meatballs and pho noodle soup.

Our nine-year-old, Fred, preferred the laid-back vibe of Sea Shack, where you can enjoy world cuisine - think pad thai, cheeseburger sliders and tiki cocktails - with the sand between your toes, a band performing pop hits and table football.

At sunset, head to INK 360. On the hotel's 19th floor, it's the highest rooftop bar on Phu Quoc, providing panoramic views of the island and sparkling ocean below. It feels like the sort of chi-chi gin joint Jack Sparrow might have opened had he kept the Treasure of Cortés for himself.