SC Capital Founder’s Fusion Hotel Group Expands to Vietnam’s Highlands in Regional Growth Push

Fusion Hotel Group signed a long-term management agreement with Han Spaces for its first resort in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. It marks the group’s portfolio expansion since its high-profile acquisition by Suchad Chiaranussati, the founder-chairman of the Singapore-based real estate investment manager SC Capital Partners.

The Fusion Resort Tuyen Lam Lake Da Lat will span 11 acres and comprise 15 villas alongside a 90-room hotel overlooking the lake. The property is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2027. Although financial terms of the September 29 agreement were not disclosed, Ho Chi Minh City-based workplace design-and-build company Han Spaces is developing the resort, while Fusion will operate the asset under its brand.

Of Consolidation and a Broader Platform

The transaction highlights an ongoing consolidation sweep across Southeast Asia’s fragmented hospitality sector. In March, Chiaranussati acquired Fusion as part of a plan to establish a broader regional hospitality management platform. Founded in 2008, Fusion has 26 operating properties under eight brands across Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, spanning concept development, brand creation, hotel operations and branded residences.

By integrating Fusion alongside his other hotel holdings, including Hotel Management Japan and Indonesia’s Topotels Hotels & Resorts, Chiaranussati controls a pan-Asian platform representing around 16,000 rooms. Fusion has since integrated Topotels’ Ayola and Odua brands to expand its presence in Indonesia.

The Da Lat deal marks a strategic diversification into high-entry-barrier inland markets, adding a highland destination to a portfolio spanning Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. When the acquisition was announced, Chiaranussati said Vietnam remains one of the region’s fastest-growing and highest-barrier hospitality markets, a key driver of institutional investment.

A Wellness Model Moves into the Highlands

Christopher Hur, chief executive of Fusion Hotel Group, stated that Da Lat’s cooler climate, mountains and pine forests made the city a natural fit for the group’s wellness-led model. Tommy Tran, co-founder of Han Spaces, echoed the sentiment, adding that Da Lat’s natural setting and appeal as a retreat destination are creating room for higher-quality wellness projects.

To serve this market, Fusion will deploy its signature operational concepts at the property, which is being designed for wellness and leisure travel as well as events and global gatherings. The resort features all-day dining and speciality restaurants and bars, meeting and event spaces, a kids’ club, a swimming pool, yoga and fitness facilities, and a 14-treatment-room Maia Spa.

The property will utilise Fusion’s comprehensive “all-spa-inclusive” model, which bundles spa treatments directly into the room rate, alongside its non-traditional “breakfast anywhere, anytime” offering. Dedicated hospitality staff, whom the company calls Fusionistas, will run operations and combine the roles of personal host, lifestyle concierge and local guide.

Da Lat Reconnects with Regional Travellers

The planned 2027 launch of the highland resort will follow the restoration of regional air links to Da Lat.

Da Lat’s Lien Khuong International Airport reopened on August 19 following more than five months of runway and taxiway works. The reopening restored crucial domestic trunk services to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, while Kuala Lumpur remains among the airport’s international routes.

Direct connectivity to Singapore will begin, as the city-state’s low-cost carrier Scoot has scheduled three weekly return flights from January 2027. Lien Khuong airport authorities proposed moving the launch up to December 2026 to coincide with the Da Lat Flower Festival. However, the earlier start would require regulatory approval.

The project is entering a rapidly scaling market. Local government data shows that Lam Dong, which covers the enlarged province and includes destinations beyond Da Lat, received around 20.7 Mn visitors in 2025, including 1.28 Mn international travellers. With expanding transit capacity, provincial authorities have set an aggressive growth target of more than 25 Mn visitors in 2026.

For Fusion, the Da Lat agreement adds a 105-key managed resort to a portfolio expanding under Suchad Chiaranussati’s ownership, giving the group its first foothold in Vietnam’s Central Highlands ahead of the planned 2027 opening.