Sun Group is lining up another mountain leisure complex, this time beside Phong Nha–Ke Bang. Provincial leaders and the group met on 13 October 2026 to clear remaining permits for the U Bo mountain – Thac Chuoi lake eco-tourism, resort and entertainment project, with a groundbreaking target of 30 October 2026. Press coverage calls it a “second Ba Na Hills”. For hotel owners, the story is less the nickname than the model: cable cars, mid- to five-star stays and multi-million visitor ambitions far from the beach markets where Sun already dominates.
Key facts
- Project: Ecological tourism, resort and entertainment complex at Nui U Bo – Ho Thac Chuoi.
- Groundbreaking target: 30 October 2026 (provincial and investor aim; not yet a completed start).
- Site: More than 167 hectares across Bo Trach, Thuong Trach and Truong Son communes; peak above 1,000 metres in the Phong Nha–Ke Bang national park buffer zone.
- Investor: Cong ty TNHH Mat Troi Quang Binh (Sun Group).
- Investment policy: Approved by the provincial People’s Committee in March 2026.
- Planned capital: More than VND 16,234bn.
- Components named: Hotels, resort villas, serviced apartments, commercial services, and five cable-car lines from the foothills to U Bo peak.
- Visitor ambition (orientation): About 3 million visits a year.
- Wider Sun pipeline in the province: About 12 projects under study, combined planned investment about VND 200,000bn, according to the provincial finance department as reported on 13 October.
What happened
On the morning of 13 October 2026, Quang Tri provincial authorities held a progress meeting with Sun Group on its local projects. CafeF, citing the session, said land, forestry, land-use auction and financial-obligation steps for U Bo – Thac Chuoi were done, while the 1/500 detailed masterplan and environmental impact assessment were still being completed. Sun Group asked for legal procedures to be finished in the fourth quarter of 2026 and for the 30 October groundbreaking to go ahead.
An earlier provincial field check on 24 September, reported by Soha via the provincial portal, gave the same groundbreaking date, the 167-hectare scale, the five cable-car lines and the three- to five-star accommodation orientation.
| Checkpoint | Status as reported |
|---|---|
| Investment policy (March 2026) | Approved |
| Land / forestry / auction / financial duties | Completed (13 Oct report) |
| 1/500 detailed plan + EIA | Still being finalised (13 Oct) |
| Special construction-materials mechanism | Not yet issued; flagged as a delay risk |
| Groundbreaking | Targeted 30 Oct 2026 |
Why it matters
Sun Group’s beach and island playbook — Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Ha Long — is well known. U Bo extends the Ba Na Hills mountain-and-cable-car model into the Phong Nha corridor. If the visitor target is even partly met, midscale and upscale rooms in the foothills and nearby towns gain a demand generator; if permits slip, the 30 October date becomes another soft target.
The VND 200,000bn figure for roughly 12 Sun projects in the province is a planning total, not committed spend. Owners and lenders should separate the single U Bo line (VND 16,234bn+) from the wider wishlist.
What it means for you
1. Treat 30 October as a target, not an opening
Groundbreaking is not keys. Detail planning and EIA were still open on 13 October. Do not put U Bo rooms into 2027 competitive sets until construction is visibly under way and a hotel brand or room count is published.
2. Mountain leisure competes for the same domestic weekenders as beach resorts
Three million visits a year would pull central-Vietnam domestic demand inland. Beach hotels in Da Nang and Hue should watch package pricing from Sun World-style tickets, not only coastal ADR.
3. Operator announcements will signal the real product mix
The releases list three- to five-star stays but no international brand. A Melia-, Marriott- or Accor-style signing would change the talent and distribution maths overnight.
4. Provincial facilitation is part of the underwriting
Officials publicly prioritised five Sun projects and same-day action on construction-materials rules. That political support is an asset — and a reminder that timelines move with administrative bandwidth.
FAQ
When will Sun Group start building at U Bo?
Provincial and investor statements target 30 October 2026. As of 13 October, detailed planning and the EIA were not finished.
How big is the project?
More than 167 hectares, planned investment more than VND 16,234bn, five cable-car lines, hotels and villas, per provincial reporting.
Who is the investor?
Cong ty TNHH Mat Troi Quang Binh, under Sun Group.
Is this the same as Ba Na Hills?
No. Ba Na Hills is Sun Group’s Da Nang mountain resort. Press use “second Ba Na Hills” as a comparison for the cable-car mountain format.
How does this relate to Phu Quoc?
It is a separate inland project. Sun’s Phu Quoc hotel wave is covered in our Marriott framework piece.
