5-Star Hotel Project in Tuyen Lam Lake Faces Numerous Violations

A 5-star hotel and luxury resort project in Vietnam's scenic Tuyen Lam Lake National Tourist Area is mired in a multitude of violations, according to a recent inspection report by Lam Dong province's Thanh Tra (Inspection) agency. The project, encompassing over 190 hectares with a total investment of 400 billion VND (approximately $16 million USD), is being developed by Gia Tue Tourism Investment and Development Joint Stock Company.

The inspection report details significant breaches across various sectors, including investment procedures, land management, forest lease agreements, land-use conversion, planning, construction, and the fulfillment of financial obligations. The findings indicate that responsibility for these violations extends beyond the developer to numerous provincial departments and state management agencies involved over different periods.

One of the most critical findings is that the project was granted land use rights and leases without undergoing the required land use rights auctions or investor selection bids, as mandated by the 2003 Land Law and Decree 181/2004. Furthermore, the initial investment hồ sơ (dossier) reportedly lacked comprehensive input from specialized agencies concerning land, forestry, planning, and environmental matters. Despite these omissions, the Department of Planning and Investment proceeded to issue the investment certificate without adequate follow-up on the project's progress.

Further complicating matters, the province leased over 179 hectares of forest land to the company in 2010, but the formal lease contract was only signed in 2021, a delay of approximately 11 years. As of the inspection in May 2026, the company had still not submitted a sustainable forest management plan. Disturbingly, site inspections revealed that areas designated for technical infrastructure development and even commercial/service land still contained natural forest and trees, indicating a significant disconnect between approved plans and the actual state of the land.