Vietnam Golf Trail: Julian Moore’s Journey and the Rise of Azerai Kê Gà Bay as a Luxury Golf Retreat

By Mike Orloff. Mike Orloff is a US and Australian PGA Member with over 35 years of experience in golf, club, leisure, and resort operations across the USA and Australia.

*I was fortunate to have spent 3 weeks touring through Vietnam. It’s hard to reflect on each one when you are travelling, but being home now has given me more time to think about – WHAT JUST HAPPENED!

So many memories and people I met that several stories will be published to do all the experiences justice. One of note was this one. Being able to spend time with an operator like Julian Moore is a real honour. To hear his journey and the wisdom in his reflection is so cool.

When you sit down with a hotelier who has managed properties across four continents, you expect a well-travelled perspective. But talking with Julian Moore, General Manager of Azerai Ke Ga Bay, you quickly realize his approach goes far beyond standard luxury hospitality. From barefoot island retreats in the Maldives to high-end city clubs in Melbourne, Moore has spent decades honing a guest-centric philosophy centred on human connection, cultural integration, and creating lasting memories.

Julian Moore General Manager of Azerai Ke Ga Bay

Now at the helm of Azerai Kê Gà Bay on Vietnam’s striking south-central coast, Moore is steering the boutique property toward an exciting new horizon: capturing the evolving global golf tourism market through a blend of intimate luxury, regional collaboration, and proximity to championship-calibre courses.

From Melbourne to the World: A Nomadic Journey

Mike Orloff: Julian, your career has taken you all over the world – from Thailand and the Middle East to the Maldives, Uluru, French Polynesia, and the Caribbean. How did that international journey begin?

Julian Moore: It started quite late by industry standards, around age 28 or 29. I was in Australia when a manager mentioned a Director of Rooms position in Phuket, Thailand. The job ad listed four languages as a requirement. I told him, “You know I only speak one language – English, with maybe a bit of Irish or American thrown in!” But he told me to apply anyway because they hadn’t found anyone. I got it, spent three and a half years in Thailand, and that opened the door to the rest of the world.

From Phuket, I went to Dubai with Sun International at the Royal Mirage, experiencing the “magic of Arabia”. Then came my first assignment in the Maldives running a 60-villa barefoot resort. That transition – from city and large resort setups to a small island – was pivotal for my mindset.

Mike Orloff: How so? How did that shift shape your approach as a General Manager?

Julian Moore: In a small resort environment, guest engagement is on a completely different level. You realize your job isn’t just managing operations; it’s about creating memories around the natural environment and human connection. Over the years, working across different companies and continents, I’ve taken pieces of various philosophies to craft a style that is deeply guest centric.

The Essence of Azerai Kê Gà Bay: Calm, Culture, and Connection

Mike Orloff: Tell us about Azerai Kê Gà Bay. For readers who haven’t visited, what makes this property unique?

Julian Moore: The brand was formed by hotelier Adrian Zecha, and the name is derived from Zecha’s initials and the latter part of a Persian word, caravanserai, which references the storied old inns of the Middle East.

“AZERAI is a new story and brand of resorts offering guests simple elegance, refined design, and discreet and attentive service in places of unique beauty and cultural interest. AZERAI manages three one-of-a-kind luxury properties in Vietnam, with new hotels under development globally.” 

Here, everything is designed to seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor spaces, removing visual barriers so guests are always connected to the natural surroundings. The colour palette reflects the beach – wet sand, dry sand – and the restaurant decor incorporates local banyan tree roots and fishing nets from the nearby village.

What strikes most guests, though, is the immediate sense of calm. I’ve worked in some of the world’s most beautiful spots, but this hotel has an unusual serenity that lets people unwind within a single day rather than three.

The Sanctuary at Kê Gà Bay

Located approximately 2.5 hours’ drive east of Ho Chi Minh City via a modern highway and 45 minutes from Phan Thiet, Azerai Kê Gà Bay is set amidst 4.5 hectares of verdant, tropical gardens on a sweeping five-kilometer white sand beach. The resort is dramatically framed to the east by Hon Ba Island with its historic 19th-century lighthouse and to the west by soaring natural sand dunes.

Designed as an all-suites-and-villas retreat, the property delivers a private setting dedicated to relaxation and rejuvenation. Spacious pavilions open to private outdoor garden terraces, featuring interior design inspired by the muted hues of local sand and granite.

That dedication to quiet, thoughtful luxury has earned the property substantial international acclaim. Azerai Kê Gà Bay earned the prestigious MICHELIN Guide’s One-Key distinction for its second consecutive year in 2026, being recognized among only 21 exceptional hotels nationwide. MICHELIN editors described the resort as delivering “a travel experience that’s nothing short of transformative” with accommodations that are “essentially faultless in their comforts.” Furthermore, the resort was named a Top 10 hotel for service in Asia in the Smart Travel Asia Poll 2026 and garnered nominations in the Gourmet Vietnam Awards 2026 for Best Beach Resort of the Year, Best Resort Service Experience, and Best Resort Design & Ambience.

Mike Orloff: You also place a huge emphasis on local community integration within the resort experience, don’t you?

Julian Moore: Absolutely. About 98% of our team is from this local province. We don’t train them into a rigid corporate structure; we train them to be themselves. When guests leave, they don’t just comment on the service—they talk about the individual team members they bonded with.

Our guest experiences manager actually lives in the local fishing village and leads morning walking tours. Guests can watch the fishing boats come in, visit the market, meet locals, or visit the nearby mountain top temple. It’s authentic immersion.

The New Frontier: Why Golf, and Why Now?

Mike Orloff: Golf is becoming a key strategic focus for Azerai Kê Gà Bay. What prompted this move?

Julian Moore: Historically, golf travel in Asia was dominated by large tour groups or tournament-driven events requiring massive mega-resorts. That’s not our model. But the golf market has evolved significantly. We’re seeing a rise in individual travel, couples, and small groups of friends traveling together for a holiday that includes golf.

I started noticing more independent golfers arriving—Koreans, Japanese, couples touring different courses. They were asking, “Where else can we go for great golf that offers a unique, intimate experience?” That was the spark.

PGA NovaWorld Phan Thiet: World-Class Golf at the Doorstep

A primary driver behind Azerai Kê Gà Bay’s emergence as a premier golf retreat is its proximity to PGA NovaWorld Phan Thiet, a premier 36-hole golf facility designed by former World No. 1 and Legendary designer Greg Norman.

• PGA Ocean Course: Spanning 7,381 yards from the back “Shark Tees,” the Ocean Course is one of the longest layouts in Vietnam. Designed as a stunning championship test offering panoramic vistas over the East Sea, the layout winds through a blend of parkland and links-style terrain. Fairways are defined by stylishly rugged bunkers lined with native grasses, delivering a course rating of 75.4 and a slope of 145 for players seeking a true challenge.
• PGA Garden Course: Measuring 7,200 yards with a par of 72, the Garden Course serves as the exclusive training center for PGA students in Vietnam. Inspired by the world-famous “Sandbelt” region of Melbourne, Australia, the parkland design integrates bunkers along the edges of green complexes, featuring strategically placed water hazards that put a strong premium on tee accuracy and iron play into the greens.

Mike Orloff: Having PGA NovaWorld Phan Thiet nearby certainly adds a major drawcard. How does Azerai position itself within the broader Vietnam golf scene compared to established hubs like Danang?

Julian Moore: Danang and other major hubs cater heavily to large-scale golf tourism and nightlife. We offer a luxury retreat alternative. You can spend a great day on a world-class links or parkland layout like the Greg Norman courses at NovaWorld, come back to the resort, get a massage, enjoy an exceptional meal, and relax in complete peace.

It’s also ideal for couples where one partner plays and the other doesn’t. While one is on the course, the other can enjoy the spa, beach, or local culture tours, and then come together for the evening.

Mike Orloff: Infrastructure in Vietnam is moving fast, particularly with transport. How does that impact your outlook?

Julian Moore: It’s a gamechanger. The new highway infrastructure has brought travel times down to a comfortable 2.5-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City, and future infrastructure will make transfers even faster.

We see tremendous potential in regional collaboration, such as a “Vietnam Golf Trail” concept. Golfers can travel up from Ho Tram, stay with us for three or four days to play local courses like NovaWorld Phan Thiet, and continue up the coast. Through networks like IAGTO and partnerships with tour operators like Golf Asian, we can offer seamless, boutique golf packages that combine world-class play with genuine local luxury.

Looking Ahead

As Vietnam continues to solidify its reputation as one of the world’s premier golf destinations, Julian Moore’s vision for Azerai Kê Gà Bay offers a refreshing alternative to standard sports resorts. By pairing intimate, MICHELIN-recognized luxury and deep cultural roots with access to championship coastal golf, Moore is ensuring that for the modern golf traveller, the journey off the course is just as memorable as the game itself.