Nha Trang beach, known for its crystal-clear water, is a popular tourist destination in Khánh Hòa Province. — VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

The hotels, mostly located in prime locations, were found to have violated regulations such as exceeding height and construction area limits, and unauthorised floor additions.

In addition, many hotels have also changed the function of their buildings, such as converting terraces into swimming pools, spas, and cafes, or converting floors into different uses without proper approval.

Examples of violations include the Sun City hotel adding four floors, Mường Thanh Luxury Nha Trang hotel converting the 46th floor into apartments, Novotel hotel adding two floors, and Aroma Nha Trang Boutique hotel adding four floors.

The provincial People’s Committee has ordered the Department of Construction and the districts and communes where the hotels are located to strictly punish the violations and report back to the committee before December 29.

According to the department, “most of the violating construction works have been fined administratively”.

The department earlier identified 67 construction works in Khánh Hòa Province, including in Nha Trang City, Cam Ranh and Ninh Hòa towns, and Cam Lâm District, as noncompliant with construction and fire prevention regulations in the 2015 to 2022 period.

Nha Trang, which is around 450km and a one-hour flight from HCM City, is a popular tourist destination in the province, with many hotel and resort projects concentrated in these areas. It attracts a large number of Chinese tourists.

In the first nine months, the average rental occupancy rate in Nha Trang was only about 30 per cent due to the post-pandemic effect, according to a Savills Vietnam report. — VNS