Emily Bamber showcases new hotels in Far East favourite Thailand, from family resorts to eco-friendly luxury
With more than 60 hotels opening in the past two years, it’s hard to keep up with the pace of development in Thailand. But help is at hand – here’s our pick of just some of the best.
For families: The Vijitt Resort
Location: Phuket
With playgrounds, dedicated kids’ pool, movie theatre, sleep and relaxation room, arts and crafts sessions and even cookery classes, this is a great place for keeping kids happy while the parents relax in one of 92 villas – many with private pools – on the beach or at the locally run spa.
Book ahead for one of the three family pool villas, or 13 two-storey pool villas.
Sell it to: Parents wanting peace while their children are entertained
Book it: Family suites start at £345 per night in December, including breakfast.
For a rural retreat: Veranda Chiang Mai – The High Resort
Location: Outside Chiang Mai.
Overlooking its own private valley, the hotel will be an ideal sell for those looking to completely unwind. The hotel has a dramatic hillside infinity pool and operates its own spa with private treatment villas, each with a sunken bath, steam shower and twin treatment beds, while the 69 villas are set in terraced gardens.
Opened: June 2008
Sell it to: Silence seekers
Book it: Rooms from £148 per night excluding breakfast and taxes.
For spa: Six Senses Destination Spa
Location: On Koh Naka Yai, an island off the coast of Phuket.
Staying here is about ‘complete immersion into healthy and mindful living’. There are four spas – Thai, Indonesian, Chinese and Ayurvedic – plus individual tailored cuisine, health and fitness and Thai massage classes. Accommodation is in 61 pool villas and pool villa suites either on the white sand beach or the hillside.
Opens: November 2008
Sell it to: The very wealthy and health-conscious
Book it: Rates start at £650 per person per night in twin accommodation in December, including consultation, and two 60-minute spa treatments per guest per day.
For eco-friendly luxury: Soneva Kiri by Six Senses
Location: On Koh Kood, off the coast of Phuket.
This new venture from Six Senses will have 38 super-luxury pool villas set along one of the best beaches in Thailand, plus beach and hilltop suites and a prototype zero- emissions Eco Suite, Eva, which has a natural swimming pool cleaned by indigenous plants.
Soneva Kiri’s green credentials are slightly let down though by the private Cessna that flies guests in from Suvarnabhumi International airport.
Opens: September 2008
Sell it to: Super-rich clients looking for guilt-free escapism
Book it: From £884 per night for a Hill Villa Suite this autumn; breakfast is an extra £26 per person per day. Prices for Eva on application.
For style on a budget: De Naga Chiang Mai
Location: In the centre of Chiang Mai.
From the steep gabled roof crowning the traditional elevated building to the heavy teak furniture, this boutique city hotel draws clear inspiration from its northern heritage.
The 55 rooms are set around a courtyard swimming pool and furnished with Thai silks and works of arts, and decorated with warm reds and greens. There’s a Mediterranean restaurant, coffee shop, bar and spa, and great views of the city and the Doi Suthep temple high on the mountain behind.
Opened: November 2007
Sell it to: Those looking for culture and style that won’t bust the budget
Book it: Tropical Locations has rooms from £22 per person, with breakfast included on stays of three nights or more.
- Find more hotel listings on www.gazetteers.com, our directory for travel agents. Freephone 0800 731 0163 to subscribe
