Anantara Resort Koh Samui, A Boutique Hideaway at Bophut Bay
04 Dec 2007
Anantara Resort, set on 11 acres of beachfront land next to the laid-back haven of Fisherman's Village on the north coast of Samui is less than 10-minutes' drive from the airport.
As with the resort's sister properties in Hua Hin and the Golden Triangle, master landscape architect Bill Bensley has created the drama for the Anantara's gardens, swimming pool and Spa, all of which he describes as being hip and minimalist in keeping with Bophut's distinctive chill-out ambience.
Elsewhere, Bangkok-based interiors specialist, Pia Wanglee of P Interior & Associates, has been at work, using vernacular southern Thai architecture and motifs in her design palette: geometric gingerbread fretwork, batik fabrics, warm red and ochre shades, dove cages, wind bells and open spaces which allow the sea breezes to circulate.
Rooms and suites are housed in a low-rise horseshoe-shaped building, so that all look onto the resort's central garden and beach. Each room features Anantara's signature ‘made for two' terrazzo bathtub, which can open up into the bedroom via sliding fluted glass doors; a spacious balcony with inbuilt sofa; ceiling fan and the prerequisite air-conditioning. As a quirky touch, all guests have their own in-room pets: a trio of brightly-coloured Siamese fighting fish.
Twenty-four double-bay suites offer the luxury of additional space and can easily sleep two adults and two children. For the ultimate experience, there are six Anantara Royal Suites adjacent to the resort's sea-frontage, offering spectacular views over the bay. The two ground floor Anantara Royal Suites also have their own private terrace and plunge pool.
Recognising that many guests want to stay connected on their holidays, the resort offers wireless high-speed internet access in its library, lobby, restaurants and suites. All rooms also have data ports at their desks.
Other facilities include a dramatic 30-metre infinity-edge swimming pool overlooking the beach, tennis courts, a fitness centre, 130-capacity ballroom for meetings or weddings and a children's club. The plethora of recreational pursuits available for guests include Thai cooking classes, guided mountain bike tours, yoga classes, deep sea fishing excursions and snorkelling trips.
At the Anantara Spa, world-class health and beauty treatments are delivered in private pavilions set in their own walled courtyard. Set within 3,100 square metres of landscaped grounds, the six treatment suites are individually encased in glass with a mirrored back wall, designed to accentuate the feeling of floating. Ambient lighting and funky butterfly-style roofs lend an emphatic dimension to the design. These sensual suites also feature alfresco showers and terrazzo bathtubs, all made for two. There is also a separate beauty salon and herbal steam room in the Spa.
When it comes to romantic appeal, the resort's Full Moon restaurant is without rival. Designed by Bensley, the restaurant is cantilevered over the edge of the swimming pool giving diners the sensation of hovering between the deep blue sea and a dramatic torchère-lit waterway which runs the length of the gardens.
The restaurant's three interlocking terraces start with the pool bar on the lowest level and ascend over two floors of dining, all of which are connected by a void space in which a huge full moon globe hangs suspended. Polished concrete beams with copper edgings, teak and copper-trimmed furniture, custom-made ceramic tableware and a menu of contemporary Italian cuisine finish off a chic restaurant, which since its opening, has become a highly-sought after venue.
Two other restaurants and bars also attract both Anantara guests and island residents. The Eclipse Bar's cocktail menu offers a full range of favourites with a trained mixologist ensuring that drinks are always prepared with the freshest ingredients. Next door, the High Tide Restaurant features Anantara's Tableside Thai cooking with each original dish served in miniature woks, the scents and aromas carefully blended by Chef Don Lawson.
With its winning combination of luxurious surroundings, contemporary facilities and warmly welcoming Thai hospitality, the Anantara Resort Koh Samui experience is not to be missed.
The island of Koh Samui is a one-hour flight from the Thai capital of Bangkok. For all resort enquiries and reservations, please call + 66 (0) 5378 4084 or + 66 (0) 2 477 0760 or email reserve@anantara.com. For more information, visit http://www.anantara.com/.
Anantara is taken from an ancient Sanskrit word that means 'borderless water', a name chosen for this element's association in many Asian cultures with wealth and good fortune. Inspired by local architecture and sensitive to the indigenous culture, Anantara Resorts are currently located in the seaside town of Hua Hin (220kms south of Bangkok), on Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand and in the Golden Triangle in the country's north. Anantara Resort Maldives has opened in August 2006.
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Marion Walsh Harris Sakul Kurdthip
Brand Director of Public Relations Public Relations Manager
Email: mwalsh@minornet.comEmail: Email: harris_ku@anantara.com