BLACKBOOK ON LOCATION
BLACKBOOK ON LOCATION Sunloungers and sea views on The NAKA terrace Hitting its stride: Phuket Thailand’s largest island finally boasts as much glamour as it does stunning scenery thanks to a clutch of smart new hotels and bars. Simon Brooke rounds up the highlights Photo © designhotels.com 30 CENTURION-Magazine.COM
Far right: a beach house at Iniala; right: al fresco dining at Paresa’s Diavolo restaurant; below: sunset at Nikki Beach club Photos Clockwise from top left: © Paresa, Kurt Alan Heck (3), © Nikki Beach Phuket stay in style December saw the opening of Iniala (iniala.com), a labour of love by a longtime Phuket resident who sold his financial services business to focus on creating this four-villa hideaway outfitted with pieces by major designers such as the Campana Brothers and Mark Brazier-Jones. Three- Michelinstarred chef Eneko Atxa was recruited from the Basque region to man the kitchen, and there’s no need to book a spa treatment as each villa has its own dedicated therapy room with staff always available. Serenity is also plentiful at The NAKA ( thenakaphuket.com), a 94-villa resort situated on Kamala Bay and accessible only by a remote mountain road. Each villa has wraparound glass walls with rooms cantilevered into the mountainside so that guests feel as if they’re floating mid-air, and the largely unspoilt beach is made all the better by being just 10km from Phuket’s shopping and nightlife. The latest addition to Christina Ong’s COMO stable, Point Yamu (comohotels. com/pointyamu), offers a similar blend of bustle and peace, thanks to a partnership with the Metropolitan hotel in Bangkok. The 109-key caravanserai boasts stunning scenery, a 100m pool and a pair of world-class restaurants. Sister property Cape Yamu (capeyamu.com), meanwhile, offers a more intimate experience with easy access to the yachting and island-hopping pleasures of Phang Nga Bay – islands such as Koh Naka Yai and Rang Yai are a short boat trip away. eat, drink, relax Already established as the place for hip young things in Ibiza, Marbella, Miami and Marrakech, the latest branch of Nikki Beach (nikkibeach. com/phuket/) on Bangtao Beach brings the same understated luxe to Phuket with its bleached wood and raw cotton furnishings. Equally fresh and new is the Zazada Beach Club (zazadabeachclub. com). Opened in September, it blends sleek modern lines with Thai design details and features a stunning infinity pool overlooking Surin Beach. Infinity pools are also a key feature of Paresa (paresaresorts. com), where the Diavolo restaurant pairs Italian cuisine with Mediterranean style – but the jaw-dropping views are completely Thai. Those looking for something quieter should make for Grill Lounge at the Regent Phuket Cape Panwa (regenthotels. com/EN/Phuket). This relaxed, laid-back bar with scrubbed wooden floors offers superb views of the Andaman and easy access to the beach below. singular shopping Phuket isn’t short of shops peddling attractive, handcrafted Left: a mosaic by Thai artist Maitree Siriboon in the entrance to Iniala; above: the Penthouse bedroom at the resort products made from local materials, but its various markets are the best places to pick up unique pieces. Phuket Walking Street, also known as Lard Yai, which means “big market” in the local dialect, is attracting a growing number of designers, selling crafts, food and traditional printed fabrics on the renovated Thalang Road in the historic Portuguese district of Phuket Town. For those who seek all things quirky, there’s no better place than the Phuket Indy Market. A favourite among Phuket’s hip teenagers, the diminutive space offers street food, funky clothing and items such as handpainted shoes as well as more traditionally crafted pieces. CONTACT CENTURION SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS CENTURION-Magazine.COM 31
