Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Anantara Resort Phuket, Thailand

The sales manager expressed that their resort Anantara Phuket's design is based on the theme of China and Portugal. As I don't have much idea about Portugal, I can only see some Chinese influence such as the nostalgic wooden and red color. However, these are quite western-fancy for their eyesight to China culture. Overall, the resort is quite charming if you are into those "East meets West" hip stuff.
1. the pool is surrounded by the lounging area, the living room and the bath room on each side. Quite a thoughtful design in making use of the pool view. 2. Another impressive design - the bath tub is just next to the pool with just a piece of glass separating it.
3. the sink - pretty nice and spacious. 4. the dressing room.

5. the bed and the room is quite at a high ceiling which I prefer the most. 6. the living room area.

7. view to the pool from the bed room. 8. this room was prepared for a honeymoon couple.

9/10. the pool and it's quite a large size pool with some deco.

11. the open lounging area. 12. the resort inside.

13. entrance to the villa. 14. the restaurant is named Sea Fire Salt - and it claimed to use very nice salt from 26 countries. If so, the Chef is a very skill and professional chef. Anyone who can use salt wisely, the dishes would reflect the original tastes and the combination of the food and cooking. This is also the thing I told the others - use some raw sea salt whenever possible.

15/16. the pool and sun deck area. The day was a bit rainy and no one was around.

17/18. more photos about the resort.

19. La Sala restaurant. 20. Something fancy in the restaurant.

21. there are quite many ponds surrounding the resort but it can be quite disturbing if you don't like some natural friends such as mosquitoes and insects. 22. the Gallery - so this kind of red is often considered related to Chinese culture. If so, this kind of thinking is a bit too shallow. Just like those interesting Chinese character tattoo.... However, if we don't relate it to any Chinese stuff, the resort is a very nice one to try.

23. the Library. 24. the Entrance is quite splendid.
25. this security guard can't speak English much and considering it's a high-end resort, he should at least say "sawatt de krup" to any visitor, but he didn't even respond either when I asked if the front desk is inside. 26. the name of the resort.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

seems Anantara is quite Bali feel, actually Anantara is one the pioneer brand in Bali style resort business in Thailand

Anantara now has a city resort on Rajdamri Road near the Four Seasons Bangkok

Stella said...

As a beach resort, I like it carry more relaxing, joyful and warm "sun and beach" vacation feel like those shown in your other posts. This hotel gave me the impression that they wanted to capture the best of Western as well as Oriental but lost in both ends.
It seems this high-end hotel has no unique signature theme since this is a combination of Western/Oriental.
"East meets West" sounds like my bank logo.

in the sea said...

What we call in HK about Anantara "branded name effect (品牌效應), especially for those who prefer some "exotic" design. Anantara has been expanding to quite many countries for getting each of the local/foreign mix style. When I chatted with their sales manager, they even reach Tanzania, Morocco, UAE, Oman, besides setting up their branches in Indonesia, Maldives, India, Vietnam...etc. I would guess they may have been looked up by some fund managers. Throughout my half hour visit, I noted their general staff are not too well-trained, except for the nice and professional manager I was chatting with. So their staff training really need to check on the Sala. I am so impressed with the general staff attentive services which made me doubt if the training manager may have spent some years in MO BKK... hehe.... mind me to talk about MO BKK again.

Anyway, it's good to see something different and getting competitive in the resort market arena. No choice, no improvement.

Thailand Club said...

tell u a little secret but don't tell others

Sala is actually invested by the Itali-Thai Group, the major owner of MO BKK; so the owner stole know-how from the MO without necessary to pay MO management fee; this is a way many many developers do, kick out the foreign management experts and form their own (local) team with the stolen expertise, usually learn a big lesson while only a few success

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hehehe just a joke!

in the sea said...

Mmh.. even if you don't say it's a joke, I would definitely take it as a fact. :) Big tree tracts the wind - the Chinese idiom saying.

Actually I am also influenced by MO for my apt. rooftop BBQ party. There were a few times I gave my friends some nice surprises by offering them, Beijing style crushed cucumber, black fungus in Giang Xi black vinegar, sesame oil bean sprout, my home made kimchi and mixed fruit salad in orange zesty juice as the appetizers, BBQ incl. giant clams, foiled mushroom/peppers/onion in seabass, tiger prawn, steak, pork loin, chicken wings and thighs, various sausage, various meat balls plus a very chilled bird's nest sweet (with hundred year tangerine peel aroma) after a hot BBQ food. I also did my DJing with my pre-mixed house music. The thing is that not only the guests enjoying it but also it gives me much pleasure of completing everything in a happy ending. That's what I learn from MO BKK. It's not just about serving a customer. It's all about making oneself happy by making the others happy. A cell of happiness would spread and influence the others cell to become happy - preaching happiness.

Stella said...

So SEA, you have a MO in your roof top. Lucky you and lucky your friends. Get the MO service, MO surprise, MO charm, & MO appeal. In fact, you are very "MO" yourself-attentive, caring, observant, warm, discerning, considerate, and "eat sum". We see "MO" in you. Not sure if you learnt from MO or MO learnt from you. I think all those who know you would agree with my comment.
Yes all hotel managers, chefs, staffs and front desks people shall get training at MO. Nobody does it better than MO. MO is the best, and therefore Sala shall be the second best.

in the sea said...

SS, I think that's probably only the few words from my mother when she left me "take good care of your younger sisters.". So the MO's faith she wants me to have, maybe... :)

BTW, I asked MO KL to have a serious study on their overall "everything" in terms of services and food quality and even suggested their GM to go have a look at MO BKK...., by telling him I am a great fan for MO and if there is any MO with such a lousy restaurant, that would totally destroy the well established MO image which I don't wanna see, neither do you nor any MO's fans.

Stella said...

You are very right SEA. It only takes one lousy restaurant inside a high end hotel to ruin the reputation. MO-KL shall learn fast.
Hope MO-Vegas is good(opening Feb 2010).

in the sea said...

ok. then pls go try MO vegas and get us a "brief" report if possible.

Stella said...

I sure hope so.

Anonymous said...

this resort is very expensive. I saw some package and now 2 night with airticket is HK$6,500, but I really the room of this resort, after you show more photos of the room. I think this resort should get your photos. From the photos of the travel agents in HK for the package, the photos look very old Thai style. Now your photos are not really like those. Your photos look more trendy.

in the sea said...

Anonymos 12:43pm, I think you may try some other new hotels which often put some introductory rates to save some money unless you really want this Anantara.