Imagine this: the weekend’s here, and it’s as inviting and perfect as weekends can become. The skies are clear save for a few wispy clouds. The weather’s just right: the sun’s warmth feels like a soft embrace on your body, while the cool breeze passing through feels like a soothing balm on your skin. The crash of waves you hear from a distance echoes inside your head and calms you. Except for this, all is still and quiet. You are at peace. Read more…
This is a long weekend that’s not to be wasted. And in this resort haven, you find no reason not to indulge, not to luxuriate.
The weather calls for a swim. There’s an outdoor tub that you can dip yourself in, but you’re reserving that for tonight, when the stars are overhead and a glass of wine and a bubble bath sound like the perfect combination. As for now, the crystal blue waters of the large pool beside the tub excite you. You take off your robe and plunge in.
As you take a few laps around the pool, a server appears with an enclosed tower in one hand and a small duffle bag in the other. He opens up the bag and brings out the cutlery, a coffee pot, and a breakfast plate consisting of eggs, sausages, and ham—all freshly prepared especially for you. He then lifts the cover enclosing the tower and it reveals a delicious tri-level smorgasbord of epicurean delights: the top level boasts an assortment of breads; the middle, a variety of cheeses; and the bottom, mouthwatering desserts and a medley of Thai fruits. The server arranges all these on the table beside the pool with a certain grace and finesse. Instead of going to the restaurant, the restaurant comes to you.
The best part about all these, the outdoor tub, the pool, and the personalized breakfast service? You have not stepped, not one foot, outside the comfort of your very own villa.
Welcome to Aleenta Phuket – Phang Nga Resort and Spa, a slice of paradise tucked in its private corner in Phang Nga, where hotel rooms transform into resort havens all unto themselves. A property under the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Aleenta is the epitome of luxurious privacy, a place where the guests’ seclusion from interference and disturbance is taken seriously. Away from the chaos and noise of the more infamous beaches down south, Aleenta provides peace of mind without sacrificing accessibility. All it takes to get here is a 20-minute taxi ride or an in-house limousine from Phuket International Airport, and you’ve got yourself a serene sanctuary by the Andaman Sea almost all to yourself.
From the moment you arrive in your taxi, a bellhop opens the door while another assists you in retrieving the luggage from the trunk. A receptionist approaches you with a charming smile, guiding you up the stairs towards the lobby. She then asks you to take a seat as she leaves you momentarily. She returns afterwards with a refreshing welcome drink and a cold towel, both perfect for the warm weather. While you wipe your neck and face with the cool towel and sip your drink, struggling not to purr in delight, she walks you through your reservation. In an amazing twist of fate, she informs you that you have been upgraded to a pool villa as the resort is fully booked, as always—a telling sign of how much the resort is a prime choice among holidaymakers. She then invites you to breakfast while the room is getting prepped, and that is where you intend to go next.
However, on your way to the restaurant, something stops you in your tracks—the sight of infinity through an expansive pool that seems to extend magically into the Andaman Sea and the zenith beyond. Located along one edge of the pool are lounge chairs, which are likewise otherworldly in their position—they seem to float right on top of the water, with no support underneath to hold them up. You take a look around and realize that the mysticism is everywhere. The library by the pool, the koi pond swarming with fish underneath your feet, the water lilies surrounding the villas—all these exude a natural energy that engages the senses and uplifts the spirit.
The sound of waves crashing against the shore shakes you from your reverie as you walk past the infinity pool and step on the fine sands of Natai Beach. The sand feels warm under your feet—soothing, comforting. The entire extent of the beach is empty save for several couches that are positioned strategically along the shore, which are perfect for viewing the ebb and flow of the tides. The water is wild today; red flags line the shoreline, meaning no one is allowed to swim. This is fine. The view and the sounds are enough to give you solace.
The receptionist from earlier approaches your couch and informs you that your pool villa has now been readied for you. When you arrive, your luggage is already by the door. On one of the tables inside the villa is a personalized welcome note from the resident manager, hoping that you’ll have a fantastic stay in the resort. You look around the villa and see that everything—the living room, the pool, the bath, and the bedroom—is in tiptop shape.
The outdoor tub and the pool are only but glimpses of the luxuries their pool villa has to offer. The pool, in fact, connects two major parts of the villa together: the spacious living room and the equally sizable bedroom.
The living room has all features you’d expect from a five-star hotel—a comfortable couch that you can lie in should the bedroom prove to be too predictable, a coffee table replete with the latest society magazines, and a fully-stocked mini-bar. However, the biggest draw is its design: a modernistic counterpoint between wood and glass, and a pool view to die for.
The bedroom conveys a similar experience of harmony, adopting the resort’s contemporary use of both wood and glass. A king-sized bed lies in the middle of the room, with a narrow ledge on each side—a well-positioned surface for placing your gadgets while charging them overnight or a countertop for food and drinks should the occasional midnight urge to munch strikes. Driving home the point that you are in a special resort hideaway is the spa music playing from the iPod docked beside the bed, punctuated by actual chirping of birds outside.
In order to complete the outside-living-in experience, two lounge chairs are hidden underneath the flooring between the living room and the bedroom—another example of amazing design, not to mention an intelligent use of space. Beside these lounge chairs is an outdoor table, perfect when you prefer the cool sea breeze wafting through the villa rather than the artificial air-conditioning inside the room. Finally, the enclosed outdoor shower is connected to the outdoor tub and pool area and to the bedroom—a feature that really suggests that planning the villa’s design always kept the guests’ convenience in mind.
ALEENTA PHUKET – PHANG NGA RESORT AND SPA
Natai Beach, Phang-nga, Khok Kloy, Phuket, Thailand
Telephone: +66 2 514 8112
Email: rsvn@ahmshotels.com
Website: www.aleenta.com/phuket
Social Media: Facebook
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