Local resorts make Conde Nast list
PHUKET: Two local resorts, and their spas, and two Phuket restaurants have made the much-respected Conde Nast Traveler Hot List for 2008. The list is often regarded as the quintessential guide to high-end travel around the globe.
The Sala Phuket Resort and Spa in Mai Khao and the Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi, in Phang Nga province, both made the grade in the hotels list, with both rated at “US$400 or more” a night.
Of the Sala Phuket, Conde Nast said, “The Sino-Portuguese-inspired decor, including black lacquered sliding doors as well as ornate chandeliers above the bath, harks back to the area’s earlier inhabitants, while neutral hues keep the look stylishly modern. When the rubber trees grow to maturity, shade will spread across this spacious property, but for now guests can escape the sun under canvas-covered daybeds scattered on the beachfront lawn with its three large pools, one of which is kid-friendly.”
Of the Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi, the review said, “Some of the signature features of the Six Senses brand – soft organic-cotton bed linens, oversized colorful daybed cushions, an eco-chic design aesthetic – are on display here, and those who enjoy playing pampered camper will find many other pleasures as well: homemade jams in exotic flavors, a sultry spa set among rice terraces, rock climbs, reef dives, and private dinners…
“But even standard villas are private havens, with a Bose music system, an infinity pool, a deep-soaking tub, and an indoor-outdoor shower with all-natural bath amenities.”
The spas at both the Sala Phuket and the Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi were also the only local day retreats to make the Conde Nast Hot List Spas 2008.
The Hot List Tables 2008, the magazine’s top choice of restaurants around the world, included the Chef’s Table, an “eight-table gem on the top floor of the Aleenta Phuket Resort”.
Also making the top eateries’ list was the Amanpuri’s beachfront restaurant Naoki, located on Pansea Beach.
Meanwhile, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) yesterday announced the winners of the 2008 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards at the 8th Global Travel & Tourism Summit.
The awards, in association with Travelport, are to recognize and promote best practices in sustainable tourism development all over the world.
In that regard, Six Senses Resorts & Spas won the Global Tourism Business Award. “Six Senses’ sustainability programme – known as Social and Environment Conscience – is comprehensive and systematic, including protection of the environment and supporting the well-being of communities,” the WTTC review said.
“Their focus is on four key areas: Holistic Environmental Management Programme, Social and Environmental Responsibility Fund, Environmental Awareness and Capacity Development, and Corporate Partnership Programme.
“All of this is carried out while providing guests with an outstanding luxury vacation experience in some of the world’s most spectacular settings.”
