Koh Samui - Contemporary upscale oasis and spa destination

With the recent addition Four Seasons Resort along with already established high-end venues such as Evason Hideaway, Sala Samui, Tongsai Bay, Amari Palm Reef Resort, Anantara, Briza Beach Resort & Spa, Central Samui Beach Resort, Muang Kulaypan Hotel etc., Thailand’s vacation Mecca, Koh Samui, is without doubt undergoing change of late.

 

Having experienced a new peak in tourist numbers the year following on the tsunami in the Andaman Sea the southern Thailand resort destination is brimming with confidence about the promise for increased tourism, including more long-stay residents keen on a tropical island life – while at the same time aiming to attract more exclusive visitors. With this come also higher expectancies from the guests.

 

This is probably the most correct forecast for Samui as we are painting the picture in 2007.

 

Those looking for secluded top-end resorts with splendid contemporary style blended with traditional Thai architecture will not need to search long as there is an abundance of getaways – and in particular villa stays – at Samui these days.

 

With a large number of recently launched luxurious resorts, with more of the same kind to come, and where the holiday home market is also growing, (with the football coach Sven Goran Eriksson from Sweden among the investors) including the prestigious W Retreat & Residence Samui with luxury residential villas available for sale, the well-known coconut island is taking that definite step towards upgrading its tourism. The new scene to take over will be dominated by upscale resorts, quality tourists and foreign lifestyle investors for whom boating, golfing and luxury dining are daily recreations.

 

While Bo Phut beach was boosted in 2005 with the launch of Anantara, Bandara and Bo Phut Beach Resort respectively; coming in 2007/2008 are, among them, Saree Samui and Villa Lawana to further cater to the increasing numbers of villa holiday seekers as well as more five star establishments. Overall the trend is smaller properties but of higher quality.

 

And, with the exception of the road passing through Chaweng’s shopping and entertainment area, the island can hardly be considered as anywhere near crowded. Most times you have plenty of space for yourself on Bo Phuket beach, which can also boast with its Fisherman’s Village full of exciting dining opportunities.

 

Samui still has its charm offering some of those increasingly rare beachfront bungalows for a few hundred baht on Mae Nam beach and visitors can go southwest to find empty beaches. But no longer a sleepy backpacker destination, for certain Samui is on the brink of becoming a luxury destination. Strongest proof for this is the flagship Four Seasons’ new luxury resort as the biggest thing to happen for the island so far. Here the luxury holidays are brought to a new level, being on par or perhaps even above standards previously set high by a few existing resorts such as Sila Evason Hideaway Samui and Tongsay Bay. This new landmark comes at a rate of 1250 USD for a night’s stay in one of the 63 villas. And the luxury environments for its guests are accordingly, with surroundings as breathtaking and secluded as anything could possibly be. Also within Four Seasons villas have been sold as a residence section it should be added.

 

The resort also comes with its unique Forest spa, built to melt in with nature in a way that its visitors becomes one with nature, among the tropical forest trees and verdant hills.

 

Also Chaweng is more about upscale resorts these days.

 

“Samui is the optimal compromise of going to a tropical island without sacrificing luxury,” says Markus Aklin of Amari Resorts & Hotels Thailand, formerly the resident manager of Amari Palm Reef Resort.

 

“Samui wants to be a hip destination, which can surprise savvy travellers with new things.” The Amari representative believes the island onwards will bring quality guest and not the masses.

 

Amari possesses another piece of beach front land on Chaweng being constructed into another secluded resort to open in the coming years. This resort, like Palm Reef Resort, aims at offering privacy in the otherwise busy area of Chaweng, follwing the trend of building smaller properties but with higher quality. On Chaweng nothing can be built higher than the palm trees, which its local rules to keep development at bay.

 

At its exemplary Thai-style resort Amari Palm Reef Resort, an area with 84 contemporary rooms was added along with the highly popular Italian eatery Prego.

 

The island’s long spa tradition is also keeping pace with the upscale trend thanks to fabulous resort spas and the new extraordinary wellness sanctuary Kamalaya, being “something far greater than the sum of all its parts”. Their programme of health treatments and modalities is unrivalled on the island, which is in itself an achievement among long-established operators such as Natural Wing Health Spa Resort, Sivara Spa (Amari), Health Oasis Resort and Ban Sabai, already catering to the in general increased demand for holistic treatments and retreats.

 

Raising the bar also means higher overall expectancy from this for Samui relatively new sophisticated audience. Therefore dining venues and clubs is also trying to follow suit, with the recently opened night club QBar situated on a hill overlooking Chaweng and international restaurants such as Prego (at Amari), The Patio, Green Olive, Red Snapper, Full Moon (at Anantara) and The Page catering to the need for exquisite dining experiences.

 

Samui is by now ideal for discerning travellers, romantic interludes and wellness-seekers.

 

Text and images: Joakim Persson

 

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