Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort (pt. 1)

What our readers – normally cosmopolitan and discerning guests – usually have in common is that yearning for those special moments, preferably in company with great friends and spouses and ideally in an inspiring and luxurious setting. It could for instance be a beach club, on board a yacht or at a resort hotel taking you into that zone of harmony and real pleasure, resulting in what feels as a really unique and unforgettable experience. One can’t get it all in one go but what is to be presented here can actually accomplish most of this.

 

Krabi – that distinct and perfect resort name which rightly resembles of lazy days, uninterrupted leisure time, celebrations, joyful parties and romance. And such a name with an international touch, it could just as well be a resort destination somewhere in the Mediterranean.

 

But as most of you seeking out trips and destinations in Asia know, this destination is situated in Southern Thailand – no matter how non-Thai the name can seem – and increasingly becoming a preferred getaway for visitors from far and near. And for good reasons, as well shall see in this example: Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra – mark it on high on your priority list.

 
Things started low-scale on this destination on the other side of Phang-Nga bay from the so far more well-known boating and holiday Mecca Phuket, and with the famous Phi Phi Island somewhere in the middle, when tour operators started flying in tourists mainly from Europe.

 

But development now – with regular resorts already established in sufficient numbers – is going to the next level where the big future for Krabi is likely to be about upscale and five-star luxury. Increasingly more Thai high-end resorts have recently been launched and more international top brands are coming on board.

 

Among them, and perhaps the finest so far, is the Sofitel brand with its Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, built in a prime setting on Klong Muang Beach and overlooking the splendid archipelago of Phang-Nga bay with its distinguishing lime stone rocks jutting out from the sea.

 

It is perhaps not so commonly known and somewhat a surprise to some that Krabi is already equipped with among the most concentrated clusters of five-star and high-end resorts in Thailand, while at the same time being in an environment of sustainable development that is an idyll for leisure-seekers.

 

Nightlife though is pretty non-existent and the city of Krabi itself is very much an intact Thai small town. Having said that a marina is being built in the bay outside so increased demand for amenities is likely to follow.

 

Around the hotels and resorts, with the exception of the tourist horde concentration that Ao Nang beach has turned into, the local surroundings are very much intact – and will hopefully stay so.

 

The high end resorts that are being built are designed nicely to enhance the destination, going well with the surroundings. Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra, amidst lush green forest hills and a cost lined with beaches and important mangrove forests, does just that, and seems, despite its colonial style reminiscent of a bygone era, as if it was made for the location.

 

Not exactly being a location with any colonial history, yet such architecture is not far away; with the neighbour island Phuket having its fair share of Sino-Portuguese buildings in Phuket Town. And, not to forget, the Straits region further south has plenty of colonial architecture.

 

But what probably most of all makes another Sofitel of the kind designed in colonial building style feel genuine and not out of place on a vacation spot like Krabi, is the fact that Thailand is also home to the colonial former railway hotel Sofitel Hua Hin. That hotel, full of local history, was in 2008 brought into the selected few to be part of Sofitel Legend ensign – its luxury properties that combine heritage and modernity.  

 

Sharing the distinguished pedigree of its sister property, the prominent and sophisticated Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort marriages old world colonial charm with dozes of modern and Siamese style. Located in a secluded area about 10 kilometres to the north of Ao Nang, it clearly resembles the grand resort in Hua Hin.

 

So there is a fine tradition to build on for Sofitel Luxury Hotels’ new flagship resort, and even more so this brand has reinvented itself aiming for today’s more demanding and versatile consumers.

 

Given this and in a time when Sofitel is spreading its wings further also within Asia, a brief about their refined approach feels appropriate here. France being renowned the world over for its luxury traditions leadership in luxury, this French brand has gone upscale for real to become ‘Europe’s first luxury brand’. 

 

Visiting a Sofitel resort these days your aims should be high and yet your expectations should be surpassed because such is the case that the brand aims to take its guests to an even higher level of excellence – with a French touch. (Now just don’t set the bar too high…)
 

With its colonial classics in the portfolio and new prestigious hotels being launched they are out to deliver ‘inspired moments’ and offer "the best of French elegance, from food and wine rituals to bedding, design and personal care products".

 

The new Sofitel creates unique contemporary luxury hotels and resorts in the world’s most attractive destinations, by blending of its origins and the very best of local cultures.

 

At the Krabi property this of course means that nothing has been spared in terms of including Sofitel’s signature French Style Décor interior and products.

 

Combining all this with the devoted Thai staffs’ natural talent to serve should be an excellent recipe for success, given that the guest relations are at the heart of the matter for Sofitel when the trend apparently is that their guests are shifting from materialism to experiences.

 

With the idea that consumers increasingly want memorable experiences the location and resort in Krabi will certainly do the trick.

 

Continue to: Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, part 2

 

See also: image gallery for Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra

Print

Add A Comment