The global economic downturn doesn’t seem to have affected too many hotel plans – at least not when it comes to luxury properties. Here’s a roundup of places set to open around Thailand in the near future:
Intercontinental Hua Hin: The five-star luxury marque will open a Thai-styled 118 room resort right in the middle of Hua Hin in October 2009. The resort will also have three private beach-front villas with their own plunge pools. It appears that reservations are already being accepted at the Intercontinental Hotels web site.
Ritz Carlton, Krabi: Ultra lux chain Ritz Carlton comes back to Thailand with the opening of Phulay Bay "A Ritz Carlton Reserve" resort in Krabi province in June 2009. The resort has just 54 villas, all of which have outdoor baths and private plunge pools. Oh, and a private butler on call 24 hours a day as well. Expect to pay for this much luxury, but you’re worth it, right? Make your reservations at the Ritz Carlton web site.
Sofitel Phi Phi: Plans for the Sofitel on Phi Phi were made before the 2004 tsunami decimated Phi Phi. It seemed for a while that the project might never materialize, but it’s now been confirmed to open in 2010. The new resort will consist of 147 villas, but is not yet accepting reservations.
[Note: Sorry for the prolonged absence. My trip to Komodo and other parts of Indonesia took me away for a while, and I've been dealing with some health issues since returning. Things should be back to normal soon.]
Getting things back on track, this news arrived from the newly re-branded Ayana Resort in Bali, the former Ritz Carlton. As part of their campaign to maintain, if not enhance, their stature as the best there is on Bali, the resort has appointed renowned French chef Marc Dobbels as Food & Beverage Director.
From the press release:
A trained Chef de Cuisine with a Michelin-star rating, Dobbels will oversee the management of the resort’s 12 dining and lounge venues. This will include spectacular renovation projects as AYANA upgrades its facilities and sets new standards as a world-class destination resort.
"I am thrilled to be working with such a high caliber of hoteliers as Charles de Foucault and Horst Schulze at AYANA Resort and Spa. This resort already offers an amazing variety of top-notch dining venues and cuisines, and our renovations will provide even more reasons for our guests to indulge in epicurean delights every day," said Dobbels.
These renovations include a stunning new Rock Bar by Yasuhiro Koichi of Japan’s Design Studio SPIN, whose works include NOBU Tokyo and NOBU Hong Kong, and The Knolls at Capella Singapore. Perched on a rocky outcrop over breaking waves at the base of the cliff and accessed via an inclinator, the Rock Bar will offer guests an unobstructed vantage point for cocktails on the beach when it is completed this coming June. Koichi is also redesigning Sami Sami Italian restaurant into a grand two-story structure, and Damar Terrace. Padi restaurant is also being renovated and its Thai menu expanded to include Indonesian and Indian cuisine.
Dobbels comes to AYANA from his role as pre-opening Food & Beverage Director of The Capella Singapore, another West Paces Hotel Group property, where he set up the luxury resort’s four dining venues ahead of its launch in March. Before that, he was Food & Beverage Director at the Hotel Le Martinez in Cannes, France, where he worked alongside 2-Michelin-star Chef Christian Sinicropi at the renowned Le Palme d’Or restaurant. Together, they created the menu for Gucci’s official dinner at its flagship boutique in Milan.
