Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort

The Pan Pacific was formerly under the Le Meridien brand. It’s located a short way away from the frenetic scene of South Bali (such as Kuta, Legian and Seminyak) on the west coast very near the famous Tanah Lot temple. The resort includes an 18-hole Greg Norman designed golf course.

Deluxe Pool View Room at the Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort

The deal: Stay a minimum of two nights in a deluxe pool view room before 31 December 2012 for a special price of US$155++ per night. The rate includes the room, daily breakfast, a 30 minute massage and 20% off additional spa treatments. Bookings must be made by 31 August 2012. See the web site for full details.

The Okura Prestige – Bangkok

The Okura Prestige is a brand new hotel (to be opened in May 2012) with direct access to the Skytrain near Bangkok’s embassy row, and not far from the city’s main shopping district. The luxury chain promises a blend of Japanese and Thai cultures with cutting edge facilities.

Deluxe room at the Okura Bangkok

The deal: The Okura Discovery Package offers a special rate of 5,800 Baht++ per night (that’s just under US$200) for a deluxe room. The special rate includes breakfast and complementary Internet use. Offer valid for stays from 14 May to 31 December 2012. See the Okura Bangkok web site for full details.

Banyan Tree Spa Sanctuary Phuket

The Banyan Tree resort on Phuket was built around what once was a tin mine. Consisting entirely of villas, many with private pools, spread out on lush grounds around a lagoon, the resort is an idyllic honeymoon destination as well as a place to relax and reconnect. The resort is adjacent to an 18-hole golf course and also includes its own gym, tennis courts and yoga rooms.

How many of these can you manage in a day?

The deal: For those that like Thai massage, this seems like an offer you can’t refuse – Book three nights or more under their Ultimate Spa Retreat promotion and you’ll receive unlimited – that’s right, unlimited – 90-minute spa treatments. The promotion also includes daily breakfast, a consultation with a Ayurvedic doctor, daily high tea, morning yoga session, and more. See the Banyan Tree web site for full details.

Anantara Resorts – Worldwide

Anantara operates a number of resorts around Southeast Asia as well as the Maldives and United Arab Emirates. Each resort is designed to harmonize the environment with local craft traditions and culture. Every resort provides a unique cultural immersion, as well as all the comforts you’d expect from a luxury get-away.

The Anantara Si Kao resort in Trang province, southern Thailand

The deal: Anantara’s shoulder-season "Stay Longer" promotion offers discounts of up to 35% for longer stays. The promotion is good at all resorts, but the minimum stay (starts at three nights) and discount vary by destination. The promotion is good for stays from 1 May to 30 June 2012. See the Anantara web site for full details.

Bedrooms at the Gaya Island Resort ©Gaya Island Resort

The villa exteriors reflect Sabah architecture and use local materials. While there are four different styles of villa, all encompass 47 square meters (470 square feet) of space, and have a writing desk, flat-screen televisions, two vanities, and an outdoor deck with day beds.

The resort will have three restaurants, one of which will be on a separate beach, serving single-dish lunches. There is also a spa, of course, as well as a gym, dive shop, meeting rooms and a library.

To get to Gaya Island Resort, you will fly into Kota Kinabalu, take a 15 minute car transfer to the pier, and then a 15 minute boat ride to the resort.

Gaya Island Resort is set to open on 1 July 2012. See the Gaya Island Resort web site for more information and bookings.

The hotel bills itself as a radical re-imagining of what a city hotel should be, and on the face of it they have definitely done something interesting. The curiously perforated sunscreen shields a ultra-modern concrete and glass structure. The screen probably does a good job keeping the rooms from being too hot (an important consideration at this time of year) and there’s nothing in the way of a view from the low-rise structure anyway.

The interior makes heavy use of concrete-gray as a base color, but curved surfaces and lots of splashes of color keep it from being cold or hard. There is free wi-fi throughout the hotel, and I also noted coffee machines in several public areas, which the manager I spoke to informed me were free for hotel guests.

I didn’t get offered a look at the rooms, but from the photos on the hotel’s web site, you can get a good idea of what they’re like – very modern, glass-enclosed bathroom, a tilted wall here and there.

Given the location, right in the heart of Bangkok’s main shopping district, Lit seems like a really good option. Published rates start at 7,000 Baht (about US$230) but discounts from both the hotel’s own web site as well as on-line booking sites suggest that you can easily get a room at the Lit for around US$120, which is pretty good deal for a nice hotel in that area.

For more information, visit the LIT Bangkok web site, or you can check for discounted rates from one of our partners at the POSH Guide.

Although newly built, the little hotel aims for an old-world turn-of-the-twentieth-century charm, with a light Greek-revival design, stressed wood floors, and antique furnishings complemented by newly built furniture in the same style. There are four suites and four studio rooms.

The suites have a large ‘living’ room with an over-sized dining table, sofa, mini-bar and large breakfront cabinet. The adjoining bedroom has a queen size bed, and off it is a dressing area with a large desk and two wardrobes. The bathrooms are rather small, with just a walk-in shower and old-fashioned fittings.

The studios are of course just a single bedroom, with either a queen bed or two twins. There are connecting doors between the suites and studios so you can have a two bedroom suite if needed. All of the flat-screen televisions in each room are ‘smart’ TVs that have Internet capability as well.

Hotel amenities include a restaurant, a lounge cum library dubbed ‘The Joy Luck Club’ and a roof-top swimming pool. The pool is a good shape for laps and has plenty of deck room for sunbathing. There are no high-rises in the immediate area, so at mid-day the roof is going to be quite sunny.

Special opening rates start at just 4,000 Baht (~ US$135) and includes breakfast for two, free wi-fi access throughout the hotel and mini-bar use. Visit the Cabochon Hotel web site for more details.

Update – 23 April 2012: The hotel is now appearing at on-line booking sites. Have a look at our own page for the Cabochon Hotel to see what rates are available.

For details, see the full article at Examiner.com.

Guest room at Maison Souvannaphoum

To celebrate, Angsana is offering a special "Maison Rediscovery" package. With a minimum stay of two nights in a Garden Wing room, you’ll get a daily breakfast for two, free transfers, free bicycle use, and more. The offer is good for booking made until 29 April 2012, for stayes until 30 April 2012.

See the Angsana web site for more information about the hotel and to make bookings.

The 'Laguna Grande' room at the Angsana Phuket (photo from Angsana)

The resort offers several restaurants, and will have its own beach club early next year. Since it’s part of the integrated Laguna resort complex, you can also dine at the other hotels and resorts in the complex and charge to your room. There’s also a full service spa, of course.

The official opening date is 1 December 2011. There’s a special introductory offer starting at 6,100 Baht per night, including breakfast for two, for stays between 1 December 2011 and 27 February 2012. If you book two or more nights, you’ll get a 3,000 Baht hotel credit that can be used at any dining outlet or at the spa. For a booking of three nights or more you’ll get a complimentary 90 minute massage in addition to the 3,000 Baht credit.

Visit the Angsana web site for booking and additional information.

The King State Room at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh

The Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh has just unveiled their refurbished State Rooms, and in celebration they’re offering special deals for advance booking. By booking at least 15 days before arrival, you’ll get a 15% discount off the best available rate, free breakfast and Internet access, as well as late check-out and all the other usual amenities.

Visit the Hotel Le Royal web site for more information, or check availability and rates.

Several areas of the resort are already under renovation, to be ready for re-opening by the re-branding date. These include the two special restaurants, Benihana and Trader Vic’s. For reservations and more information, you can visit the Anantara Bangkok Riverside web page.

Room Number 6 on the top floor of La Villa

The hotel has seven rooms (note, however, that they were closing for remodeling in June 2011, so things might have changed). Four of the rooms are in the main building, while the remaining three are in a secondary structure. There is a pool, which is unusual for such a small hotel, as well as a large bar and restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. There were also a couple of computers in the lobby to use the Internet, and there is free wi-fi available throughout the hotel.

Breakfast is served in the ground floor restaurant. There is no buffet, but a selection of about half a dozen options.

Rooms at the La Villa Hotel may be booked through their web site only.