SUITE DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THESE)
Just a year old, Point Yamu, COMO Hotels and Resorts’s
property in Phuket, delivers its promise of utmost seclusion in style but is
this a vision of beach living for everyone? By Daniel Goh
Phuket isn’t off the beaten track for anyone – arguably very
few places are now, and especially not Thailand, one of the most touristed
destinations in the world – so it’s a challenge for any property seeking to
distinguish itself in a location dense with hotels of all sorts. And yet Point
Yamu succeeds in being memorable – perhaps this is where the Como style comes
in.
Located on the eastern side of Phuket on the tip of Cape Yamu,
the resort is miles away from anything, tourist or local, and is approached by
driving up a gentle uphill meander through a rubber plantation. If you’re
seeking a Victorian rest cure, this gated seclusion is ideal: ensconced in
oversized daybeds indoors and out, comfortably propped up in nests of pillows,
the serene panoramic views across the bay are a sight to soothe frayed city
nerves. Unobstructed, they impose themselves on your psyche, stilling your
inner chatter with the UNESCO-protected wonders of the limestone karsts of
Phang Nga Bay, stretching into hundreds of islands on the Homeric sea, with the
stately grace of a Noh screen that changes through the day in slow motion from
slate-grey (early morning), to peach melba (dusk), and Tiffany blue (noon). You
forget to wear your watch, and the hours melt into the ozone.
To enter this magical seascape takes something of an
expedition. The calm Andaman Sea beckons, but Point Yamu has no direct beach
access. Guests take the daily shuttle to the jetty, then a scheduled boat
transports you to the beach of Rang Yai Island (a 15 minute transfer). Beach
enthusiasts may find this inconvenient, but the schedule actually adds to the
calm, imposing form on an otherwise lolling, shapeless day. Similarly a
timetable of complimentary activities on a printed card marks the hours – Pilates
at 11 am; Old Phuket Town tour at 3 pm; Flower arrangement 4 pm; Bike tour 5
pm. Just studying the timetable feels reassuring, like you’re on rehab or in a
posh nursing home. You must take a day tour of the bay, known parochially as James
Bond Island (the setting for Man With The
Golden Gun), a magnet for divers, snorkelers and kayakers. Tear a rent
through the gelatine skin of the sea in a longtail boat with the hotel’s guide
Roman, who has been sailing these waters for 20 years, and who knows every
ancient cave glittering with minerals, every deserted cove of wild monkeys,
every tide, every fable, every pristine beach of every uninhabited island, as
well as you know every nook of Orchard Road. His skin is the wet teak of the
boat, impervious to sun.
Service staff can make or break a hotel, and at Point Yamu,
the service made the experience perfect. Efficient and warm without being
mechanically so, nor betraying their training, and without being anything other
than Thai charm itself, patient, humourous, discreet, each attendant is
Thailand’s USP. From housekeeping to front desk to the ladies serving meals, to
the auntie who made ice-cream in an uproar of tinkling bells and clouds of dry
ice, to the lakorn-lovely nong (braces, perfect British-accented English)
who came to the room to try to fit the TV with cables so that we could watch a
DVD, and failed – every one of them made the stay a joy.
The rooms have no DVD players, and the point is probably that
those are outdated. Point Yamu is resolutely modern in look and feel. The
interiors are contemporary without being minimalist, cheerfully coloured and
have some Thai accents.
The result is light-filled spaces punctuated by splashes
of aquamarines and oranges. All rooms have spectacular ocean views. Each room maximizes
space, and the executive suite is larger than most four-room flats, with a
generous verandah. Shorn of all gimmicks, real luxury was brought to the fore
in quality fittings, firm beds dressed in the fine Egyptian cotton, a bowl of
edible fruit, the bathrooms are clad in jade-coloured tiles and furnished with
COMO Shambala toiletries.
Every self-respecting resort must have its spa and the
pompously-named COMO Shambhala Retreat takes itself seriously and offers yoga,
Pilates and treatments over two stories with a modern European feel. I didn’t
try any of the treatments but must say the therapists look almost medical in
their purpose so I should say you’d be in good hands (literally).
When you’re marooned in a resort and eat all three meals in -
food becomes all-important. At Point Yamu, it’s elegant that there are just the
two restaurants here (plus a pool bar that disconcertingly played strenuous dance
music at tea – surely jazz or Noh is more suitable) serving excellent food. Located
alongside the 100m infinity pool and open on all sides, La Sirena is the
checkerboard dining hall where you go to for breakfast, Italian cooking and
locally caught seafood. Just across the way, Nahmyaa serves really delicious,
finely balanced southern Thai. The calorie-counting health junkie will
appreciate the COMO Shambhala menu which is available throughout, designed for
those who want their raw foods, living enzymes, unprocessed fibre and morals.
So there you have it: If your idea of escape is a cozy version
of house-arrest set in stunning views, Point Yamu is the place for you.
Point
Yamu by COMO, Moo 7, Thep Kasattri, Thalang District, Phuket, Thailand.
Phone:+66 76 360 100
