Indigo Pearl

Phuket, Thailand

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Nai Yang Beach and National Park
Phuket 83110
Thailand.

Tel:  +66 (0)76 327 006.
Email: reservations@indigo-pearl.com.

Website: www.indigo-pearl.com.

 

Where is it?

Next to the long Nai Yang Beach, on Phuket’s northwest shore. It’s just 10 minutes from Phuket International Airport, and about 40-minutes from Phuket Town.  Just outside the resort are some tourist restaurants and bars. You can get a cheap, though not expert, massage on the beach.

The Resort

Indigo Pearl resort is a design phenomenon. It’s a fusion of modern architecture and Thai tin-mining heritage, with gorgeous pocket gardens highlighted by silvery-blue palms, blue jasmine, and spiky succulents.

Wander through the extensive grounds and you come across various statues and objects d’arts seemingly by chance. Pathways swing past three wonderful pools, a pond-like lagoon, and eventually lead you to a set of intriguing restaurants, cafes, and bars.

These include Black Ginger, where you can eat authentic Thai food in stylish surroundings, and Tongkah Tin Syndicate – a remarkable semi-industrial bar, with family heirlooms reaching up to the tin ceilings, a couple of snooker tables, dark wooden beams, and round swinging canvas fans fixed to the ceiling. Then there’s traditional tapas served al fresco in Rebar, and modern European fare at Tin Mine.

The 277 rooms, suites and villas vary, of course, but they are all elegant design masterpieces. Even the bathroom taps take some working out! We stayed in a Pearl Bed Suite, which had a spacious balcony overlooking the gardens, with an outdoor, free-standing, jet-black spa-tub as its centrepiece.

Spend your days soaking up the sunshine, strolling the beach, enjoying spa treatments, or taking up one of Indigo Pearl’s many activities - from Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates, to rock climbing, surfing, cooking and golf.

Indigo Pearl was named the ‘Most Stylish Hotel’ by ELLE magazine, Singapore, and among the world's ‘TOP 50 Dream Resorts’ by Honeymoon and Travel magazine.

Indigo Pearl was also recently voted ‘Best Design Concept Hotel/Resort in South East Asia’ at the HAPA (Hospitality Asia) Awards 2008–2010.

The Spa

The new Coqoon Spa is redefining the ultimate spa experience.

Coqoon Spa collected its first international accolade within six months of opening in the 2011 World Luxury Spa Awards. 

The new cutting-edge designer spa, best known for its unique mid-air treatment room ‘The Nest’, was voted runner-up in the Best Luxury Resort Spa category in Thailand.

Coqoon Spa is styled as a ‘Garden of Eden’ in tropical rainforest and is the mastermind of Bangkok-based designer, Bill Bensley.

The spa’s architectural ‘pièce de résistance is ‘The Nest’, a luxurious treatment suite hovering 10-metres up in the branches of an ancient banyan tree bringing guests up close and personal with nature.

Coqoon Spa also features six deluxe treatment rooms and an exclusive ‘Coqoon Suite’ complete with its own accommodation, butler and private pool, as well as a rain shower, steam room, sauna and Vichy shower.  Here guests can stay for up to 3-days to follow a tailored programme of health, wellness and nutritional advice and therapies.    

Its treatments menu is steeped in Thai tradition whilst embracing holistic ideals in the pursuit of better health and wellness.  On offer is a range of aromatic body treatments, scrubs and wraps, Anne Semonin facial treatments, hand and foot care, and beauty treatments. Rare plant essences, Andaman elixirs and Thai herbal spices excite the senses and rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit.

Coqoon Spa is adorned throughout in silvery-blue palms and hues of plumbago.  It takes the typical ‘zen’ approach to spas and gives it a lively / unusual twist with industrial touches and a fresh colour scheme.

When to go?

High season in Phuket is between November and March, when the weather is tropical and hot and there is little rainfall. The monsoon season starts in late May and runs into November. Things are generally cheaper, but it can rain quite heavily, there’s less water clarity, and rubbish can be washed up on the local beach.

Don’t Miss …

A sea canoe tour of Phang Nga’s fascinating limestone islands with their macaques, water monitors, kingfishers, Sea Eagles, and cave entrances that lead to enclosed saltwater lagoons. See www.johngray-seacanoe.com.

The Verdict

The ultimate in a designer resort, with a glorious beach, great food (including superb breakfasts), attentive staff, a kid’s club, an adult’s only pool, a luxurious spa, and the peace and relaxation that you can only get if you are miles away from the hustle and bustle.

Story by: Marc Llewellyn.