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Bt1.5b resort to open in Phuket in 2012

The South Patong headlands (background) is one of the final frontiers in Patong, which already has 14,821 registered rooms.

PHUKET: A new 350-room, five-star luxury resort will open in the South Patong hillsides of Phuket by the end of 2012.

News of the 1.5-billion-baht project was announced by Bangkok-based hotel and resort consultants Mai-BS (Thailand). The firm is headed by Klaus Rauter, former general manager at Andara Villas and Suites.

“We are extremely proud of having been selected and appointed as the consultant to the owner for this 1,500 million baht five-star resort owned by truly experienced and professional developers,” said Mr Rauter.

“Mai-BS (Thailand) will work with the owners and current team as consultant to select the right management company for this stunning property, to ensure best use of space in all areas of the hotel, to ensure best comfort for guests and employees through modern and efficient designs in all areas of the resort,” he added.

Mai-BS has inked a deal for Phuket-based Yangrangsi Co Ltd to develop the project at the south end of Patong.

The site is located after the Amari Coral Beach resort, with views overlooking Patong Bay, local analyst Bill Barnett wrote in his thephuketinsider.com property website.

The hotel, which has yet to be named, is scheduled to open year-end 2012 with 100 pool villas and 250 rooms, said the company press release.

The resort will be managed by an international-brand management company to be announced by the end of this year.

Facilities at the 100-rai resort will include three themed concept restaurants, a freshwater lake covering about seven rai and a conference room.

The resort spa will feature up to 16 treatment rooms built in a lush, rocky area. A natural waterfall will flow right through the center of the spa facilities, the developers say.

“We will do our best to ensure not to cut any trees for this development,” said Yangrangsi Managing Director Narachai Chumsri.

“The overall concept, setting, landscape and business plan of the resort will make our guest experiences the best in Phuket. We will also build a brand-new employee condominium where we can house our high quality employees to give best comfort to our people.”

“We are fully aware that our hotel will be only as good as our employees; therefore we must focus at all times on people development, career opportunities and on the creating of a working atmosphere where people feel comfortable,” he added.

Asia And Australasia’s Best Places

Travel industry leaders gathered in New Delhi on Thursday, October 14, 2010, to attend the latest edition of the World Travel Awards for Asia and Australasia.

The annual awards recognize best destinations, hotel, airlines, villas, resorts, golf courses, travel brands and tourism promotion organizations.

Winners were selected via a voting process among colleagues in the travel industry and consumers in which thousands of votes were cast.

Now in its 17th year, World Travel Award winners from Asia and Australasia go automatically go on to the World Travel Awards 2010 Grand Final in London, held each year before the World Travel Market scheduled to begin on Sunday, November 7, 2010.

Bali Scores High

The Bali travel products named as winners in their respective categories in New Delhi were:

• Asia’s Leading Beach Resort – Samaya Resort, Bali

Samaya Resorts- Bali (www.baliwww.com)

• Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort – Ayana Resort and Spa, Bali

Ayana Resorts - Bali (www.interlinestay.com)

• Asia’s Leading Luxury Villa – Ayana Resort and Spa, Bali

Ayana Resorts Bali (www.universeofluxury.com)

• Indonesia’s Leading Golf Course – Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort, Bali

Pan Pacific Golf Course (www.baliwww.com)

Related Link: List of Asia Region Winners of World Travel Awardshttp://www.worldtravelawards.com/

Ayana Won Asia's Leading luxury Resort and Luxury Villa at World Travel Awards 2010

Ayana Resort and Spa Bali has been awarded Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort for the second year running as well as Asia’s Leading Luxury Villa (AYANA Villa) in the World Travel Awards 2010.

The awards, announced at the Asia Final in India, automatically qualify AYANA for nomination as the World’s Leading Luxury Resort and World’s Leading Luxury Villa. The winners of the World Grand Final will be announced next month.

Tagged ‘the Oscars of the travel industry’ by the Wall Street Journal, the World Travel Awards recognize leaders from all sectors of the tourism and travel industry who demonstrate excellence in service and product.

“The hotel industry is extremely competitive and it is a great honor to win one accolade at the World Travel Awards. We are overwhelmed to have won two,” said AYANA’s General Manager Charles de Foucault. “We are very humbled by the support of our guests, who continually inspire us to reach new heights in quality of service, facilities and overall experience. Today’s savvy travelers do not accept anything but the best, and we are privileged to be ranked amongst the world’s most luxurious resorts.”

The award as Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort reaffirms AYANA’s position as a leader in the global hotel industry, after it won the same award in 2009 just months after rebranding to an independent property. The original owner has invested millions of dollars in upgrades including the Rock Bar, located on natural rocks abutting the ocean, and renovations of Padi restaurant, Damar Terrace restaurant and AYANA Ballroom.

Other awards to be bestowed upon AYANA this year include:

• World’s #1 Spa in the Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Survey
• Conde Nast Traveller Gold List (Best Hotels in Asia)
• Top 20 Hotels for Value Overall in TRAVEL + LEISURE Readers’ Awards
• Indonesia’s Leading Independent Resort in the Indonesian Tourism Awards

Meanwhile, Rock Bar has won several awards as Bali’s Best New Bar and was recently named first in a list of the World’s Best Hotel Bars by CNNGo, the travel portal of CNN.

The award as Asia’s Leading Luxury Villa – a new category in the World Travel Awards just introduced this year – recognizes AYANA’s three-bedroom presidential villa as the most lavish venue for an exclusive escape, honeymoon for two, wedding celebration or other private event. Situated on 3000sqm (32,292sqf ) of landscaped tropical gardens, AYANA Villa includes an 11-meter-long infinity-edged pool, heated Jacuzzi, private spa treatment room, private gym, yoga and meditation classes, Wedding Gazebo on the cliff-edge, and of course 24-hour personalized, dedicated yet discreet service from butlers certified by the Guild of Professional Butlers’ in the UK.

AYANA Villa is one of 78 villas spread out across the resort, the other 77 being one-bedroom and two-bedroom dwellings. All villa guests enjoy exclusive privileges and maximum privacy, yet convenient access to hotel facilities including Thermes Marins Bali Spa, 13 restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, golf-putting course, tennis pavilion, fitness center, and white-sand beach.

There is a growing trend among the rich to purchase holiday islands in locations such as Thailand.

Billionaires buy Thai islands

By Southall Travel -Monday, October 25, 2010 12:11 PM

There is a growing trend among the rich to purchase holiday islands in locations such as Thailand.

The Times of India reports that many India-based billionaires are looking for the ultimate getaway holiday home as they take flights to Thailand to check out potential purchases.

Chris Krolow, chief executive officer of Private Island Inc, a company that specialises in the buying and selling of islands, explained there is growing interest in land located close to Mexico and in the Pacific.

"The trend we have observed is toward an increasing number of interested buyers coming from India. We have done five deals over the last eight to 12 months," explained Mr Krolow.

It is understood that Rangyai Island in Thailand recently sold for $160 million (£102 million).

A number of well-known celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Celine Dion and Richard Branson have already purchased private islands.Qatar Airlines has recently introduced a new service to Phuket. The new flight from Doha to Phuket will operate three times a week. 

WHO CALLS THE SHOTS? SKYSCANNER REVEALS THE ‘GENDER EFFECT’ ON HOLIDAY CHOICE

Monday 25, October 2010

When it comes to choosing the perfect holiday, men and women can go off in distinctly different directions, the latest survey from Skyscanner can reveal.

Whilst Thailand tops the charts as the country that most men want to visit, for women the South East Asian country only ranks fifth. 

And whilst India is number five in the men’s charts, the sub-continent does not even feature in the women’s top ten. Likewise, Austria charts at number seven for the ladies, but does not appear in the guy’s favourites. 

New Zealand, which is fourth for women, only appears at number eight for men.

Over 400 people responded to the survey, where it was found that gender really does have an effect on desired destination. To keep both parties happy, couples looking for holiday harmony should book flights to Australia, the USA or Italy, which all ranked highly for both sexes.

Top destinations for men        

1. Thailand                            

2. USA                                   

3. Australia                               

4. Italy                                  

5. India                                 

6. Japan                                

7. Spain                                 

8. New Zealand                       

9. Egypt                                 

10. Norway     

Top destinations for women

1. USA

2. Australia

3. Italy

4. New Zealand

5. Thailand

6. Japan

7. Austria

8. Croatia

9. Canada

10. Greece

Interestingly, Skyscanner search data for the most popular destinations shows that flights to Spain top the charts. While only 17% of men claim they call the holiday shots, and the majority of couples believe destination choice is a joint decision, Spain was actually the seventh most popular destination for men but didn’t even make the women’s top ten, proving perhaps that men have more holiday power than they realise, or admit to! 

Once on holiday more compromise is required because although both sexes agreed that sightseeing and dining were the favoured holiday pastimes, gender stereotypes then come into play.  

Sunbathing is the third top choice for women, while men only rank it as sixth in their pastime preferences. Shopping is the fifth most popular holiday pastime for women while men were far less keen on hitting the shops, scoring it as the ninth most popular pastime.  Men however seem to enjoy a drink on holiday with this pastime taking the fourth spot, while women ranked it in only ninth.

Top 5 activities for men      

1. Sightseeing                     

2. Dining                             

3. Wildlife and nature           

4. Drinking                          

5. Sport and Activities

Top 5 activities for women

1. Sightseeing

2. Dining

3. Sunbathing

4. Wildlife and nature

5. Shopping

UK PM Chooses Thailand For Xmas Getaway

• 

Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron, is planning to spend the Christmas period in Thailand with his family, turning his back on a cold Britain, and a time when the country will start to feel the effects of the most extensive spending cuts in a generation.

A Thai source said: ‘I believe he is travelling to Bangkok at the end of this year around Christmas time and he’s going to spend some time in Bangkok and some time at one of our beaches.’ Reports over the weekend claimed Mr. Cameron had been invited to Thailand by the country’s prime minister. They were contemporaries at Eton College and Oxford, and Thai newspaper reports claim the pair have been ‘buddies’ ever since but Government sources in the UK have insisted not only are the two men not friends, they have never met.

There’s speculation as to Cameron and his family’s itinerary, with the Phuket media in particular claiming he is likely to include a stay on one of the island’s resorts, perhaps at the Amanpuri on the west coast, where various UK celebrities have chosen to hang out in the past, though the most likely choice would be Sri Panwa or Amanpuri, which are both headland resorts, a good choice for security reasons.

Mr. Cameron will inevitably face strong criticism for abandoning a country facing a Christmas of austerity, to bask in the Thai sunshine, as in 2008 when he joined a wealthy group of friends on a £21,000-a-week yacht on a week-long tour of the Turkish coast.

First-class flights to Thailand over the festive period cost more than £4,000 each and even tickets in economy seats on the cheapest airlines cost around £1,000. Government sources have stressed that Mr. Cameron was paying for the trip himself and was not planning to conduct any official business while away, but the British left wing press were demanding that he abandons his plans.

Another Downing Street spokesman refused to comment on Mr. Cameron’s holiday arrangements, saying they would not discuss his movements for ‘security reasons’ but sources close to the Camerons confirmed Thailand was pencilled in for “a well-deserved few days away”.

The Camerons will join the estimated 860,000 British tourists who will travel to Thailand on holiday this year.

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