Tried & Tested

Hotel Check: Sila Evason Hideaway & Spa at Samui

1 Jan 2006 by intern11

WHAT’S IT LIKE? A couple of points off perfect. Exclusively located and exquisitely conceived (think Siamese with elements of Scandinavian), the Samui Hideaway is another triumphant creation of the owner/designer, husband/wife Shivdasanis, aka Sonu and Eva. It would be very easy to spend long hours hanging over the edge of the infinity pool, if not quite King of the World then certainly pretender to the throne of this part of it.

WHERE IS IT? At the end of the road at the northernmost tip of Ko Samui with panoramas stretching out to neighbouring Ko Phangan. The airport and main shopping/nightlife strip of Chaweng are both within half an hour’s drive, but once installed there is little inclination to venture abroad.

HOW MANY ROOMS?
Rooms? Ha! We’re in a different league here with 66 thatched villas set around the hillside each overlooking the sea.

ROOM FACILITIES: All but 14 villas (the “Hideaways”) have their own splash pool together with a spacious, cushioned relaxation sala.And all 66 contain glistening TV,DVD and Hi-Fi, an outdoor shower, monster sunken bathtubs, laptop-sized safes and a double bed gloriously swathed in mosquito netting.

DOING BUSINESS: Starting this month, the villas are wired and the public areas Wi-Fi’d. Email access can be arranged if you haven’t brought your laptop; likewise other business services.

RESTAURANTS: Dining on the Hill (all day:buffet breakfasts vault from Swedish herring to Japanese sushi via eggs and bacon and squeezed-on-the-spot juices) and Dining on the Rocks (dinner only: new Asian cuisine) are both self explanatory, but the latter’s angled platforms and decks add an extra frisson. The wine cellar (tastings positively encouraged) is both catholic and imaginative.

BAR: Daily complimentary cocktails at sunset at Drinks on the Hill are a highly amenable, not to mention civilised affair. A must for your diary.

FITNESS CENTRE:
Very nice, but pales in comparison beside the adjacent spa’s indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, and a menu that goes far beyond the usual offerings.

VERDICT:
Without doubt the best on Samui, and probably one of the best in the kingdom, largely thanks to the redoubtable GM, Eric Hallin.

PRICE: From US$300 per night.

CONTACT: 9/10 Moo 5, Baan Plai Laem, Bophut,Koh Samui, Surathani 84320 Thailand, tel 66 77 245 678, www.sixsenses.com

Ed Peters
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