Absolute unveils latest Phuket boutique resort
The communal pool at the Absolute Nakalay Beach Resort.
When the Global Financial Crisis hit Phuket, Martin Platts found his income soaring. Platts is the self-proclaimed “Golf Guru” of the island. Well, it sounds better than “coach”, doesn’t it?
He put his new-found wealth down to all those property developers who found themselves sitting in an office devoid of buyers and decided that they might be better off improving their game.
But not all developers have been having a barren time. One exception to the rule has been the Absolute group of party guy Bryan Lunt, which has been completing project after project and also snapping up management contracts for smaller hotels and resorts that have been finding the going hard.
The company’s Absolute Resorts Thailand subsidiary, headed by highly respected hotelier Supachart Ruamsamu, now has eight properties under management – seven in Phuket and one in Pattaya – and is looking at taking on another six in the near future – three on Koh Samui, two in Phuket and one in Pattaya.
Two of these are being developed in collaboration with Yoo, the vehicle of French über-designer Philippe Starck.
Supachart admits it’s hard work, but he’s happy with the results he’s been getting, particularly at the pretty but formerly moribund Chandara Resort on the east coast of Phuket. “The owner’s very happy,” he told the Observer.
The latest property is the Absolute Nakalay Beach Resort in Phuket, which opened officially on January 27. Halfway between Patong and Kamala, on the west coast, it was developed by Absolute and follows the same model as the company’s other developments (and many thers these days) – they build and sell the apartments, and then manage them as a hotel so that apartment owners get (theoretically at least) an income when they are not in residence.
Room in then Absolute Nakalay Beach Resort.
Absolute Nakalay is small – just 33 apartments ranging from studio through two- and three-bedroom to penthouse suites complete with rooftop gardens equipped with jacuzzi and dip pool.
It’s smart, quiet, well designed and well equipped. All rooms have balconies, DVD players, cable TV and Wi-Fi. There’s also a communal swimming pool and gym, and indoor and outdoor eating areas (set meals only at present).
The place is easy to get to – it’s just off the main Patong-Kamala road – and is about 10 minutes from the heart of the action in Patong, yet quiet enough for those recovering from all that action.
Rates range upwards from B6,00 a night. For more information or for bookings, send email here. The property is listed on Agoda, but at present it doesn’t seem to be possible to make bookings that way.
Just to put the record straight; Absolute group only ever developed one property in Phuket ie. the Bangla Suites in Phuket, that’s all. The Nakalay resort was developed by A Plan Properties, who are now also going to develop the Twin sands at Tri Trang, the Yoo project in Kathu is develop by a different developer.
Thanks Ian. You’re right to some extent – Absolute Group operate/develop/manage/market a number of resorts, real estate and mixed-use developments around Thailand. In each case the structure is different. We asked for an official comment on your comment, but they declined. In any case, I think that explaining the structure of each and every operation mentioned here would bore the readers to tears.