It's Hot!

FLAME in name and flame in cooking. Phuket’s first garden rotisserie from the stylish Twin Palms Phuket Resort, FLAME, will open in June next to its highly popular BAKE bakery in Cherng Talay, just outside Laguna resort.

The open style building will enable diners to see the chefs in action and food can be eaten either on the FLAME patio, or in BAKE’s air condition building next door.

FLAME will open daily from 10am to 10pm with take-aways and home delivery available. Details of a grand opening will be available in coming months.

Twin Palms is one of Phuket’s iconic hotels, set on stylish Surin Beach with Catch Beach Club very popular with locals and patrons alike. Its BAKE bakeries in three locations around Phuket are very popular for their fresh baked goods, cool environment and excellent service. BAKE is open fro9m 7am to 7pm daily. The boutique hotel itself established a new level in Sunday brunch which remains popular.

FLAME – Great New Twin Palms Garden Rotisserie is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Gone to a new home

Laguna Hotels & Resorts Plc., which jointly owns Laguna Beach Resort, is to sell its shareholding in the hotel for B723.56 million to Laguna Phuket Club Co. Ltd, a Thai company controlled by Real Estate Equity Partners, an Asian focused real estate private equity fund.

The 252-room deluxe beachfront property opened in 1992 as the second hotel in the Laguna Phuket complex. The hotel is popular with family groups.

Laguna Phuket has publicly stated it wishes to divest part of its interests in Thailand to focus on emerging opportunities elsewhere in Asia, such as China and Vietnam. Laguna Phuket last year divested its interest in the Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket hotel, one of the seven deluxe hotel and villa properties at its complex, which started more than 20 years ago built around a disused tin mine.

Laguna also recently announced that Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts would take over operations of the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket hotel from July, 2011. The property will close for a five month, B500 million refurbishment and reopen in December as the Angsana Laguna Phuket.

Laguna Phuket’s hive of activity in recent months reflects the continuing changes in Phuket’s hotel industry as more resorts are opened and plans for new properties announced.

InterContinental Hotels Group is to add an additional Hotel Indigo on the island, set for opening in Summer 2014. Located at the north end of beautiful Nai Thon beach, it will be only 15 minutes from Phuket International Airport. InterContinental is aggressively rolling out the Hotel Indigo brand across the world, with 38 current properties and a further 62 being developed.

And Royal Coast Company recently launched Jindarin Beach Club & Resort on Coconut Island, a two minute boat ride from Phuket. The resort is environmentally friendly with solar power, water recycling and use of natural local materials whenever possible.

The developer, who has built the high-end Cape Yamu and Yamu Hills properties, envisions Jindarin as a beach side “village” with “cottages” ranging in price from B1.5-B5.5 million for land lots plus cottage construction costs of B1-B4.5 million.

The resort will have a private beach and pier.

Laguna Beach Resort Changing Ownership is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Anyone for tapas?

You don’t have to be a party animal to enjoy the eclectic atmosphere of the new Tapas Tree supper club/nightclub at Laguna, but it helps.

The former Kargo Indian restaurant still retains the giant [not real] palm tree in the middle, but the bar has been shifted to one side to make way for the enthusiastic dance club that Tapas Tree morphs into as the night wears on.

The opening on Friday, 25 February set the tone of things to come with some excellent ladyboy dancers and singers followed by a band with DJ, “The Biggest Loser” personality Garry Holden making a welcome return to the turntable after his magnificent double Triathlon/70.3 Ironman feats last year.

Tapas Tree is a welcome addition to the myriad of bars, pubs, spas and restaurants lining the entrance way to the Laguna Phuket complex. It is a supper club first, then as the evening wears on the tables are cleared and the dancing begins.

Very much in the mode of Phuket Town’s famous Ka Jok See, probably its most popular late night dance and entertainment venue.

The tapas are tasty, the music loud and the dancing pretty good. Worth a visit.

Tapas Tree Restaurant and Nightclub – Something Different at Laguna Phuket is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

The 419-room Sheraton Grande, one of the longest established five-star hotels on Phuket, will close from 1 July, 2011 for B500 million worth of extensive renovations and refurbishment covering all rooms and public areas and re-open as Angsana Laguna Phuket on 1 December, 2011.

The opening of an Angsana on Phuket will fill a long held desire by Banyan Tree to have an Angsana branded hotel under its group on the island. It consolidates Banyan Tree’s Phuket property as the flagship of a company continuing to expand in Asia, particularly in China.

Angsana's Morocco Hotel has won numerous awards.

Angsana Hotels & Resorts operates more than 10 resorts and hotels, over 40 spas and retail galleries. It is a member of the The Leading Small Hotels of the World and The Leading Hotels of the World. The group has won numerous awards, including the Conde Nast Traveler USA Hot List 2008 for its Angsana Riads Collection in Morocco.

The Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket was also on Conde Nast’s Traveler Readers’ Choice top 10 resorts in 2007. It is a member of The Luxury Collection, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. It commands a large Bang Tao Bay beachfront location close to Laguna Phuket Golf Club.

Banyan Tree’s Laguna Phuket property is the flagship of the Singapore based company which in 2010 had more than 26 resorts and hotels, 65 spas, 70 retail galleries and three golf courses under its management or ownership. In Phuket its Angsana spas and galleriesd are already well established within the Laguna Phuket resort area.

Banyan Tree was founded by Ho KwonPing, executive chairman, and has expanded rapidly beyond its Phuket base. It has plans for eight new developments in China between 2011 and 2013 and others in Macau, Indonesia, Vietnam, Portugal, Greece, Morroco and Oman in the same period..

Laguna Sheraton to Become Angsana Laguna Phuket is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

A glass of Champagne in one hand, a scarlet woman in the other, and all at 9 am. Life could be worse.

Laguna Resorts & Hotels (LRH) has held its first function in its new Latitude convention and exhibition facility – a demo for the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (M.I.C.E.) industry of what’s possible in the giant tent.

The visit was organised by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), who took several dozen MICE big shots from Bangkok and the region on a swing around the country, including the visit to Latitude.

Laguna rolled out the red carpet, literally, with an Oscar-themed reception for the delegates, which also aimed to demonstrate the versatility of the huge, air-conditioned tent.

On arrival, the delegates were escorted along the red carpets, “paparazzi” blazing away at them (Laguna must have hired most of the island freelance shooters for the occasion). Each was outfitted with appropriate garb – the ladies with boas and the gents with “faux tuxedos” – bibs with bow ties printed on them. They were then propelled into a reception at one end of the tent, with Mimosas or Champagne. This was at about 9am. There are worse ways to start the day.

Dotted around the reception area were cutouts of famous movie stars for the delegates to hobnob with, though the conversation was rather less than sparkling. Rather more lively were the Thai models brought in for the party. Most lively of all was MC Michael Massey, who insisted on asking the MICE people about movies they had never been in.

The tent can be configured many different ways. In this case, part of it was an exhibition area.

The visitors, now warmed by the Champagne and the movie star welcome, moved into the next section of the tent, this one set up as a theatre. Here they were treated to the première of Laguna’s new promotional video, and a lesson in how not to do a voice-over, by Phuket’s Hollywood refugee Ed Vaughan.

Finally it was into the third section of the tent, where a couple of dozen hotels and other tourism businesses had booths set up to tempt the visitors.

Latitude is in the Elephant Park area, on the left of the road into the Dusit Resort, opposite the entrance to Canal Village. Go here for more information.

Laguna Phuket entertains some MICE is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

'Clownfish V' by Christopher Hogan is the top prize in the charity raffle.

A raffle to win a unique signed painting valued at 60,000 baht by Australian artist Christopher Hogan is raising funds for a school in Phang Nga province supported by Laguna Phuket’s “Developing Sustainable Schools” program.

Hogan is currently Artist in Residence at Laguna Phuket’s Summer Family Festival – and the raffle draw will be the centerpiece of the Summer Family Festival “Art Party” in Canal Village on  July 31, when his residency ends.

The raffle prize  - Clownfish V – is a metre-square acrylic painting on canvas and an outstanding example of Hogan’ well-known aquatic-themed work.

With tickets being snapped up, the raffle has already raised thousands of baht for Baan Jao Krue School in Phang Nga province, the current focus of Laguna Phuket’s Developing Sustainable Schools program.

The 100-baht raffle tickets are available from reception desks and tour counters at Laguna Phuket hotels, as well as around the Laguna area in Pepper’s Bar, Khun Woody’s Sandwich Shoppe, Black Cat restaurant, Farang restaurant, Lady Pie restaurant, Village Bakery and the Cherngtalay branch of Siam Commercial Bank.

Other prizes include two nights at a Laguna Phuket resort, a Banyan Tree spa package for two, rounds of golf at Laguna Phuket Golf Club and a Laguna Tours trip for two to Phi Phi Island.

Hogan holds daily painting classes for hotel guests and local residents as part of the Summer Family Festival in Canal Village. He is also volunteering creative art lessons for teachers and pupils of Baan Jao Krue School to initiate the children’s creative studies.

The Laguna Phuket Summer Family Festival runs until August 20 with daily Kidz Fun Zone adventure activities, a Flying Trapeze, Hollywood@Laguna family filming of a “Virtual Motorcycle Tour of Phuket” and nightly entertainment in the beer tent.  The Festival also has a range of offers for children to stay, eat and play free at Laguna hotels until October 31.

Nemo painting is top prize in Laguna charity raffle is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Pool villa at the Outrigger Laguna Phuket resort.

Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, Asia, has officially settled on Phuket as its Regional Operating Headquarters (ROH) and has also been approved by the Thai Government’s Board of Investment (BoI).

With its offices in Plaza del Mar, just outside the gates of the Laguna complex, Outrigger is the first company to set up an ROH in Phuket.

“We are a resort company so we have chosen a resort location,” said Outrigger’s Senior Vice President, Asia, Mr Darren Edmonstone. “Our expertise since our formation in Hawaii over 60 years ago pertains to warm climate resort holidays. Phuket with its great aviation access, human resources and culture of hospitality is a perfect regional headquarters for us in Asia.”

ROH status gives Outrigger privileges and responsibilities in the areas of taxation, human resources, research, product development, sourcing of raw materials and parts, credit management, marketing, sales and technical support. BoI approval has a number of additional advantages, including foreign majority ownership of the business, and easier work permit and visas procedures.

In addition, Edmonstone said, “The quality and variety of Phuket’s existing human resource pool is excellent and improving all the time. Furthermore, with a headquarters in Phuket, Outrigger can easily access resort areas of potential business interest … around Asia.”

The company, which has its corporate HQ in Hawaii, has been on a drive into Asia over the past three years. It manages Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort & Villas, along with a property in Bali, and is looking at other resorts and hotels in Indonesia, Vietnam, Hainan (China), South Korea, the Maldives and India.

Outrigger settles on Phuket as HQ for Asia is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

What's that down there?? Using Hollywood-style green-screen magic, a family fly over Phang Nag Bay in their "rot saleng"- Thai-style motorbike and sidecar.

Laguna Phuket has just launched its annual Summer Family Festival, with a new twist – families can now star in their own professionally-produced Hollywood-style motorbike tour of Phuket.

The Family Festival,  first launched last year, is aimed at all the family, whether visiting Phuket or living here. For children there will be three-hour programme each day (2 – 5pm), featuring in turn activities such as Wacky Games, Sports Skills; Climbing Capers; Treasure Hunts, High Ropes Adventure; Wet ‘n’ Wild; Arts & Crafts, Slip ‘n’ Splash; rock climbing and other outdoor adventure activities. For hotel guests these sessions are free. For non-guests the price is B200 per child.

There will also be a bouncy castle for the little ones, and evening Kidz Lounge sessions with movies and video games and a new KidzSole flying trapeze.

For parents, there will be a barbecue and beer tent with screenings of all the World Cup matches, along with live music, quiz nights and other entertainment.

The new “Hollywood@Laguna” will feature a rot saleng – a Thai-style motorbike with sidecar – in front of a green screen. Footage taken of the family will be combined with shots of various parts of Phuket, including James Bond Island – this motorbike can ride on water, part of the magic of Hollywood.

Families can even be involved in a choreographed “bike crash”, then continue making the movie with appropriate crash victim make-up.

For more on Hollywood@Laguna, go here. For more on the Summer Family Festival, go here. The festival continues until October 31.

New Hollywood twist to Laguna Family Festival is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Trattoria staff celebrate; At centre is resort GM Peter Komposch. Exec Chef Silvano Amolini is at left.

Want to know which is the best restaurant, not just in Phuket but the whole of Thailand? According to Thailand Tatler magazine, it’s La Trattoria at the Dusit Laguna Resort.

It’s the second time the restaurant has received the accolade from the Tatler; the first time was in 2007. The hi-so magazine didn’t just name the editor’s favourite place – it polled readers.of course, Tatler readers are not generally people who frequent Auntie Pen’s Somtam Shack, so there were probably quite a few of Thailand’s 60 million restaurants that didn’t make the cut.

It’s still an impressive score, however, and Peter Komposch, General Manager of the Dusit, was excited. “La Trattoria is delighted to receive Thailand Tatler’s award once again. This recognition is indeed a privilege and a reflection of a positive feedback from our guests.”

The man who makes the food (with a little help in the kitchen) is Silvano Amolini, Executive Chef. The Dusit press release doesn’t mention his reaction to the award, but we can safely imagine it was positive.

Instead, it lists some of his signature dishes, “blending new Italian sensations and tastes”, and including Insalata di rucola con timballo di gorgonzola e noci, sciroppo al Balsamico, or Pici toscani con stracotto di manzo al Chianti. You can all figure out what those are, can’t you?

The Observer recently visited the restaurant for Earth Hour. See that report here.

Dusit Phuket restaurant “best in Thailand” is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Kids have a 2-km race all to themselves.

It’s time to get those smelly old Nike and Adidas running shoes out of the depths of the closet and start getting into shape for the Laguna Phuket Marathon in just over a month’s time, on Sunday June 13.

As always, for those who reckon that a 42-km jog – roughly the distance from Phuket Town to the Sarasin Bridge at the top of the island – might just be a little too much to take on, there will be shorter races.

The marathon itself starts in darkness, at 4:30 am. At 6 am the half marathon will kick off, followed by the 10.5-km run at 6:30. The winners of these three events are expected to breast the tape between 7:10 and 7:45.

At 8 am the rather more leisurely 5-km walk begins, followed an hour later by the 2-km Kids’ Run.

To register online, go here (Internet Explorer or Safari only).

Those registered before June 4 will pay lower entry fees. Those who don’t get themselves organised by that date can still join in by registering on June 11 and 12, the two days before the event. They should go to Laguna Grove – the start/finish area – between 10 am and 5 pm on those days. Entry fees (in baht) are as follows:

Call for Laguna Marathon entries is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.