Above a private, sickle-shaped cove just south of Nai Thon, Trisara’s collection of 48 impossibly luxurious rooms, suites and villas is built into the steeply jungled hillside. Each has an infinity pool with outdoor shower, at least 1 bungalow-sized bathroom, a bed positioned perfectly for the sun to set between your toes, and some are set in their own exotic gardens.
What’s on offer here is a billionaire-lifestyle: from the Neapolitan ice-cream drapes that curtain you off from the outside world to the original Dali bronze, casually on sale at the hotel’s gallery. Trisara manages to be all things to the lucky few who can afford to stay here: a destination hideaway with a destination spa and a destination restaurant. Gardens sizzle with flamboyant blossoms in the day and hum with frogs and cicadas at night. A dark sapphire pool sparkles above the peachy creamy beach and the glassy waters of the Andaman are heavenly to swim in. Park your sea plane off-shore: Trisara is super-security conscious and it needs to be - plenty of its guests have been whisked through the VIP gate at customs...
Highs
- Ultimate luxury in sumptuous, tasteful villas (without the merest whiff of bling) and unbelievably romantic - queensize daybeds on the beach, snowy linens, vases filled with lotus flowers
- A young hotel in an old forest means that the environmental policies safeguard the truly beautiful natural ecosystem
- Intuitive and delightful staff - from the limousine driver who meets you off the plane to the smiley housekeepers
- Hidden kids club, Trisara Kids, where older children can zone out with the latest computer games and little ones can play
- One of the few places in Thailand where you can sleep with your doors open to the music of the sea, as mosquito screens keep out beasties
Lows
- One of Thailand’s most expensive (though least pretentious) hotels, but if you can afford to stay here, you probably won't mind that an iced coffee will set you back a tenner
- The steep hillside is challenging for those with mobility problems, though you can call for a buggy to transport you
- No wide expanse of sand: the beach is private and empty, but only takes minutes to walk along
- The sea is only nice to swim and fish in during December-April
- Once you’ve been to Trisara, it becomes your Gold Standard - make it your last port of call if you’re touring round
- 20 baby cots
- Baby bedding
- High chairs
- Baby baths
- Stair gates (where needed)
- Bottle warming
- Black out blinds
- Changing mats
- Toddler cutlery and crockery
Some equipment may need to be requested in advance
English-speaking babysitting available by arrangement
Trisara Kids has a dedicated pavilion away from the main hotel with a programme of inspiring activities including umbrella painting, coconut bowling, hula-hooping, kite-flying, snorkelling and daily beach volleyball at 5pm supervised by qualified personnel. It takes kids aged 4-16 and is free for guests; you must be on the property at all times while your children are there. Younger children can play as long as their parents are present
Food is available all day; purees can be created for the smallest family members, the delicious restaurant has a kids menu and serves smaller portions. Age-appropriate mocktails can be served in the bar. Those staying in the Trisara Signature Villa or Private Residences have a full kitchen with a cook and a housekeeper. There's a microwave and blender available for those with babies
- 45m saltwater swimming pool with shallow end
- Cooking classes for all ages
- Games room with games consoles including Wii
- Children's DVDs
- Mini iPods to borrow
- Watersports at the beach
- Bikes to borrow
- Ping pong
- Computers
- Snuba for kids 8+ (a version of Scuba diving that requires no training, participants can go up to 7m underwater)
- River Rovers (a tour through the river routes to see life on the river, fish farms and monkeys
- Wat Chalang and other temples)
- Beaches, jungles, cultural attractions, water parks and plenty more
- Beach Resort
- 39 villas + 20 private residences
- Restaurants and bar (open daily)
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Outdoor Pool
- Spa
- Beach Nearby
- Babysitting
- Creche / Kids Club
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Snorkelling
- Sailing
Rooms
The accommodation at Trisara is jaw-droppingly fabulous, taking the best of Thai and Balinese design with travertine marble floors, pitched ceilings panelled in golden teak, silk-padded doors, giants’ furniture, kingsize beds pillowed like a small mountain range, and tasteful antiques you can hang your hat on.
The least expensive, semi-detached, Ocean View Pool Rooms are at the top of the hill, these have some of the best sunset views; also at the top of the hill, but with twice as much space (including a living area), are the Ocean View Pool Suites. The Ocean View and Ocean Front Pool Villas are closer to the beach and also have generous sitting areas and private gardens. Families can make use of the 2-bedroom Ocean Front Pool Villas, which have generous living spaces - or you could opt for a Trisara Signature Villa which has a full kitchen and comes with its own housekeeper and cook!
Each is absolutely secluded with its own sundeck, loungers, shady terrace, uninterrupted views of the Andaman Sea, and an infinity pool (ranging in size from 4-18m) which blurs the line of the horizon into an optical illusion.
Bath and dressing rooms come equipped with banquette, twin basins and Sodashi soaps, bath salts, shampoos and balms. There’s an indoor and outdoor rain shower and a couples’ bath festooned with an almost profligate selection of towels - one evening we counted 19 in the bathroom and on the terrace (most topped with a fresh orchid): enough to suit just about every eventuality.
Private bars offer complimentary snacks (homemade cookies, pistachios and crystallised fruits), fresh milk, cafetiere coffee and Tea-rapy teas. As you'd expect, there's a Bose sound system with iPod dock, gargantuan plasma TV, DVD player and free WiFi. Dressing gowns, beach sandals, a hairdryer, umbrellas, a safe, a daily newspaper, and an emergency torch are also provided.
For those who want absolute luxury, there are a selection of palatial private residences (with 3-6 bedrooms) to rent on the estate. Staffed with a cook and a housekeeper, the residences vary in size and design (reflecting each owner's taste in architecture and interiors) but are likely to have at least 1 sitting room, terraces, outdoor salas, a full kitchen, a huge (18-22m) private swimming pool, astonishing views and party-sized showers.
Features include:
- Bathrobes
- Fan
- Hairdryer
- Minibar
- Safe box
- WiFi
Eating
The food here is irresistible.
Breakfast is served a la carte in The Deck (additional to your room rate). Marvel at the centrepiece slab of honeycomb. Juices are freshly prepared to your own design – try celery, carrot and apple with a squidgeon of ginger for an energising boost. Then ruin all the good work with baked eggs and spicy chorizo, eggs Benedict, sliced avocado on sourdough toast with splashes of aged balsamic, or crisp, golden French toast with fresh peaches, bacon and maple syrup.
Lunch and dinner can also be eaten here. The restaurant cooks up zingy Thai dishes made with organic produce from the King’s project in Chiang Mai, which is committed to environmental care through best farming practice. We loved the deep fried garupa with lip-puckering som tam in a chilli sauce, and the creamy beef massaman curry, but were glad to cool things down afterwards with the pistachio dacquoise and the ice cream layer cake (the chocolate layer was like a whole wedge of a Neuhaus truffle). As well as Thai specialities, the restaurant also has a full vegetarian menu and a range of international dishes.
You can also try the ocean-front Trisara Seafood restaurant. Dishes, obviously, consist of freshly cooked seafood, served simply on the palm-shaded beachfront terrace or indoors in the whitewashed dining room. There's also a Sunday jazz brunch, which features fine wine, tapas and live cooking stations alongside the seafood.
For inventive European cuisine, dine at the restaurant inspired by the farm-to-table movement, PRU. Although we are yet to visit, guests rave reviews have placed the restaurant in high demand, so book in advance to avoid disappointment.
If you can’t be torn from your divine villa, opt for a private poolside barbecue, just ask for everything (including your own chef, waiter and barbecue) to be sent up, so you can dine overlooking the Andaman Sea in splendid seclusion. Those in Trisara Signature Villas and Private Residences have full kitchens and dedicated cooks.
Features include:
- Bar
- Kids' meals
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Vegetarian options
Activities
- The beach and pool will keep you pleasantly occupied for many happy hours - you only have to glance in the direction of a daybed and towels will be strategically spread out for you as if by magic. Once in situ you’ll be kept hydrated with iced water and fresh fruit ice-lollies
- The water is as clear as the Maldives and the diving is excellent: just offshore, an artificial reef is home to giant trigger fish, lion fish, clown fish, seahorse, jack, starfish and barracuda
- Hobie cat sail boats, sea kayaks, a catamaran, and snorkelling and windsurf equipment are available to borrow free of charge between December-April; between May & November it is considered too unsafe with rough waves and currents. There's also a motorised dinghy to hire for snorkelling trips. Jet skis (for those who just can’t survive on wind-power) can be brought in from Surin on request
- Book one of Trisara’s crewed luxury motor yachts for a full- or half-day snorkelling trip to stunning Ko Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay
- Luxuriate in a herbal steam bath at the Jara spa followed by Trisara’s signature 6-handed massage - bliss
- Keep in shape at the gym or on either of the 2 floodlit, tennis courts: racquets and tennis balls are available free of charge
- Play golf at Blue Canyon Country Club: guests have free use of clubs and enjoy Trisara’s membership privileges
- Consultants in yoga, reiki, cranio-sacral therapy and pilates will help balance mind and body
- Take a helicopter ride over Phang Nga Bay
- For those who to take away magazine-worthy photographs and professional videos from their trip, head to the Trisara's Director's Den - the world's first resort production studio
- The nearest shopping and formal restaurants are at the Laguna complex, 10 minutes away by car
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Boat trips
- Fishing
- Golf
- Helicopter flights
- Kayaking
- Private guided tours
- Sailing
- Scuba diving
- Scuba diving courses
- Snorkelling
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Well being
- Windsurfing
- Yoga
Best Time to go
Any time of year, though the driest months are December-April and it's then that you can do watersports and swim in clear seas. Phuket's wet season runs from May to November. The busiest period is Christmas through to the end of February.
Our Top Tips
Most people stay 3-4 nights, though a few stay several weeks in the residences. There’s certainly enough to do to here to prevent early onset itchy feet.
Location
Trisara is situated in the northwest of Phuket, in southern Thailand.
By Air:
Phuket Airport (11km) is the closest. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.
From the Airport
The hotel will arrange a complimentary limousine transfer unless you’re hiring a car of your own.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.
More on getting to Thailand and getting around
Airports:
- Phuket 11.0 km HKT
Other:
- Beach 0.1 km
- Shops 2.0 km
- Restaurant 5.0 km