Phuket
Thailand


The Experience

Although it may be mere steps from its better-known neighbor Amanpuri and suffered serious damage during 2004’s tsunami, the stylish, modernist Chedi easily stands on its own among the luxe Phuket resort crowd. Designed, like Amanpuri, by noted American architect Ed Tuttle, the Chedi is a mixture of traditional Thai designs and modern functionality, focusing on geometric forms that follow the natural, organic shapes of native palms, bushes, shrubs and rocks. Sprawling down a coconut tree-filled hillside and pouring onto cerulean Pansea Beach, the Chedi is the archetypal tropical-luxe hideaway -- only reasonably priced and without all of the attitude.

The Rooms

The Chedi is a compound of thatched-roof rooms and cottages spread along a verdant hillside and spilling down to the pale blue Andaman Sea. With their concealed position between trees and bushes, the villas provide a strong sense of peacefulness, aided by their spaciousness and architecture. The white-walled interiors are large and breezy; atriums feature grand windows that provide plenty of light; and teak floors and wooden wall panels create a sense of visual warmth. All include air conditioning -- as well as private verandas and sundecks -- along with platform beds capped by gauzy netting and pitched Thai-style roofs. While they share a similar design, the rooms vary in size and location. The hillside rooms require a short walk to everything, while the beachfront cottages are clearly the most coveted.

The Service

Like its high-style, yet low-key design, service at the Chedi is exact without feeling overwrought, always mindful of the peace and intimacy that its guests desire and that its aesthetic conveys. From the traditional cold drink and towel upon arrival to the nonstop “Sawadee” greetings from the chambermaids, the Chedi’s team represents the best of Thai friendliness and charm.

The Highlights

At the core of the Chedi is its hexagonal beachfront swimming pool, surrounded by white chaises. Steps from the beach -- home to snorkeling, windsurfing and catamarans -- the pool elegantly anchors the resort, with its main Thai restaurant, bar and cafe looming above and around. There’s a small spa, with its own outdoor plunge pool and menu of Thai treatments. Head to the cozy library for quality tomes on the region's art and culture, then to the top-floor boutique for a finely edited selection of the best in northern and southern Thai craftsmanship.

-- David Kaufman

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