Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Interview with the Surin Hotel General Manager regarding the Remodel...




The wonderful General Manager of the Surin Hotel, Antonio Saponara, was kind enough to take precious time away from the complete remodel of the former Chedi hotel to answer some questions. I am very proud to be able to present the update from Surin Hotel Phuket to the readers of this blog. Thank you very much Antonio.

1. First, thank you very much for taking the time to answer some questions regarding the remodel of the former “Chedi” hotel, now “The Surin Phuket”. This hotel has always been one of my favorites and you and the staff are wonderful. Can you give us an overview of what changes are being made to the hotel? First of All I would like to thank you for the opportunity to present The Surin, one of the very first beach resorts in Phuket which is now undergoing a major facelift. The resort will still feature separate cottages (103 in total) located on the bay overlooking Pansea Beach, a private cove of pure white sand stretching over 300m and shared only with Amanpuri. Some of the beach cottages will feature a new 30m terrace facing the sea, while all rooms will be more spacious, bright and fresh while still retaining the Thai character of a beach house.

2. The resort has 89 one bedroom and 19 two bedroom cottages. Will you be adding to the number of rooms? We will reduce the number of cottages from 108 to 103 because we are adding a new spa in place of 5 cottages on the hillside.

3. What specific changes will guests immediately recognize about the changes within the hotel and specifically the hotel rooms? The feel of the resort will be different compared to the past already from the arrival. The color palette is much lighter with silver, gray, hearty tones of Thai silks from Jim Thompson blending with the abundant foliage of tropical plants and coconut palms on Pansea beach. The one-bedroom cottages are made more spacious by the addition of a sofa built on a bay window facing the king size bed. This allows also a lot more natural light in to the room. The wooden floors have been replaced with a granite to further lighten the room. Amenities are also more sophisticated from the mini bar selection to the turn down, from the complimentary beach slippers and beach bag to the Lemongrass House handmade spa products.

4. I understand that the original architect of the resort Edward Tuttle, who designed the property in 1990 has returned to oversee the remodel. How is it working with the original Architect? Nobody better than Ed Tuttle could have interpreted the remake of the Chedi in to The Surin. Ed also designed the Amanpuri in the late '80 and for him Pansea Beach is a second home, he has visited both resorts every year since he started working on them. I have had the privilege to work with Ed for a few years during my tenure at Amanpuri and his talent for dishing out timeless design is unmatched. He has created some of the most amazing resorts in the world (Amanjena, Amanjivo, Amankila to name a few) and what impresses me most is that each resort is so much in harmony with the place, it belongs to the place and feels like it has always been there.

5. I understand you are adding a gym to the property? Where will this be located? How big will the gym be and will the resort be offering on site classes such as Yoga or Pilates? We are adding a 100m2 gymnasium by the beach and featuring the latest equipment from Technogym. We are definetely planning to offer Yoga lessons.

6. What changes if any are being made to the restaurants? To the bar? The Lomtalay Restaurant (breakfast buffet and Thai specialties at dinner) and The Sunset Bar and Restaurant (international tapas, wines and cocktails) are being redesigned. We are also adding a new beach bar and plan to convert the beach in to a night spot where guests can come relax and enjoy drinks from sunset til late listening to the waves and lounge tunes.

7. Is it true that the rooms “thatched roofs” are being removed and replaced with something else? The new roofs are made of cedar shingles that blend very well with the natural surroundings.

8. Are the grounds plants and flowers being changes at all? We plan to re-landscape the resort after the construction work is completed. We will add a variety of tropical plants but want to retain the natural look of the green areas avoiding to give a decorative look.

9. Is the pool being changed at all? The unique hexagonal pool shape will remain but the pool will be retiled with the same midnight blue tiles.

10. Are the menus for the restaurants changing? Our new Executive Chef Alberto Zaniboni will review all menus and propose new tempting additions in all outlets as well as create new themed dining experiences.

11. What will the new pricing for the hotel and the restaurants be, compared to before the remodel? We are not planning to make big price increases in the restaurant and spa; any increase will be well justified by the higher quality of the resort amenities, services, food & beverage offering and facilities. the room prices will increase but still represent great value considering that we are located on one of the best beaches in Asia.

12. Lastly, Can you share any photos of the remodel with us? (Gym, new rooms, cottages, restaurants, lobby) Here is a sample image of the one-bedroom cottage. An images gallery will gradually be available on our website www.thesurinphuket.com from mid September.


Wednesday, May 25, 2011



A Day at the Chedi Beach "Pansea Beach" Phuket.....Pure Bliss

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Plumeria in Thailand


Only white plumeria here at the Chedi. But they are going to close for six months and remodel. Maybe they will plant some more colors...

Chedi Hotel




So it has been raining quite a bit off and on. Today was the first day that we did not stay at the beach until 5pm. It has been 86 with about 80% humidity every day which makes for a very warm day. The Andaman Sea is about 87 degrees which strangely feels cool after sitting or running on the beach. The beach folks are amazing this year. We watched as they pulled 2 people out of the water during a very strong current moment in the day, but they can't keep us out of the water. Today I did laps in the ocean and one of the guys came out in a kayak to surf the waves. We were the only ones in the bay. Quite fun.