Holiday retreat for the rich and famous
by Barry Daniel
AUTHOR F. Scott Fitzgerald once remarked to Ernest Hemingway that ‘the rich are different to you and me’.
“Yes,” replied Hemingway.
“They have more money.”
But the rich don’t necessarily have it all their own way. They are often just as time-stressed and sleep-deprived as the rest of us, and they too, need somewhere to chill out and recharge their batteries.
The luxury Trisara resort and villa development is such a place.
Trisara is only about 12 limo-purring minutes from the airport, which is handy because almost a quarter of the Trisara’s guests fly into Phuket in their own private planes. The resort, which oozes luxury and class, is spread across 150 rai of private hillside and headland on the island’s quiet north-west coast.
As soon as the limo pulls up at the entrance, it is obvious that this is one of the ultimate lifestyle resort and villa developments in the entire Asia Pacific region. Adrian Zecker’s Aman Group tapped into the cutting edge of an emerging lifestyle trend at the end of the 1980’s. Having won his spurs working for the Regent Hotel Group, Zecker realised that the absolute top end of the resort market no longer wanted the ‘seamless sameness’ that the big global hotel groups were selling, no matter how luxurious those offerings were.
Today’s big-spenders want small, select, boutique escapes, set in exotic locations and offering a unique lifestyle experience. The key to customer satisfaction is all about creativity and elegance, where small is beautiful, and less clutter is the way to go. The Amanpuri, on Phuket’s west coast, opened in 1988 and became the flagship of the new lifestyle it represented.
People like Rolling Stone, Sir Mick Jagger and his media and rock peers spent their holidays there, safely hidden away from the fans and the paparazzi. When word got out that Jagger and his entourage used Phuket’s top spot as a holiday hideaway, the discerning acolytes quickly followed. The Aman Group spread out across Asia, opening six resorts in the past twelve years, from Bali to Bora Bora, Sri Lanka and Cambodia.
Anthony Lark was the group general manager who oversaw this expansion, and he developed a keen understanding of the psychology of his very select group of wealthy and discerning high-end customers. By the dawn of the new millennium, Lark, and his investors in Trisara, realised the expectations of this super-selective audience had moved onwards and upwards since the early nineties. They felt a new development could lift the bar even higher than the incredible standards already set by the Aman Group.
Lark identified a need to offer the ultimate in convenience and tasteful design as an integral part of the resort experience. This had to be complemented with the ultimate in subtle, intimate service that would make Trisara the perfect escape from the pressure-cooker world outside. But as well as ‘escaping’, the high-fliers also wanted to be able to log on and re-connect with the wired world whenever they wanted, quickly, efficiently and always on their own terms and in complete control.
The ‘software’ of service and cutting-edge technology were equally important components of the overall package. The Trisara development sits on two stunning headlands and includes a central bay and beach, which guarantees there will never be any other buildings or developments within sight of this pristine piece of Heaven. The Sanskrit name refers to the garden of delight in which the Lord Buddha found himself during his third level of enlightenment.
In tune with this Buddhist ethos, the resort removed thousands of the original indigenous trees and plants during development, then cultured and re-planted them, so that every facet of the natural environment was authentic. There are only 40 guest suites in the entire resort, which means each visitor has a huge area in which to enjoy his or her privacy with uninterrupted sea views. Trisara also has 22 individual pool villas, each with 240 square metres of space, equivalent in size to an average New York apartment.
Each villa has its own infinity pool with a spectacular view across the Andaman Sea. The interiors all feature cool, clean lines, elegant fabrics, original art, and soft woods. And they all come complete with an outdoor shower in a private courtyard, a gigantic king-size bed and a beautiful teak sundeck where guests can laze the day away.
There are also 18 smaller pool suites, each of 117 square metres, and each offering a similar array of pleasures and facilities, but on a slightly smaller scale. Lark worked closely with renowned Thai architect and designer, Mom Tri Devakul, to create and oversee every aspect of the development. His vision was to produce a microcosm of elegant simplicity and relaxed intimacy which represented the perfect escape from the rigours of the real world. There are no compromises, and the guests are recognised and treated as unique individuals who have exceptional taste and expectations.
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