PHUKET: Phuketwan's Best of Phuket Resort of the Year 2013 is the Pullman Phuket Arcadia Resort.
And before the coconuts are thrown, let's just say we hope the juice is drunk first, otherwise that would be an unnecessary waste, and besides, much heavier to lift and hurl.
This year was a big year for great new Phuket resorts. There were some wonderful places to stay among the dazzling new units around Phuket's coast.
We didn't get to stay at any of them, just walk around on a tour and shake our heads at the superb vistas and note how many of them are to a very high standard. That means our judgement is based on look and feel, not on service.
We also have to apologise to a couple of great resorts we toured but did not get the chance to review because the busy first half of 2013 turned into an extremely hectic second half.
Design standards are improving and we wonder what the coming years will bring as some of the older Phuket resorts in the best locations are remade to use modern techniques that seem to take the classics and make them cool and hip.
And (please excuse us while we duck under a coconut) we're well aware of the checkered history of the location. We are not supporters of national park encroachment or any illegal activity.
The jury is still out, the resort is built and open, and our thoughts are purely based on the quality of the completed product.
It's also worth saying - without making a judgement on innocent or guilt (there goes another coconut) - that many resorts on Phuket and around the region have interesting pasts.
What does it for us about the Pullman? The ascent to the entrance is a big plus. We visited during the day but it could be sensational by candlelight.
To be greeted by a ''welcomer'' wearing a wafting blue evening dress also made us feel special. We know some resorts produce their entire staff to say ''Hi.'' But someone in an evening dress probably conveys even more.
The Pullman's curvy shape is also impressive. There are corners where there must be corners, but for us, bringing the surge and roll of Nai Thon beach to the top of the cliff was a winning idea.
More than that, the pool villas take the concept of integrating the wet and dry areas to the next level.
We could hear the water breaking on the rocks below and, with clever design, the bathroom and shower area mingles with the pool to isolate guests in a dry zone surrounded by water.
Like an island. Like Phuket.
And before the coconuts are thrown, let's just say we hope the juice is drunk first, otherwise that would be an unnecessary waste, and besides, much heavier to lift and hurl.
This year was a big year for great new Phuket resorts. There were some wonderful places to stay among the dazzling new units around Phuket's coast.
We didn't get to stay at any of them, just walk around on a tour and shake our heads at the superb vistas and note how many of them are to a very high standard. That means our judgement is based on look and feel, not on service.
We also have to apologise to a couple of great resorts we toured but did not get the chance to review because the busy first half of 2013 turned into an extremely hectic second half.
Design standards are improving and we wonder what the coming years will bring as some of the older Phuket resorts in the best locations are remade to use modern techniques that seem to take the classics and make them cool and hip.
And (please excuse us while we duck under a coconut) we're well aware of the checkered history of the location. We are not supporters of national park encroachment or any illegal activity.
The jury is still out, the resort is built and open, and our thoughts are purely based on the quality of the completed product.
It's also worth saying - without making a judgement on innocent or guilt (there goes another coconut) - that many resorts on Phuket and around the region have interesting pasts.
What does it for us about the Pullman? The ascent to the entrance is a big plus. We visited during the day but it could be sensational by candlelight.
To be greeted by a ''welcomer'' wearing a wafting blue evening dress also made us feel special. We know some resorts produce their entire staff to say ''Hi.'' But someone in an evening dress probably conveys even more.
The Pullman's curvy shape is also impressive. There are corners where there must be corners, but for us, bringing the surge and roll of Nai Thon beach to the top of the cliff was a winning idea.
More than that, the pool villas take the concept of integrating the wet and dry areas to the next level.
We could hear the water breaking on the rocks below and, with clever design, the bathroom and shower area mingles with the pool to isolate guests in a dry zone surrounded by water.
Like an island. Like Phuket.
